Joyful barrier-free excursion in the Búbánat Valley

Itinerary:

• We start from the northeastern part of Halas Lake towards the western side of the lake.
• Along the lake, we follow the P+ sign to the left.
• We turn left onto Sás Street, bypassing the Mini Lake and the Bath Lake from the eastern side.
• Before Kerek Lake, we change sides again and arrive at the Kerektavi Nature House on the western side of the lake.
• From here, we return by taking the opposite side of the lakes compared to our outgoing path to the starting point.
• (For those feeling strong enough for the bonus round, continue from the Nature House along the P+ sign, then turn left on P. On reaching the meadow, turn left at the lookout tower, then again turn left along the edge of the meadow to return to the lake and reconnect with the main route of the hike.)

Detailed description of the route:

The four lakes lie almost in a line running slightly southwest from north. Moving away from the Danube, in order they form the string of lakes: Halas Lake, Mini Lake, Bath Lake, and Kerek Lake, created by regulating the Csenke Stream. Inspired by the idea of the Vasas Anglers Association, the valley started being built from the early 1960s, to stock fish species less found in the Danube into these lakes for fishing. Water supply to the artificial lakes is ensured by small culverts and sluices. The once marshy area integrates naturally into the environment in its current developed state. This was not the first time the stream was dammed in the valley; some of its forms date back to Roman times.

Our hike begins at the tip of Halas Lake, also called the Frypond. From here, the path rises gently but steadily all the way to Kerek Lake, the endpoint of our hike. We chose the route starting from the bottom because the final section of the hike then slopes downward and is a gentler solution.

Starting the lake circuit

At the northern tip of Halas Lake, we turn east, then follow a gravel, smooth surface along the partly reed-covered lakeshore, which shortly bends in the lake's longitudinal direction. Here are huts equipped with benches for rest, as we will find frequently later along the lakes. We can only bypass the small pond with a minor loop: this is still the edge of the urban area, where detouring residential houses and holiday homes, we turn onto a road bordered by forest on the right and neat holiday homes on the left. After a couple of hundred meters, turning left we find ourselves between Halas Lake and Mini Lake and continue on the far side of the latter.

The third, Bath Lake, appears almost unnoticed on our right; the two lakes nearly merge. On the left, the last houses still accompany us, but the space towards the lake opens up and Bath Lake’s peaceful mirror stretches extensively, which we bypass on its left side. Small groves and willows border the well-maintained shore, and the lake’s upper tip lies embedded in a forest environment. The frequency of birds and aquatic creatures also indicates they thrive here. This section can also be taken on a paved road slightly farther from the lakeshore.

Exiting onto the road, we cross over the Csenke Stream and arrive at the northwest tip of Kerek Lake through a forested, well-kept arbor, again following the paved Fárikúti road. Careful cycling is advised, as cars of catering places, anglers, and visitors are not frequent but regularly travel here.

Our walk lasts until the middle of the western shore of Kerek Lake, where a longer rest is recommended to admire Szamár Hill rising on the far shore and the human-scale, natural beauty of the lake. The many special plants and symbiosis of amphibians indicate a clean environment. Here you can find marsh helleborine, water horsetail, flesh-colored finger orchid, marsh helleborine variant, marsh lousewort, marsh buttercup, several kinds of sedge, and peat fern. Protected fish species like the German nase swim in the lake, as well as several amphibians, reptiles, and otters.

On the lake shore stands the modern visitor center, Kerektavi Nature House, opened in summer 2021, offering a buffet and accessible toilets, dressing rooms, and rest rooms. We can descend to the lakeshore with the help of our escort on the gently sloping shore equipped with benches. Hikers seeking a light, rich excursion can turn back here and circle the wilder side of Bath Lake in a gravel forest environment by turning left on the road. We can enjoy the spectacle of greylag geese and other water birds in the clear water. On the return trip, we choose the opposite side of the lakes from that which we came. Descending through the forest’s mixed tree stand along a tunnel-like green corridor, tracing a figure-eight shape, we return to the paved road for the hike’s end.

Bonus round

The bolder and physically prepared – as well as well-equipped with aids – can continue after the break along the western shore of Kerek Lake, somewhat away from the water on a wide gravel road. On the right reappear the mansions of the more affluent citizens, while the lake is shielded on the left by a forest strip hiding the view. For our efforts, a reward then follows: we turn left onto a kind of compressed forest road. Maintenance infrastructure no longer reaches this section; we face massive, deep erosion gullies and surface patterns “plowed” by forestry vehicles. We proceed here relying on our helper, our own attention, and abilities for a couple hundred meters on this shady path. Exiting the forest, a stunningly beautiful landscape unfolds with gentle charms. We reach a vast, flowering, untouched meadow; turning left, opposite us rises the low ridge of Szamár Hill, and the cheerful meadow is bordered by acacia-spiced mixed forest. It is important to know this section is absolutely not recommended in rainy weather, though a thick lawn covers the barely discernible path, with guaranteed softness beneath in the black forest soil…

At the bottom of the ridge, our hike leads north back to the eastern shore of Kerek Lake, connecting to a well-walked forest road onto the splendid meadow. The diverse plant species clearly favor this undisturbed environment. Arriving at the lakeshore, anglers’ arbors welcome us, some of which offer opportunities to descend to the lake shore. Kerek Lake cannot be circled directly on the shore barrier-free – although a narrow reinforced concrete footbridge crosses the creek, it dates from times when barrier-free solutions were considerations only for welfare societies. Slightly away from the water, we return to Fárikúti Road through a forested, segmented section, from where we “slide down” via the above-mentioned forest green corridor to the end point of our hike. The hikers worked for the experience, but it was worth it!