Panorama circuit on the edge of Vértes

Itinerary

• Leave Csákberény on the Z+ marking.
• At the first fork, turn left onto the Z▲ marking.
• Rejoin the Z+ marked hiking trail (to the left).
• At a hard-to-recognize spot, on a wooded section, turn left again onto the worn Z▲ marking.
• Join the Z+ marking again, and follow it to the left.
• At the Z fork, turn sharply right and follow this road back to Csákberény.

Detailed description of the hike

Up among the rocks

We start from the center of Csákberény and continue for a while through the streets of the village. At an intersection, the Z turns right (this is the way back), while we cut through a small park that also hides a pond. We follow the forest edge under a chestnut tree row walking on the asphalt, and after approximately half a kilometer, we turn right into the trees (marked Z+).

We pass a memorial pillar and ascend moderately. Be careful that at the pine forest patch the Z▲ marking continues straight, while the Z+ turns right – we follow the former because the latter leads into relatively uninteresting woods. At the end of the ascent, we reach a small pit, perhaps an overgrown depression of a former mine; we proceed along its edge. This brings us to the first viewpoint of the panorama trail: on the forest edge of the steeply sloping hillside, we cross a clearing at level. To the left, the Móri-ditch opens up before us – we get acquainted with the view that will accompany our whole route, only seen from different angles.

Dolomite peaks on the edge of the Móri-ditch

We enter the forest again and continue a gentle ascent. We pass near the highest point of Kopasz Hill (340 m) in a grove enclosed on all sides. Forest sections alternate with small meadows; we are on a somewhat monotonous stretch marked again with Z+, but stay attentive as it is easy to miss the most important fork of our hike: we soon have to turn left to visit the dolomite rocks edging the mountain range. Unfortunately, no sign marks the crossing, and approaching from the south, it is practically impossible to notice; perhaps only a narrow trail strip hidden in the grass might help. We do not find any marking on the sparse vegetation when we reach a bushy meadow: to the right stands an old, dried-up crooked tree, and if we pass it, from the far side, we can discover the quite worn marking that indicates the fork. We take the Z▲ marking and start descending toward the edge of the mountain range. We cross a field and then a short forest section and suddenly stand before a large dolomite rock outcrop. Let's walk along it lengthwise; the trail is well-followed, and it is worth walking all the way to the last small projection to admire the view. Below stretches a cultivated landscape cut by arable fields with small and large settlements, and opposite rise the slopes of Bakony – further back, its higher peaks may appear. To the right and left, we see the bare, karst-shrubbery-rocky outer hills of Vértes. The scene is made memorable mostly by the white rocks and the dark, sparse vegetation between them. In autumn, the sumac magically colors the landscape in a painterly way.

After climbing back up the rocks, the trail barely noticeably turns left. On a gravelly, slippery road, we descend into a small erosion valley and then climb up to the next, even more beautiful and wider viewpoint. From here, we can also see the previously visited rock ridges and have a slightly better view northwards: Csókakő appears, but the castle embraced by mountains does not show itself. It is clearly visible that shallow soil has settled on the rocks, which is unfavorable for larger trees; thus, there remains the turf cover on the devil's plough surface and smaller vegetation.

Savanna grove on the edge of the plateau

The trail starts to ascend again as we tread a exposed, steep hillside where the floral display is the most beautiful in autumn. Because of the lack of forest cover, these peaks are continuously exposed to sunlight, producing very varied and colorful plant communities on their surface – the white dolomite rocks reflect sunlight, creating a particularly warm microclimate that also determines the vegetation. In autumn, an eye-catching spectacle of many plants dazzling in various colors lies side by side; perhaps this period is the best time to visit the southwestern corner of Vértes.

We climb up the rock and find ourselves once again among the trees. Soon, however, we reach a vast, savanna-like yellow grassy plateau in the summer drought. On the large, rocky surface, it is not always easy to follow the right-curving trail. Here, we say goodbye to the panorama because our path turns toward the forest. Once more, to the left, we can see Csókakő and the sharp drop of the forest-covered heights watching above it, the tectonic depression of Móri-ditch. It is worth observing the missing bark on the trees and discovering many signs of large game in the phenomenon.

In the valley

We turn left at the forest edge and again follow the Z+ marking. We walk on the Vértes plateau, on our left beyond the forest edge is the mountain range’s edge break, and on the right is the Gémförtés valley cutting briefly into the plateau, through which we return to Csákberény. At the forest road forks, we can also continue left on our hike, in which case we can reach the Csókakő castle within half an hour (signposts help with orientation).

For a circular route, we turn right (onto the Z marking) and walk the approximately 2 kilometers long dry valley carved into the plateau by a watercourse during an earlier, wetter geological period. We have already seen the rocky cliffs on the other side of Kopasz Hill, and here the dolomite formations on the opposite side unfold before us. However, in the cool forest sometimes hiding beech trees, the rocks no longer shine as on the opposite side: moss-covered, dark surfaces turn them into somber walls.

Soon, we reach the forest edge and turn into the village at the second street. We follow the Z marking to the village center, but if we would have to wait long for the bus there, we should rather continue along the main road running at the edge of Csákberény, where bus services are much more frequent.