Forest walk around the Révfülöp Millennium Lookout

Itinerary

• We start uphill from the parking lot following the P sign.
• At the forest edge junction choose the right-hand path marked with P▲, which leads to the lookout tower.
• After the lookout tower, continue about 1 km on the P▲ mark until the next hiking trail junction.
• The path merges into the P sign, where we turn left. This leads back to the starting point.

Detailed description of the route

Up to the hill called the mountain!

Révfülöp, a popular settlement on the shore of Lake Balaton, has its own hill and lookout tower; although calling the 276-meter elevation a mountain is quite a polite term. The last houses of the settlement are located high on the southern side of Fülöp Hill, so if we arrive by car, we can start our circular walk from a small parking lot without having to walk uphill on the streets.

We set off along a stone fence following the P sign. Soon, a staircase reinforced with planks replaces the gravel asphalt as we climb higher. Around the rather steep ascent halfway up, after a few curves, we can catch our breath at a lookout point equipped with benches. Continuing another 200 meters, we can already see the tent-roofed terrace of the lookout tower, and soon reach the summit.

A unique lookout tower

The lookout, called the Millennium or Fülöp Hill Tower, is an unusual sight: its squat cylindrical shape, the external spiral staircase winding up to the first floor, and its small balconies resembling a ship’s bow are all unique features. The building’s long base is made of red sandstone often found in the Balaton Uplands, while its upper levels with terraces are made of wood.

The upper wooden structure was precisely what caught fire in the winter of 2020—likely due to a lightning strike. The fire completely destroyed the internal spiral staircase and roof structure.

The residents of Révfülöp had actually planned a lookout here as early as the 1940s, but the war intervened. They had to wait until 2001 when the tower named the Millennium Lookout was inaugurated. After the fire destroyed the roof, it was rebuilt quickly with small modifications. The new wooden upper part was topped with a copper-coated helmet and a more effective lightning protection system than before was installed. The goal was not only safety but also to preserve the familiar view experienced for twenty years.

Be sure to climb to the top, where a breathtaking panorama opens up from the fenced circular terrace. Standing on one of the small terraces at the stair turns, you can already get to know the view southward. Behind the canopy of tall trees, you can glimpse the waters of Lake Balaton, and opposite the flat shore stretch, you can see the hills of Somogy. If you carefully observe the opposite shore, you can even spot the Gömb Lookout of Balatonboglár.

Upon reaching the top level of the lookout, our gaze instinctively turns westward, where the most spectacular panorama is. The shore of Lake Balaton is dotted with bays overgrown with reeds, the nearby Örsi Hill, and the more distant Badacsony seem to end in the lake. Turning inland, the characteristic shapes of the Tapolca Basin’s witness hills appear: the Gulács, Tóti Hill, Szent György Hill, and the Csobánc are all identifiable. In the deeper areas, houses and parts of settlements appear, and behind the picturesque landscape rises the flat plateau of the Keszthely Mountains. Crossing to the other side of the terrace, you can also follow Lake Balaton for a long stretch eastward, even beyond the Tihany Peninsula.

Down from the hilltop

After thoroughly taking in the high view, continue on the P▲ marking! Since we have already dealt with the ascent to the lookout, a pleasant forest walk begins from here. We walk about a kilometer on a wide path through an airy oak forest, then join the P path coming from Kővágóörs, where we turn left. A vineyard opens up a window to the landscape here, allowing us to admire the never-tiring view of the witness hills from this side as well.

Increasingly, signs of human presence appear: a few red brick houses, fences, and orchards. Among the houses, the panorama again compels us to stop, giving another chance for photos with the stunning backdrop of an empty lot. The next section follows a hillside single track above a steep, densely vegetated ditch.

We return to our starting point via the already known stairs and next to the stone fence; on the steep street, as a spectacular conclusion to our Révfülöp circular walk, this time we see Lake Balaton before us.