Loop tour at the gate of the Bakony, through the wild gorge of the Cuha

Itinerary

• We start from Vinye railway stop on the hiking trail marked with P towards the center of the settlement.
• After the meadow, turn right along the P marked trail, where we visit the Kőpince cave opening to the right of the trail, then walk back to the junction.
• At the junction, turn right onto the hiking trail marked P+, which we follow through the Alsó-Cuha gorge to Vinye.
• On the return branch of the route, we can take a detour to the Kitaibel Pál memorial on the right branching PL marked trail.
• We return to Vinye along the P+ marked trail.
• In Vinye, turn right onto the P marked trail that leads to the railway station and the bus stop.

Detailed description of the tour

Former sawmill, now a tourist center

Vinye is a small, picturesque settlement in the Bakony on the border of Veszprém and Győr-Moson-Sopron counties. Its main attraction is its nature-close location, proximity to the Cuha creek valley, and the surrounding forest beauty. But it was not always a tourist center: the settlement formerly known as Vinye-Sándormajor was a wood processing and sawmill facility of the Eszterházy family, which operated even after nationalization in the 20th century until the regime change. There was even a forest railway leading to the timber yard: from Imremajor north of Porva village, wood was transported on a 9 km long narrow-gauge horse, then steam powered railway. After a long period of decline, the forest railway ceased to operate completely by 1960, its function taken over by forest exploration roads.

From Vinye railway station, we set off eastward on the P marked trail but only stay on it until the Kőpince springs marked with bands. Among the Kőpince springs, the Upper Kőpince spring reliably supplies fresh water even in dry weather; it's worth replenishing there if you haven't already. Both springs have stone constructions with metal spouts, and the Kőpince spring has a marble plaque with its name and the construction year (1956). From the resting place here, within sight range, is the short detour to the not-too-grand Kőpince cave, which is worth visiting before starting the hike. This can be accessed by staying on the P trail and then turning right. The cavity is a trace of the former work of the Cuha creek, with an approximately 10 m long tunnel whose end has a chimney letting light from the surface.

Return to the junction and turn right onto the P+ marked trail. One interesting feature of the loop is that you follow the P+ mark from Vinye center back to Vinye center—for reverse direction, likewise. The first one and a half kilometers run north along fields, moving away from the Cuha creek. At Pakucs rest, we meet our watercourse again, where a covered hut and wooden table and benches provide comfort.

The Cuha and its wild gorge

From here, we follow the Cuha creek northeastward, and the landscape changes significantly over the next kilometer. Along the creek, the path winds into increasingly dense forest, sometimes blocked by fallen trees. In places, crossing the creek is necessary, and the difficulty depends on the water flow. Soon we reach what may be the most beautiful gorge of the Cuha: on both sides, high cliffs shade the path, vegetation is lush, and the air is fresh and cool. The only 250 m long Alsó-Cuha gorge is the main attraction of our hike. On both sides of the path, caves open, worth climbing: the first is the Zsivány cave to our right, reachable only with exceptional care up a steep path made slippery by loose stones, formerly marked but now only a "footprint" trail remains. The cave is not large but features exciting erosion marks on its walls, and from its entrance, the wildest part of the Cuha valley is nicely visible.

Opposite, on the other side of the gorge, is the Remete cave accessible via the PΩ marked hiking trail. Among the country's hermit caves, this is one of the smallest; due to time constraints, we suggest skipping this stop. But as an adventure, it is definitely worth conquering the steep hillside, as the cavity’s winding, narrow, room-like interior is a striking feature of the gorge's rock formations.

At the widening of the Alsó-Cuha gorge, we find another rest area, the Ördög meadow. There is plenty of space here for several families, and even a covered rain shelter. Our path now turns away from the creek, and on a short but very charming forest path, we reach a wide forestry road, turning left on it. After a section shared with the P mark, we arrive at the border of the Fenyőfő primeval pine forest, indicated well by the change in the landscape. The tone of the pine forest is different from what we are used to: instead of deep greens, silvery, lighter colors dominate among tall, straight-trunked trees, and the characteristic pine scent is present. The silence and tranquility are captivating; you can almost feel "being in a primeval forest," the only sound being trains passing on the nearby railway each hour thanks to its two-hour rhythmic schedule. Among the Scots pines, we find some giants, but not only pines. The natural forest feature is that trees are of different ages because when a matriarch falls, younger trees start competing for light.

"Primeval forest" in the Bakony

Accessible via a short detour, it is recommended to visit a nearby memorial. Before crossing the Hódos-ér bridge, a short hiking trail marked PL branches right. On the winding, thus blind railway track, cross carefully and attentively! Kitaibel Pál’s memorial post stands a stone’s throw from the rails, where we can pay tribute to one of our greatest scientists who first called attention to the importance of primeval pine forests even by the end of the 18th century.

The Fenyőfő primeval pine forest is the country's only pine forest partially naturally preserved since the last ice age. Its area is characterized by loose structured sandy soil, on which oak and beech do not thrive but Scots pine does well. The wildlife of the primeval pine forest carries both mountain and lowland characteristics, making an exciting combination of two habitats. The forest section extends between Bakonyszentlászló and Fenyőfő over 578.7 hectares, of which more than 320 hectares are strictly protected. How "ancient" the association is—how much the original forest is the descendant—is questionable, as contemporary sources indicate that reckless logging nearly completely wiped out the pine forest from the Northern Bakony slopes during the Middle Ages. After the Turkish invasion, the settlers of Fenyőfő in the 18th century partly re-established the grove from seeds of the previous forest remnants to secure the drifting sand and partly imported seedlings from Austria. Thus, today's forest is only partly a remnant of the original stand.

We explore the southeastern area of the primeval forest along the forestry road, then arrive at a disturbed area: to our left are fields and pastures, to the right is already the proximity of the railway indicating we are approaching our starting station. In Vinye, we walk past the ruins of the old sawmill: abandoned buildings, yards overgrown with brushwood, and former industrial railway lines recognizable even on satellite images show the location of the facility. There are guesthouses and inns in Vinye offering the possibility of a longer excursion in the Bakony.