From Kiralyret to Bajdazoi Lake - forest hike with wheelchair

Itinerary :

• Start from the center of Kiralyret on the Szenpataki road.
• Turn left where the sign indicates, off the road towards the fishing lake.
• Follow the T trail signs of the educational trail to the Bajdazoi lake.
• First explore the eastern side of the lake, then the western side, looking out towards the former quarry and then the Petofi spring.
• Leave the meadow next to the lake to the east along an unmarked path that leads up to Szenpataki road, then turn back.
• From the Bajdazoi meadow, return along the already known route back to Kiralyret.

Detailed description :

Kiralyret and the former ironworks

Even on the road from Kismaros to Kiralyret, it is worth enjoying the view of the large sweeping hills dotted with forests and meadows. Upon reaching Kiralyret, a tourist center atmosphere welcomes us with numerous information boards, a small local history museum, commercial units, and a tastefully renovated, accessible hiking center.

The Varhegy hill rising southeast of us is crowned by a wooden lookout tower handed over in autumn 2020, overlooking the valley, and if we look in the other direction, near the confluence of the Nagy-Vasfazek creek and Bagoly-bukki creek, we find the Hubertus spring. Unfortunately, the Varhegy lookout and the climb up to it are not accessible, so we will have to skip the panoramic view of Borzsony for now.

The main road coming from Kismaros curves slightly right and leads into the bitumen-paved Szénpataki forestry road maintained by the Királyrét Forestry; this is where we start. After traveling 100-150 meters, turn left at the Y-shaped fork onto the “Fishing Lake” signposted, fine gravel and gravel forest path. The route to the lake is gravel, sometimes stony, with forest clay soil, but not too steep for wheelchair access.

Initially, we follow a fence on our left side, enclosing the popular fishing paradise. Although the lake belongs to anglers, on the southern side, passing through the gate, we can visit right up to the shore. Leaving the fishing lake behind, we continue through a beautiful forest dotted with old trees. A bit further, 200-300 meters up on the left, a clear spring flows in the little valley (accessible only on foot), then after some forest bends, we arrive at a clearing which widens towards the Bajdazoi lake.

The idyllic lake was created similarly to the previously mentioned Kiralyreti fishing lake, justified by the continuous water supply of the ironworks that operated here from 1778. After the closure of the ironworks in 1791, it assisted timber rafting; originally, the system consisted of five lakes, of which only the two mentioned remain. Some parts of the ironworks were still standing in 1900, and a few ruins survived till 1920. Today, only the slag catcher and five water dams serving to provide driving water, as well as traces of the water channel system, can be seen. The increasingly silted Bajdazoi lake was renovated in 2010 and has since become increasingly popular among hikers and those interested in observing aquatic wildlife. It is home to Hungary’s only turtle species, the marsh turtle — if we are lucky and the weather is nice, we may see them sunbathing on the deadwood floating on the lake’s water.

Forest detours around the lake

The lake and its surroundings are located relatively high, but there is no view of the surrounding mountains, as the clearing’s trees and forest surrounding the lake limit the space. On the educational trail around the lake, starting right (eastward), unfortunately, we can get only about halfway. In the forest that stretches right up to the lake, with some help we can reach the denser parts, then we come to a steep section with fallen trees, where we turn back. Starting left from our starting point, we can also circle roughly halfway around the lake and will need one or two steeper sections with effective escort assistance. On this path, we reach a large wooden-shingled tourist resting place and campfire site built in the last century, covered with moss. Here, about 20-30 meters from the lake, the forest path continues, and both branches of the Y fork lead to the former quarry area. This part is protected by a barrier but is often visited by hikers; it is recommended only for extreme wheelchair users to approach.

After admiring the lake, let's take another detour to enjoy the true forest experience as long as possible. From the meadow, do not head back the way you came but turn east along an unmarked but initially passable path. We can travel about 200 meters undisturbed through the atmospheric, undisturbed hornbeam-oak forest. From the nearby Szenpataki road, from which we could easily roll back to Kiralyret, only about one hundred meters separates us, but this short section is so steep and rocky that we definitely do not recommend it for wheelchairs! Thus unfortunately, the only option is to return to the Bajdazoi meadow and choose the already known path to return to Kiralyret.

From here, if we have the energy and desire, by continuing on the right branch of the Szenpataki forestry road (where we turned off at the start of the hike), we can walk an additional 3-4 kilometers barrier-free (this can be an alternative for hikers with very limited mobility!). Here, there are also places for roasting bacon and a beautiful, tunnel-like forest view towards the Varhegy lookout.

The forest hike can be completed in a slow, calm pace in 2.5-4 hours with a wheelchair but can be extended to a full-day adventure with the Szenpataki forest road detour.