Salföld circular route in the diverse Balaton Uplands landscape

Itinerary

• From Salföldi Major, we reach Csönge Hill and the lookout via the left branch of the KT trail marker.
• After visiting the lookout, the KT marks form a loop that leads back to the boundary of the settlement.
• At the border of Salföld, we turn left following the Balaton Blue Trail K markers, which we follow up to the junction on the Csönge Hill plateau.
• At the junction, we turn left onto the P marker, which leads to the ruins of the Pauline monastery of Salföld.
• From the monastery ruins, we continue to follow the P marker and turn left at the second fork.
• We turn left onto a wide, unmarked road, which we follow to Salföld (signboards assist with navigation).
• In Salföld, we follow the Z marker along the village's main street, Kossuth Street, returning to the starting point.

Detailed description of the route

The hike starts from Salföld, one of the most beautiful settlements in the Káli Basin, specifically from the farm managed by the Balaton Uplands National Park Directorate, which is best reached by car, though there is also a scheduled bus service to the village. The farm is an information and ecotourism center presenting livestock and medicinal plants, offering many programs including a playground and activities for children. Before fully exploring the farm's attractions that showcase the values of the Káli Basin, it is worth taking a circular route to get a complete picture of the surrounding landscape.

Up to Csönge Hill

From the farm parking lot, we begin following the KT signs of the nature trail leading to Csönge Hill, whose left branch initially ascends gently to the panoramic hillside. Our goal is a wooden lookout tower, from which we can enjoy a wonderful bird's-eye view of the Káli Basin, the characteristic elevations around it – such as the silhouette of Hegyestű – and naturally Salföld. From the three-story lookout, Balaton can also be glimpsed, but the eye is drawn not to the water's mirror but to the green, waving waves.

From the lookout, we continue to follow the nature trail to a plateau a few steps away. Csönge Hill is mainly notable for its juniper thicket scattered with clearings, rehabilitated by the national park directorate, and we can see protected and rare plant species here such as butcher's broom, grape hyacinth, velvety catchfly, and autumn willowherb. In wetter periods, various mushrooms appear: juniper mushroom, fly agaric, different champignons, and waxcaps spread across the hill.

Geologically, Csönge Hill is interesting: its material is not basalt, unlike the surrounding Badacsony, Tóti Hill, or Gulács, but sandstone and conglomerate with pebbles. The basalt lava that composes the neighboring witness hills does not break the surface here; instead, the landscape is built from sediments of the Pannonian Lake.

A bit of the Balaton Blue Trail

From the juniper thicket plateau, which occasionally offers panoramas, we descend into an oak grove following the KT marks. We cross a ladder over a game fence, and near Salföld's border, pasture cattle signal the proximity of the farm. We nearly return completely to the starting point, but we turn left along the K marker of the Balaton Uplands Blue Trail, which leads west along a dusty dirt road (Rákóczi Street) out of the settlement. The sunny vineyard paths in the open are bordered by corrals, while donkeys and cattle curiously watch passersby.

We enter an oak forest patch, and after bypassing Aligvár farm, we proceed again through open, scenic areas. The dirt road now runs along panoramic vineyards heading south, but after crossing Major Street, it returns into the shady forest trees. Initially through an oak forest, then in a black pine forest that completely changes the forest atmosphere within a few steps, we ascend the southwestern side of Csönge Hill. On the path softened to a trail, striking rocks that make up the hill emerge, creating a wild atmosphere in the strictly protected forest section.

At the intersection of hiking paths, we switch from the previously followed K sign to the P sign. Instead of continuing straight, we turn left into the valley, where we soon encounter a special historical monument.

The ruins of the Pauline monastery of Salföld

Our path leads down a steep slope through young acacia forest to one of the area's most significant medieval monuments: deep in the forest, the remains of the only Hungarian-founded monastic order’s former monastery and church suddenly unfold before us. The exact construction date is unknown; the Paulines rebuilt and expanded an earlier Romanesque church according to their needs. A document dated 1307 calls it the “köveskúti monastery,” thus it is also known as “Kőkút.”

The monastery and church, dedicated to Mary Magdalene, were built in the Gothic style, and the remains of the church section are better preserved: its walls still stand up to roof height, and we can admire Gothic arched windows and vaults. The building, oriented east, has a monastery adjoining it in its foundations; its cloister courtyard still contains a stone well today.

The complex was probably destroyed in the mid-16th century during the Turkish invasions. It stood abandoned for centuries until many stones were taken away during Salföld's rebuilding in the 18th-19th centuries. At that time, they also dismantled a dam built by monks on the Burnót stream. The current state of the church and monastery, as well as the resting place found here, was developed in the mid-2000s and since then has been a popular tourist destination.

Back to Salföld

After admiring the impressive ruins of the monastery, we continue following the P marker to reach the forested saddle of Szilvád Hill. From here, we turn left (north) onto a wide unmarked cart road, initially crossing gentle "stone mushroom" hills, then traveling through arable fields edged by loess, open terrain back to our starting point in Salföld. Approaching the village, we again see the surrounding elevations and glimpse the white church tower of the settlement. Before finally arriving, it is worth examining the striking rocks that surface just a few meters from the houses on the village's edge.

Stone sea on the edge of the village

One of Salföld’s attractions is the stone sea located on the village’s outskirts. As in other parts of the Káli Basin, the sand of the ancient Pannonian Lake was cemented together by siliceous solutions, creating this unique rock formation. The boulders aren't as large as, for example, the stones near Szentbékkálla, because erosion here has been less effective at removing the looser layers among the rocks, which are also protected by grass cover and juniper and hawthorn bushes.

If we look closely or touch the boulders, some appear quite shiny and smooth. The wind carries small quartz grains over the sandy surface, carving and polishing the rocks. The most spectacular part of the stone sea starts right at the village sign but extends into the settlement. Large rocks can also be seen in gardens and alongside the main street, some even planted with lavender around like knee decorations.

We arrive in Salföld, where many well-preserved, characteristic "covered entrance" houses can be seen. (This house type gets its name from travelers who spent the night in the covered entrance.) The village from the Conquest period once belonged to the chieftain Koppány, was destroyed during the Turkish occupation, and only repopulated by Hungarian serfs in the 1700s. Although World War II did not cause much damage, the subsequent period of nationalization and settlement development was unfavorable for residents. Many emigrated, and by 1990, the population decreased to less than 80. Nowadays, Salföld is a popular tourist destination, and depopulated houses have been bought by city dwellers, often for more than just holiday homes but as permanent residences.

At Salföldi Major

After walking along the Z marker through the village and admiring its charming properties, we return to Salföldi Major, the start and end point of our hike. The tour (with an entrance fee) can be crowned by exploring the farm: here, you can see racka sheep, mangalica pigs, buffalo, gray cattle, poultry, herding dogs such as puli, pumi, and mudi, as well as horses, including the nationally treasured Gidrán breed. Children can enjoy a petting zoo and playground, and there are opportunities for horseback riding or carriage rides. Various equestrian shows and dog competitions, such as herding championships, are held frequently.

The farm has an herb and spice garden and also displays traditional agricultural tools, carts, and wagons. Various souvenirs and publications are available for purchase at the reception building, and there are also restaurants and eateries in the immediate vicinity offering great options for refreshment after the hike.