Streamside adventure in the Kupi forest

Itinerary

• We start from the asphalt road on the P mark heading southwest, then switch to the Tallós Pál nature trail on the right branching P+ mark.
• The KT marks lead along the nature trail.
• Towards the 8th station, at the intersection behind the forest school, you need to turn left on the KT mark.
• After exiting the closed area, turn left on the sandy road with the P+ mark.
• At the large intersection, we reach back to our starting point on the familiar P mark.

Detailed description of the tour

To the Esterházy Forestry Forest School and Education Center

The Kupi forest block has been under forestry use for a very long time in terms of its value. In 1623 it came into the possession of the Esterházy count family, then in 1872 into a trust ownership, but the beneficiaries remained them.

From the asphalt road, we start on the P mark heading southwest. The 2 km long straight, level, gravel forestry road seems uneventful at first, but along the way, we realize that even the forest is special. Our path is bordered by a continuous Scots pine forest, which is the most common forest community in the block alongside the hornbeam-oak forest – and is actually considered rare in this area. The Scots pine forest can be recognized from afar by the beautiful red-brown bark of the upper part of the trunk and thick branches. However, its monocultures significantly reduce biological diversity, one effect of which is that they can open the way for invasive species, such as the glandular woolly adelgid of North American origin, which is also observable here. About 1 km later, we reach the Sándor Füstös memorial site, where alongside the memorial plaque of the Pap noble tailor and hunter, we find the hunter Iván Ferenc and Tibor and the memorial pillar of the Pap hunting society.

After the intersection, we find the most significant natural value of the area, a bulbous plant belonging to the iris family, the pale crocus habitat, which is also pointed out by a sign. The genus name is owed to the good quality saffron used in gastronomy and derives from the Arabic words sahafran, zafran, meaning yellow, referring to the coloring effect of its stigmas. Its Latin name comes from the Greek word krokhé, meaning thread, referring to the threadlike stigma of the flower. The species' distribution area extends from the southeastern part of the Alps to Transylvania and south to Macedonia. Its first occurrence in Hungary was introduced by Pál Tallós, the famous forestry-botanist researcher, who inquired at the market in Pápa from women selling saffrons about another local (Pápasalamon) habitat of the plant. The species was originally identified as Carpathian saffron and only years later, thanks to genetic studies, placed in its current taxonomic position. The fact that he was very close to the truth is shown by the pale saffron being a hybrid species, whose parent species are the much more common Carpathian and white saffrons. Other protected plants in the forest include the stemless primrose and the larger-bodied, highly poisonous monkshood.

Soon we reach the Körös stream bridge, then at the signposted intersection a few hundred meters away, we turn right on the P+ mark. After 400 m, we arrive at the Esterházy Forestry Forest School and Education Center. Visitors with children should take a little rest here and try out the forest playground. From here also starts the Tallós Pál nature trail, which can be reached by a shorter, 1 km route up to the 7th station and a longer, 4 km circular route up to the 20th station.

Short loop

From the intersection after the buildings, the nature trail turns right 180 m away and then crosses the Körös stream coming from Bakony and heading towards the Marcal basin. A sign explains the role of forest creatures in food webs. After describing a large semicircle, we return to the winding stream. Here it is well observable how during meanders the water builds up the inner sides of bends with fine sediment transported from the spring area while undercutting and destroying the outer sides, depositing the fallen sediments farther away. During floods, it often happens that the stream cuts across the bend, thus creating a new, shorter bed: the streambed shape is in constant motion. We cross the stream on a wooden bridge and enter an old Scots pine forest at the 7th sign dedicated to butterflies and beetles. Upon reaching the gravel road, we turn right.

Long loop

Towards the 8th station, at the intersection behind the forest school, turn left and then follow the KT marks keeping left. On the game fence to our right, we find a gate; passing through it, we reach the sign presenting the Bakonyalja oak forests. Upon reaching the sandy road, we turn left and continue for 300 m together with the P+ mark. At the road sign, we turn right into the forest and soon arrive at the Szent-kút spring and the resting area next to it.

On the karstified limestone and dolomite areas of Bakony, precipitation seeps through fractured calcareous rocks downwards. This karst water is the basis of the entire region's drinking water supply, and on its way towards the Little Hungarian Plain, mixing with water stored in the sediments of basins, it emerges as springs in the foothill areas. This is why small springs like Szent-kút have very fluctuating yield. Its mineral-rich water's high calcium content is also indicated by lime-coated gravel visible on the streambed.

Continuing right along the Körös stream bank, we walk through a charming hornbeam-alders grove accompanying the watercourse on well-watered soil. The most common understory plant is ground elder, whose young leaves were once eaten as a vegetable, while a poultice was made from its stalk for gout treatment. Before leafing in spring, many characteristic geophytes can be found here, such as hollow daffodil or glacier crowfoot.

Leaving the stream, we reach a wide sandy road, on which turning right we walk past a few ditches. After the next sign, we pass through another gate into a fenced area, where in clear-cut zones we continue among golden willows. After passing the far end of the fence, at a sign presenting the history of Bakony forests, we turn right, then shortly after leaving the hunting tower, we leave the road to the left. At the big game sign, we turn right, then at the next intersection again left, until entering the pedunculate oak forest, where we reach a shelter equipped with outdoor furniture. Here we turn sharply right and after 300 m on the winding road reach the already known section of the nature trail. Upon reaching the gravel road, we turn left and at the large intersection return to the starting point on the familiar P mark.