From Pokol-lik to the mine adit

Itinerary

• We start eastwards on the S marked trail branching off from the Ajka-Pula main road.
• On the S▲ marked path, we climb up to the Nyíresi lookout and then return on the same path.
• Continuing on the S trail, we hike to the Köleskepe ditch, passing by the Sárcsi-kút and Pokol-lik.
• Turning right onto the oak-leaf shaped PT trail, we head to the Hubertus Forestry Forest School.
• Turning left, we continue on the S+ trail to the Peres Forest.
• Turning left on the K+ trail, we proceed to Alsócsinger, passing the Mining Museum.

Detailed description of the hike:

From the lookout to the gorge

We start from the bend of the Ajka–Pula main road on the S marked path. Walking upwards in the now widened valley of Padragi stream, we reach a junction after a few minutes where we turn right onto the S▲ marked trail to climb to the deteriorating wooden structure of the Nyíresi lookout built into the hillside. Be very cautious on the stairs of this tower that has seen better days, especially on the upper level! The landscape opens up from here: we can see the wider surroundings of Ajka. Between the gentle Southern Bakony ranges, we see the buildings of Padragkút and Halimba, and the highest elevation on the horizon is the basalt volcano Somló. Hopefully, this lookout will be renewed soon to welcome hikers again.

Returning on the AS marks, our next section leads through the wild environment of the temporarily flowing Padragi stream valley. Soon we arrive at the Padragi rocks, towering up to 30 meters in places, made of Eocene limestone. From this white rock weather out lens-shaped fossil remains of single-celled organisms belonging to the genus nummulites, popularly called St. Ladislaus coins, found both in the stream bed and around the rocks. The locals also call this rock tower group the Lion Rocks.

In a mysterious, narrow, and gloomy part of the valley, sometimes covered with old pollarded trees, our path winds sometimes in the stony bed, sometimes along its edge. The usually humid, damp climate nourishes a dense understory forest, only rarely penetrated by sunlight. The dry valley bottom usually contains water only after heavier rains because the sedimentary rocks gradually filter the replenishment.

The Padragi pasture forest and the assumed Bakony cave system

At a fork, we can make a short detour to the left on the S● trail to the dilapidated resting place of Király-kút. Along the old embankment lined with aged trees, there was a valley dam until the late 20th century, creating a small lake as a reservoir, whose traces can barely be seen today. Here we encounter the first sign pointing to the thematic path called the Water Seekers’ Way, which connects the region's lakes, sinkholes, springs, and streams into a hike. We will see more of this themed path today as our route leads along the edge of Kab Hill, where waters filtering from higher ground create hydrological phenomena.

Leaving the valley, we start a gentle ascent along the straight wagon road of Király-kúti clearing. We are walking in the area of the former Padragi pasture forest among mixed trees. The typical Bakony fortress type from the past remains only in traces on and around the side of Kab Hill, where the grove structure can sometimes be recognized, and specimens of old oaks testify to this form of animal husbandry.

Making a sharp right turn, we step out of the pasture and near our path can observe a geological curiosity, the yawning mouth of Bújó-lik cave. Approach this carefully, especially in wet, slippery weather! This active sinkhole cave has been explored by professionals and now reaches a depth of 43 meters and a length of 300 meters. One reason for the research is the theory that under the basalt shield of Kab Hill lies a large cave system with entrances at the local sinkholes, which they aim to verify through excavation.

A few dozen steps from the fissure we reach the trail, and here we cover the 2 km ahead on the S marked path. A beech forest accompanies the asphalt strip for a while, elsewhere we stroll under young stands of mixed forests.

At the Sárcsi-kút resting place

At the U-shaped curve of the paved road we arrive at Sárcsi-kút and the spacious forest clearing landscaped with benches, tables, and a rain shelter. We stand on the volcanic overlay edge of Kab Hill, where sedimentary rock cracks emerge here as springs, and the water flows first into an artificial reservoir. Next to Sárcsi-kút starts the local forestry educational trail, whose stations provide insights into the functioning of the local groves, wildlife, and the geology and geomorphology of the mountain range with informational boards. The 4 km long trail connects with a local stone collection and a wildlife show that we can study during our rest.

The Southern Bakony is, with slight exaggeration, just a stone’s throw from the Balaton Uplands, exactly on the border of two climate influences. The nearly 600-meter-high volcanic mountain and the Bakony itself have a mountainous, subatlantic climate resulting in beech forests and moisture-loving plants, while the sub-Mediterranean effect coming from Balaton supports thermophilic species in the area.

From Betyártanya to the Forestry School

We continue walking on asphalt, but soon our trail leads into the forest at a clearing. Through a cut path among the trees, we proceed toward the edge of the Köleskepe ditch collapse. Descending from the basalt cover and leaving the plateau loess layer behind, the steep terrain reveals Eocene Szőc limestone, which forms the base of the mountainous region and the steep walls of the surrounding valleys. On the right turn of the path we pass a built resting place, after which near the appearing white rocks and among gray beech trunks yawns a black hole. This mysterious opening into the mountain's interior is the entrance to the Pokol-lik, popularly named the Savanyó Jóska cave. It is worth crawling inside with a lamp because beyond the narrow entrance lies an interesting, slanting floor cave that widens into a room-like space inside the mountain. The notorious Bakony outlaws may have used the hollow as a refuge, especially the 159 cm tall Savanyó, who could hide even in smaller rock crevices according to legends.

From the cavern, the path leads down into the ditch below, via stairs and railings for comfortable descent. The watercourses here cut deeply through the limestone, creating particularly steep, rocky-edged, shallow gorges. These cool, moist valleys nurture beautiful hornbeam-beech forests where we now continue hiking. Before reaching the bottom of the ditch carrying the asphalt road, we leave the S trail and turn right following the stylized red oak leaf marked PT educational trail along the stream. We soon cross a bridge over the watercourse then reach a paved road where after a few hundred meters we arrive at the Hubertus Forestry Forest School complex. The former forester's house and garden were converted into an education center showcasing the local wildlife with taxidermied animals, interactive games, and footage. One building serves as a guesthouse for tourists — reservations must be made in advance. Outside the fence and along the road we find the László spring with good water and a resting place where we can also pause and quench our thirst.

End of the hike: Mining Museum

Behind the forester's house, we turn off the paved road and walk into the old beech woods on a forestry road marked S+. The terrain is much gentler than the descent into the valley, but we have to climb back to the level we descended to reach the Köleskepe ditch. After a few hundred meters, a covered rest area in a pleasant forest clearing offers a great opportunity to recharge.

Although relatively low, we are on the local high point, the Peres ridge above 400 meters. Crossing the ridge and turning into a small clearing in a logging area, we get a glimpse of the huge transmission tower on Kab Hill. After a rest on benches at a developed resting area, we reach a junction. Following the branching S● trail for 100 meters leads to the Szerencsefel spring, named in memory of the area's mining past. We begin our final descent into the Köves ditch, which has a similar origin to the previous gorge. Our route winds in the spring valley head, where the small stream of Jószerencsét spring flows in from the right. We turn left into the joined canyon, and from here the K+ trail guides us. Descending along the stream in a beech-hornbeam forest, we cross a power line, then the valley widens by a rain shelter and we spot buildings: we have reached the former mining site. We pass the mining memorial commemorating the tragic mine fire in January 1909 that caused 55 fatalities. Walking along the bottom of the sled and ski slopes, past holiday homes, we finally arrive at the fence of the Ajka Mining Museum.

The exhibition is Hungary's first open-air technical skansen museum showcasing the technical and historical memories of Ajka coal mining. In the yard, once-used machinery can be viewed, and the buildings house exhibition spaces with photos and other artifacts, including a display tunnel. The institution opened in 1965, marking the 100th anniversary of the start of coal mining in the area. Among many displayed items, we can find the skip that carried the last coal shipment in 2004. In addition to mining memories, mineral, rock, and paleontological collections await visitors.

Continuing along the valley road after one and a half kilometers, we reach the Csinger valley paved road. Along the valley, the first mining settlements were established, some houses now partly abandoned. Along the industrial railway track in the valley, there are posted skips and a steam locomotive that used to operate here. Only 200 meters from the junction, we find the bus stop from where we can travel to Ajka town center.