Vértes 60 military history memorial trail

Itinerary

• We start from the Birka Csárda parking lot following the K+ trail.
• From the Csákányospuszta tourist house, we follow the K trail through the Mária Gorge to the Körtvélyes forest cemetery.
• From the forest cemetery, we switch back to the K+ trail and stay on it through Körtvélyespuszta all the way to Macska-bükk.
• At Macska-bükk, we turn left onto the P trail and continue until, after passing Kis-Szállás Hill, the trail turns left to the northeast.
• Here we don’t follow the trail but continue straight on an unmarked path to Szálláskút.
• At the Szálláskút hunting lodge, we turn left on the P+ trail and walk to the heroic memorial.
• From there, heading back west then south on the P+ trail, we walk about 7 km until it joins the Z trail.
• Here we turn right and ascend on the Z trail to the Kapberekpuszta memorial poles.
• From the memorial poles, we head back south on the Z trail.
• On the southern side of Határ Hill, we turn right onto the Z+ trail.
• This soon joins the K+ trail, on which we turn left and descend to Várgesztes.
• We turn onto Petőfi Sándor Street and reach the Várgesztes cemetery.
• From the Várgesztes cemetery, we walk out onto Arany János Street and go left following the K trail to the edge of the settlement.
• From here, we set off towards Vérteskozma following the S◼ trail.
• On the K+ trail, we take a detour to the right to the grave of Hussar Corporal Károly Riedel.
• Returning to the S◼ trail, we walk into Vérteskozma.
• After crossing Vérteskozma, we stay on the road following the S trail to Kaszap-kút.
• From Kaszap-kút, the S trail leads into the forest and climbs to the peak of Nagy-Bükk.
• At the top of Nagy-Bükk, we switch to the Z trail and stay on it until just before Gánt.
• Before Gánt, near Öreg Hill, turning right on the Z▲ trail brings us to the settlement.
• In Gánt, we turn left onto Kossuth Street, then left again to join the K trail, from which we make a small detour to the settlement’s cemetery.
• We continue on the K trail to a junction, then follow the K● trail straight to the Kápolnapuszta memorial site.
• Returning on the K● trail, we then turn left on the S trail and stay on it to Kőhányáspuszta.
• From Kőhányáspuszta, we continue on the K trail and climb up Űző Hill.
• At the junction of the KL trail leading to Gesztes Castle, we turn left on the S trail and descend to Majkpuszta.
• At the Camaldolese hermitage, we cover a few hundred meters on the Mária route ᵯ trail.
• From the corner of Majk Lake, we walk on the P trail to the Környe road.
• On the road, we head left towards Környe to the clearance of the power line, then turn right on an unmarked path to reach our final destination, the Madárhegy cemetery nestled among the trees.

Detailed description of the route

Körtvélyes Forest Cemetery (3 km)

We start from the no longer operating Birka Csárda, originally built according to the plans of Imre Makovecz, where there is a spacious parking lot. We start following the K+ trail towards Csákányospuszta. After joining from the left the National Blue Trail K trail, we circle a clearing and can soon see the ruins of a medieval chapel on the right. At the Csákányospuszta tourist house, we stay on the K trail and ascend the spectacular Mária Gorge to our first stop, the Körtvélyes forest cemetery. An interesting geological feature here is that while the main mass of the Vértes is formed of main dolomite, the gorge bottom shows Dachstein limestone characteristic of some other parts of the range, visible as "benches".

Körtvélyespuszta’s small forest cemetery lies barely noticeable among the trees for those coming from the Mária Gorge. On the right side of the road closed to public traffic, about 100 meters away, under the canopy, we can glimpse the wooden fence of the cemetery and the wooden memorial in front, honoring seven unknown Hungarian soldiers who heroically fell in the January-February 1945 battles. We have data on 14 fallen soldiers in Körtvélyes, mainly belonging to the 2/II Hussar Company. The forest cemetery originally served as a burial place from the early 1800s for Hungarian- and German-speaking inhabitants of the nearby Körtvélyespuszta as well as nearby settlements—Csákányos, Saint Thomas, and Kapberekpuszta. Now, twelve identical crosses stand here with the names of those fallen in World War II. An information board at the entrance tells their story, with photos of some during their time.

Szálláskút (10 km)

From the cemetery, we follow the K+ trail again, turning left before the I. Béla spring towards Körtvélyespuszta, which now has no permanent residents. Here, we can admire the nicely renovated chapel. Afterward, we pass through a dense, declining pine forest (similar to others in the Vértes), interspersed with slender birch trees, and arrive at Macska-bükk. We turn left here and march on the P trail for about 4.5 km along Körtvélyes and Kis-Szállás Hill. When the trail turns left to the northeast, we continue straight, descending to Szálláskút. Joining the P+ trail, leftwards we reach the memorial of Hussar Corporal Sándor Kis-Nagy, who fell here with nine comrades.

Many personal tragedies of the 1st Hussar Division’s battles in the Vértes are preserved in the memories of former comrades. The story of Sándor Kis-Nagy, born October 5, 1919, in Mecsekszabolcs, is especially poignant. On February 9, 1945, he volunteered for a reconnaissance venture in the afternoon; his 12-man group set off on skis from Körtvélyespuszta, passing through Szár towards the Szálláskút hunting lodge. Meanwhile, a section of the Soviet 4th Guards Rifle Division pulled back from Szálláskút and took a defensive position in this area. Further details were learned from the only survivor, István Hermann from Vértesboglár, who as a medic was last to follow the unit. Suddenly, waves of bullets poured near them, and comrades fell. Kis-Nagy got up, shouted “Charge!”, but collapsed immediately. Hermann attributes his miraculous survival to his comrades shielding him; he also dropped himself. After the Russians moved on, he hid with the wounded, extracted soldiers' documents from their pockets, tearing out the pages with photos. After the war, he visited the site, buried the dead himself, and sent the documents with letters to widows and relatives. As proper burials were not possible then, the grave was marked with a triangular stone. Kis-Nagy’s body was finally laid to rest in 2019 in Pécs with dignity.

Kapberekpuszta (17 km)

From the memorial, we turn back on the P+ trail, walking about 7 km around Nagy-Széna Hill, Nagy-Szállás Hill, and Körtvélyes from the southwest until we reach the Z trail at Kapberekpuszta. We temporarily turn right here and ascend to two memorial poles set up beside the hiking trail by the War and Cultural History Association in memory of Hungarian soldiers killed and buried here.

Nothing remains of the former buildings of Kapberekpuszta today; only sharp-eyed hikers notice piles of rubble and bricks beside the forest path in the bushes. In 1928, two foresters and their families lived here, but now there is hardly any sign that once children’s laughter filled this small forest settlement. In early 1945, the war reached this isolated, few-house homestead. In mid-February, several Hungarian soldiers appeared here, possibly separated from their units or deciding to wait out the war here. They found water at the nearby Szép Ilonka spring (reachable by a short detour on the P trail), but food was running low. A nearby boy, possibly from Gánt, brought food occasionally. At dawn, while on the way, he encountered a Soviet unit who interrogated him about the food bag. After breaking him down, he revealed he was bringing food to Hungarian soldiers in the forests. The Russians released him and hastened to the indicated location but surrounded and fired on the house. Since the Hungarians were few and out of ammunition, they surrendered but were shot on the spot by the Russians. Their story is told on the information board beside the memorial poles.

Várgesztes (22 km)

After resting and preparing for the next 5 km stage, we head back south from the Kapberekpuszta memorial poles on the Z trail, then turn right on the Z+ trail on the south side of Határ Hill, which soon merges with the K+ trail. We turn left and descend to Várgesztes, walking along the southern edge of the settlement to Petőfi Sándor Street, leading to the local cemetery and the war graves lined to the right of the gate.

During the winter of 1944-45, almost the entire Vértes block, including Várgesztes, was disrupted by war. Troop movements and attacks intensified in the area in January 1945 and continued until mid-March. In this terrain, the main goal of the 1st Hussar Division was the road to Csákvár, the road connecting Várgesztes and Vérteskozma, and generally closing forest roads. According to orders from the German III Panzer Corps command via the Hungarian VIII Corps, the resistance in the frontline had to be broken over a 20 km front section in the dense continuous forests of the Vértes. They had to push forward up to 10 km deep into the mountainous eastern foothills in impassable, snow-covered terrain and severe cold. German leadership and the Hungarian VIII Corps command believed the Hussar Division units would not meet serious resistance and expected the Soviet forces to be withdrawn promptly from their Vértes frontline, as they intended to deploy them against advancing German tank forces from Székesfehérvár. At the Várgesztes cemetery, the graves of those fallen in battles in the surrounding area can be viewed. The silence of those resting under the crosses almost "shouts" into the cemetery’s quiet.

Vérteskozma (27 km)

After familiarizing with their story, we set off on S◼ trail via Arany János Street, then Malom Street towards Vérteskozma, an "keystone" of the Vértes. On the way, we take a small detour right on the K+ trail to visit Hussar Corporal Károly Riedel’s grave, who fell on March 16, 1945, in a forest area on the edge of the village. Returning to the S◼ trail, we pass the memorial of Saint Vendel, built in 2013 primarily for protecting herdsmen, shepherds, and swineherds living in the 6th-7th centuries, then enter picturesque Vérteskozma. This scenic dead-end village’s main street is lined with folk house-style buildings arranged in military order. Fortunately, a “who builds higher” competition has not reached here, likely due to local regulations prohibiting it.

Graves of those fallen from the 1st Hussar Division between January and March 1945 can be found in forest areas and the Vérteskozma cemetery. From the settlement, the history is detailed on an information board at the entrance to the Fáni Valley. The sudden Soviet penetration east of Csákvár fully surprised the German-Hungarian forces. By January 23, the Soviet 68th Rifle Corps withdrew to eliminate an arc protrusion south of Tatabánya and built a defensive line along the Újszár–Vérteskozma–Gánt road section. Hungarian VIII Corps units followed the retreating Soviet forces, advancing 5-10 kilometers, securing Oroszlány and Várgesztes, but could not capture Vérteskozma due to the Soviets holding firm. The 42nd Infantry Regiment made two attacks to conquer the settlement but was repelled both times.

Kaszap-kút (29 km)

After a short break, leaving Vérteskozma, we read about the village and fallen soldiers’ wartime stories on signs at the curve parking lot. Following the S trail, we walk on the asphalt towards Kaszap-kút. The memorial cross stands where the trail turns left into the forest, not far from the site of the Kotló Hill battle.

On January 27, the day after the unsuccessful Hungarian attacks on Vérteskozma, the command issued a new attack order to occupy the three triangulation points of Hosszú Hill and the height of Kotló Hill and to initiate an attack from there to capture Csákvár. The event, called the "Kotló Hill battle" by locals, started on January 28, partially successful: the soldiers fought hard to reach the Kotló Hill but did not take Csákvár and were eventually surrounded. Few managed to break out with heavy human losses. The almost cinematic and heroic tree-to-tree battle was in essence quite pointless, as capturing Kotló Hill itself meant little. Those who have been there know the view towards Csákvár is steep and the slope unsuitable for maneuver attacks.

It is worth remembering young Hussar Lieutenant Tamás Marjay, who single-handedly destroyed two enemy strongpoints fortified with heavy weapons with hand grenades during an assault on Nagy-Bükk; he was then shot in the thigh and trapped behind the Russian defense line. His faithful horse dragged the wounded soldier through the snowstorm for five days, despite severe blood loss and exhaustion, with his hands and feet freezing. Miraculously, he returned to his troops but had to have almost all fingers and toes amputated. Despite deserving the Hungarian Officer’s Gold Medal for Bravery, he never received it due to the communist takeover. He later suffered depression and attempted suicide over twenty times but found love, married, and lived his remaining years in peace.

The S trail continues in the forest, ascending. At Nagy-Bükk’s top, turning right, we switch to the Z trail and, crossing the battle site at Kotló Hill, continue towards Gánt via the Csákvár road. About 11 km of walking awaits to the settlement.

Gánt (41 km)

Approaching Gánt near Öreg Hill, we turn right off the Z trail, and reach the village on the Z▲ trail, offering fantastic views from Gém Hill.

Entering the village, we turn left on Kossuth Street, then left again to join the National Blue Trail K trail, from which a small detour leads to the cemetery to learn about Gánt’s wartime history. The front arrived here at the end of December 1944, and the retreating 1st Hussar Division troops took defensive positions. In January 1945, the Hungarian troops reached the northeastern foothills of Vértes, nearing Vértesboglár and Kőhányás, while the Soviet 52nd Guards Rifle Division stubbornly held at Gánt. The front practically froze here afterward; both sides entrenched with few and largely unsuccessful attempts to break through.

While the opposing armies fought, villagers hid in cellars, often becoming victims. The battles of the Hussar Division in Vértes have been little remembered, unlike the Russians, who proudly recount their heroics and awarded their soldiers high honors. Near the main road in Gánt remains a Soviet burial site and memorial, including a mass grave. The village cemetery holds many fallen Hussar Division soldiers, mostly in mass graves.

Kápolnapuszta (44 km)

At Gánt’s western corner, the K trail turns northwest. After about 2 km, passing Gánt Cave, we reach a trail junction where we turn right on the S trail and initially continue straight on the K● trail to another memorial site. Kápolnapuszta was originally a small Swabian-settled farmstead in Gánt’s attraction area. In 1930, 62 people lived there, but nowadays, apart from the cemetery, only ruined walls of former houses remain. After the war, the village was completely depopulated; by the 1950s, only a few families remained, moving to Gánt or other neighboring villages.

The fate of civilians in Vértes villages was strongly influenced by ethnicity. Occupying Soviet forces behaved differently in Slovak minority settlements compared to Hungarian or Swabian ones. The protracted stalemate in the region led to increased violent actions against civilians. Because of sometimes excessive defensive measures, the Vértes battles dragged on, causing pent-up anger among Soviet soldiers, which they vented mostly on women and girls. On March 16, 1945, during the Soviet offensive to capture Kápolnapuszta, every male over 15 years old was executed. Their story is on a plaque at the cemetery gate.

Details come from former Csákberény forester Antal Právetz and other eyewitnesses. The tragic episode remained unknown to the public until 1993 when living witnesses first dared to speak. Kápolna village, about 4 km from Gánt, was home to around twenty mostly Swabian families. From autumn 1944, Soviet scouts appeared regularly in nearby forests, watching German and Hungarian operations with binoculars. They took a hunting lodge as a hideout and drove away a calf. The owner tracked the traces, discovering their hideout, prompting capture of the Soviet commander by gendarmes and his transfer to German interrogation, though he later escaped and crossed to Soviet lines. Later, suspected traitors, including Elder Právetz Antal, were located and executed by a Soviet paratrooper squad as retribution. Russian veteran P.V. Zolotov admits in his memoirs that the paratroopers were both extraordinarily brave and cruel. Looting and rapes were allowed in shifts in Mór by these soldiers en route, since settlements otherwise escaped offensives. The horrors experienced by the Vértes women were also documented by Alaine Polcz in her moving book "Woman at the Front".

Currently, the Kápolnapuszta cemetery contains 24 marked soldier graves and serves as the resting place for massacre victims.

Kőhányáspuszta (52 km)

We return on the K● trail to the junction, then continue on the S trail, walking gently uphill about 7.5 km to Kőhányáspuszta. Here stands the 2021-opened Gróf Esterházy Móric Ecotourism Center and Tourist House, where we can rest and refresh. The small shaded forest cemetery is almost unnoticeable—located on the opposite side of the Csákvár road, slightly back from it, where the street entrance leads. Twenty-three soldiers rest here in a communal grave, fallen during the heavy battles on January 26, 1945, for the capture of Kőhányáspuszta. Their memory is guarded by a memorial pole.

Majkpuszta, Madárhegy (63 km)

From Kőhányáspuszta, we join the National Blue Trail K again, cross the road to Oroszlány, then begin the final ascent of the memorial hike to Űző Hill. At the top, the KL trail branches to Gesztes Castle, but we sharply turn left back onto the S trail and descend to Majkpuszta. We skirt the Camaldolese hermitage on the Mária route ᵯ trail, walk by the lake on the P trail, cross the Környe road, then head left on it and finally turn right uphill along the power line clearance on an unmarked path to reach our terminus, the Madárhegy cemetery. This quiet graveyard is nearly impossible to find without GPS or prior information. It is not only the resting place of Hussars fallen in World War II but also the hermitage’s residents, estate foresters, and servants.

On January 23, the Hussar Division took Majkpuszta, continued attacking towards Csákvár, and seized Kőhányáspuszta en route. They deployed young recruits transferred from Komárom to replenish their ranks. A barely 17-year-old recruit, János Hatejer, underwent his baptism of fire in the battle for Kőhányáspuszta after being armed in the Monostori Fortress, Komárom, and sent almost untrained to the front. "Our training consisted of shooting five rounds in a sand quarry," he wrote. Hatejer and comrades were later deployed on frontlines around Várgesztes and Oroszlány, then dug in near Szák awaiting the Soviet attack. Upon the attack, they were quickly captured, seemingly about to be shot when luck unexpectedly saved them. "Suddenly, from the right, a loud whistle and shouting came from several hundred meters away! We looked and saw they were calling from a prisoner collection point. Now I know we owe our lives to this coincidence." Others were less fortunate, many resting forever in Madárhegy cemetery.

Our memorial hike over 60 km ends here. We hope everyone takes the true stories learned on the way as lessons to share with others!