In the attraction of the Gaja rock gorge

Itinerary

• We start heading south on the main street of Bakonynána along the K+ mark.
• At the end of the village, turn left onto the K mark and walk along the Gaja stream to the János-ditch.
• From the forest resting place, walk on a short, unmarked path to the Roman Bath waterfall along the stream.
• Returning to the resting place, continue on the K marks to the next junction.
• Turning right, follow the K● marks to the Vadalmás Spring.
• From the dripping pond, hike along the path marked with P● to the nearby wide forest road intersection.
• Turn right onto it and follow the P marks, heading parallel to the Gaja valley, until the Bakonynána-Tés paved road.
• Stepping onto the asphalt, follow the K+ marks back to Bakonynána.

 Tour Description

Memories of Bakony mills

Starting our hike along the K+ marks on Bakonynána's main street heading towards Olaszfalu. At the edge of the village, we reach the intersection of the road leading to Tés, where we continue following the K signs of the route. We soon leave the asphalt and walk along a wide gravel road to the Prémmill. The currently guesthouse-functioning stone building operated as a mill until the mid-20th century, powered by the gently flowing Gaja stream at the forest edge. Many similar structures were built on the fast-flowing waters of the Bakony in the past, with several functioning at the borders of most villages. On the upper section and tributaries of the Gaja, nine mills were still operating in the 1940s, serving different functions. They were used not only for grinding grain but also for crushing, hulling, sawing, and wool processing (fulling mill). After World War II, during the party state era, the mills were taken from the millers and most subsequently fell into ruin. Recently, a few have been saved—like the Prémmill, where we are currently standing, as well as the operational Poós and Vadalmás mills on the neighboring Jásd border. The earliest source mentioning a mill on the Gaja dates back to 1410, indicating the long tradition of using water power in the area.

Our route's axis: the Gaja

We begin entering the mysterious valley of the Gaja on a plank-fenced path following the K mark. We cross a wooden bridge over one of its tributaries, then, after passing apartment buildings and fences, we magically find ourselves on the stream bank. Further along, sometimes we walk directly along the bed, sometimes slightly away but always under the attraction of the Gaja.

The Bakony mostly consists of sedimentary rocks, whose fracture network allows rainwater to seep in and reemerge on the surface through karst springs. These drips feed the mountain streams, which have carved deep valleys among peaks in many places. The largest water of East Bakony is the Gaja, nearly 100 km long, of which about 40 km is mountainous. Its springs are found near Nagyesztergár, from where it meanders towards Fehérvárcsurgó in the foreland of the Tési Plateau. It then enters the depths of the Móri-ditch and finally continues its course on the plains of Mezőföld under the name Sárvíz, joining several other streams. Its water quality supports trout and other fish species. Fishing is permitted on certain sections.

The stream winds through a legendary environment, with two particularly eye-catching sections: near Bodajk and here, at the edge of Bakonynána, it breaks through large rocks, creating a wild stone gorge. We will soon enter the latter.

Entering the gorge

Initially, we walk on the hillside above the valley floor. We mostly feel and hear rather than see the stream, but as we progress under the lush understory forest trees of the gorge, we gradually descend to the water’s edge. The already mysterious atmosphere intensifies when we reach the yellowish loess cliff deposited during the Pleistocene glaciations, into which significant beech roots entwine. It's as if a surrealist painter created the intertwined braids forming a true microcosm within the forest. Approaching the cobble stream, bright limestone rocks appear, into which the rushing water has carved itself. A wonderful sight, but the best is yet to come!

Near the dry valley of János-ditch confluence, the canyon opens up, leading to a small meadow with a resting place capable of hosting several dozen people. Here, we can cross to the other side of the Gaja via a wooden bridge over the meadow equipped with rain shelters and fire pits.

Roman Bath: grotesque fantastic

From here, an unmarked path along the stream takes us to the canyon’s most exciting part, the narrow section near the Roman Bath. Huge limestone benches and vertical rock walls, along with the roar of cascading water, indicate where the multi-step waterfall is. The basin and its surroundings are stunning; the series of poured basins and pools inspired locals to give the place its name. Although in Roman times a trade route passed through the region, there is no evidence the area was used as a bath in antiquity. Béla Hamvas writes about the view opening before us in his essay titled Bakony: "There is something grotesque and fantastic about the Roman Bath, as if carved out from the American Yellowstone Park and brought here. Eccentric rock shapes, wildly rushing stream, waterfalls, hanging trees the size of housekeepers, and bare roots on the hillside."

In a 1918 issue of the journal Tourism and Mountaineering, we read: "No pen can describe the enchanting majesty of this place; we stand spellbound near wildly piled rocks and roaring, swirling water cascading down sometimes several meters... and hardly realize that here we are actually standing in a secluded corner of the Bakony, not in the Alps or the Carpathians' even more beautiful parts!... Surrounded by floor-to-ceiling, vertically torn rock walls, this gorge valley is of wonderful beauty, which has nothing to do with the Romans and was called thus by some cunning person long ago!"

If you wish, you can cautiously continue on the path above the waterfall to visit the yawning mouth of the Savanyó Jóska cave. The cavity was carved into a vertical rock wall over the stream; we can temporarily shelter in the 12-meter-long stone den. However, be careful moving on the terrace in front of the cave! The depression named after the infamous Bakony bandit indeed served as a good hideout for those fleeing the law. It is worthwhile to rest in front of the cave or on the stone benches of the waterfall, admire nature's marvelous sanctuary, and soak up the spirit of the place.

Crossing to the other side of the Gaja

Returning to the resting place, we cross the footbridge and continue along the K marks past the forestry monument. We rise above the valley, then reach the gate of a forest section surrounded by a fence, after which we descend again to the Gaja bank on a loess deep road. At a crossroads, we turn right, switching to the K● marks leading to the waterworks site. From here, it is possible to return to the Roman Bath on an unmarked branching path and also see the canyon from a lower perspective.

We cross a curved wooden bridge over the babbling stream and soon find ourselves at the well-equipped resting place of the abundant Vadalmás Spring. The tasty and cool karst water derives its replenishment from the swallow holes of the Tési Plateau above us, where rainwater seeps through the limestone passage and fracture network and resurfaces here. The mountain air arrives into a small spring pond at the base of old trees, where we can refill our bottles.

Return to Bakonynána

From the benches, we continue on the P● marks and, with a U-shaped turn, join a wide forest road winding above the southern bank of the Gaja in the hillside. Turning right here, we switch to the P marks. For the next 2 kilometers, we walk a pleasant gradient path in hornbeam-beech woodland. Although the stream is nearby, we no longer see it as the forest carefully conceals the gorge. We pass a resting place outfitted with benches, a rain shelter, and a fire pit, and next to it, on the left side of the path, we notice an interesting geological exposure. The "uncovered" rock face tells the story of the Bakony's formation. The constituent rocks of the mountain range were mostly deposited during the Mesozoic era of Earth's history. At that time, tropical climate prevailed, and processes took place in a shallow marine environment. In the strata formed about 100 million years ago, it is clearly visible that marl was deposited on limestone formations. Both are sedimentary rocks whose materials settled in this warm sea. Fossils of rock-forming organisms can be found in the wall in the form of various trilobites and single-celled lime skeletons.

We cross a tributary and, about a quarter of an hour later, stand at the bend of the Bakonynána–Tés asphalt road, from where the K+ mark guides us. Bakonynána's houses soon appear, and then, for the last time, we cross the Gaja on a concrete bridge where we bid farewell to the stream. Afterwards, we return along the now familiar road to the village center.