Bodajk – Szárliget (OKT-10)

Starting our Vértes hike on the National Blue Trail from Bodajk, at the Fenyő bistro. The stamp is available at the presszó (small café); if it's closed, there is also an outdoor stamping opportunity in the village. For this, we need to head south on the Blue Trail, and after traveling just under 700 m, at the castle entrance, we find the second Bodajk OKT stamp. The path passes under a beautiful 18th-century calvary, where we recommend a short detour as the view from the top is spectacular!

The Blue Trail also passes by the Bodajk Hochburg–Lamberg Castle or hunting lodge, built in neoclassical style between 1837 and 1839. It was entirely looted during World War II, then converted into a tourist hotel in 1965. It served this role until the early 1990s, after which it became privately owned, but its renovation only took place in the mid-2010s. The castle currently hosts an interactive exhibition, which, alongside the castle park, can be visited after purchasing an entry ticket.

Leaving Bodajk, we cross the railway and proceed along a dirt road through arable fields in the Móri-ditch. It was here, in this depression, that the infamous Mór earthquake struck in 1810, measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale, causing fatalities as well as significant material damage. Walking through the flat landscape dotted with gentle slopes beside the fields, the wall of the Vértes rises before us, and we steadily approach Csókakő, making the castle appear larger and larger. The OKT stamp is located on a wooden pole at the resting place below the castle. The spacious square also hosts buffets, a functioning blue well and restrooms, and beside the Trianon memorial, a neat playground enriches the offerings.

Csókakő's main attraction is the castle built in the 12th century, standing on one of the outer exposed rocks of the 479 m high Csóka hill. It was renovated in 2017 and can be visited freely and without charge. The castle is just a small detour from the Blue Trail, involving some stairs, but well worth it, as aside from the building itself, the view is spectacular, and one can see the chapel as well as the dining and ceremonial halls on the upper floor of the tower.

The castle's primary role was defending one of the busiest roads in historic Hungary, the military route mentioned in the foundation charter of Tihany. It changed hands several times during the Turkish era and was finally freed in October 1687 after 143 years of Ottoman rule, ending its role as a fortress.

Csókakő – Gánt

We climb to the plateau in the deep Vár valley cutting the Vértes. Although the mountain ridge appears steep from afar, this valley is not steep, resulting in a long but not particularly tiring ascent. We start in dense forest, later the vegetation becomes increasingly sparse going upwards. On the western part of the Vértes, there are barely any elevation changes; the route varies between trails, forest roads, and asphalt sections, with a variety of surfaces and conditions. Alternating cut forest belts, dense beech woods, and open oak groves follow each other. Turning to the edge of one of the long valleys shaping the mountain plateau, we reach the Géza rest area, which features a makeshift fire pit, though seating is only possible on the nearby logs. The rest area is named after Dr. Géza Göblyös, a hiking guide from Székesfehérvár, commemorated by a stone column erected in 1973. Since we are not higher than the surrounding area, the view is not grandiose.

Some old, huge trees remain near the marked trail, offering a few narrow viewpoints, and small dolomite rocks protrude from the ground as well. The Blue Trail descends into Juh valley, then unexpectedly opens up to a wide clearing, from which – time and interest permitting – a longer detour is possible to the ruins of the former Kápolnapuszta village. To do so, turn left onto the K● marked hiking trail, which runs straight for 1.2 kilometers through a valley bordered by high cliffs.

At the trail junction, we find the village cemetery that also serves as a memorial to the horrors of war that destroyed the Swabian village. In the 1930s, the village consisted of 16 houses and had 62 inhabitants during World War II; however, March 16, 1945, was a bloody day in its history when soldiers of the 2nd Ukrainian Front shot all men over 15 years old. The surviving residents gradually left Kápolnapuszta; by 1979, the crew of the documentary 'One and a Half Million Steps in Hungary' found only one resident. The house operated as a tourist accommodation for some time but is now in ruins. The Vörösmarty spring, which once supplied the village, still exists but is in a neglected state without an outlet pipe. A resting place has been set up nearby, but the benches and tables are now in poor condition.

Returning to the Blue Trail, a cliff called Sasbérc at the eastern edge of the meadow holds further sights: the second-longest cave in the Vértes, the Gánt cave, opens here, while the high cliff above offers exciting views of the surrounding landscape. Beneath the rock stands a spacious wooden rest area with shelter from rain, ideal also for bivouacking.

At the border of Gánt lies a vast pasture, with a forest strip bordering the hiking trail on the right. We walk on an asphalt road into the center of Gánt, where the OKT stamp can be found on the restaurant wall. The other stamp is located in the Granás tourist house operating since 1984; to reach it, enter the courtyard of the tourist house, and the stamp is found inside the electric meter cabinet.

Gánt – Mindszentpuszta

Today, Gánt is a relatively isolated village, but it was not always so quiet: in 1920, mining engineer Jenő Balás discovered bauxite at its southern border, and within the next decade, Europe's largest bauxite mining operated here. The mines worked until 1987; today, on one of the mining areas with its red "color walls," a nature trail, a shaft, and former mining equipment offer insight into the past. The exhibition site takes 1-2 hours to visit and can be reached from the Blue Trail in about three-quarters of an hour.

We cover a few kilometers on dirt roads between fenced pastures. This was once a horse-drawn logging route; several small railway lines built for a few years penetrated the southern slopes of the Vértes in the first half of the 20th century. Cattle graze on the hilly meadow area trimmed to lawn. We arrive at a spacious forest with some larger pines decorating the trail. A denser, darker forested section follows, requiring some elevation gain, but the slopes of Pap valley are gentle. After the summit comes a descent, where we find the junction for Mindszentpuszta. Here, we must turn left, as the Kéktúra stamp is located on the fence of the Mindszentpuszta lodge, beside the gate. Mindszentpuszta has long been a forest settlement, as its name suggests; it housed forestry workers until the 1960s. From the 1970s, its buildings operated as company lodges, of which only one remained in this role long-term, and by 2025, even that will cease operation.

Mindszentpuszta – Kőhányás

For a while, we continue walking mainly through dense beech forest on roads of varying condition, from wide forestry tracks to narrow paths at the edge of passability, and pass a larger clearing. The characteristic Vértes carvings into beech trunks, such as the miraculous deer or the Hungarian crown and coat of arms, already start to appear, extending as far as the area around Várgesztes. In a picturesque, enclosed valley to the right is Oroszlánkő, the ruins of the Csáki castle. The stronghold, now existing only in ruins, was built by Csák, the grandson of chieftain Szabolcs, in the second half of the 14th century to protect the road leading to Csákvár. The name Oroszlánkő refers to the lion, the emblem of the Csák family. Its downfall came due to the Turkish invasion in 1543.

We then walk through forest of changing quality for 3.5 kilometers, arriving at the end of a marked slope at the large, northwest-southeast valley splitting the mountain, Kőhányáspuszta. The Count Esterházy Móric Ecotourism Center and Tourist Hostel forms the small settlement’s center, offering accommodation and dining. The Kéktúra stamp is found on a wooden pole at the edge of a meadow next to the Baroque (late 19th century) St. Teresa chapel. Both the tourism center and chapel bear the Esterházys’ name, as the road crossing the Vértes valley connected their two important centers, Majk and Csákvár.

Kőhányás – Várgesztes

From Kőhányás, we start along a path beside the main road heading north. An information board offers the history of the local lime-burning industry, and we pass the site of an old kiln. Soon we cross the main road. In the Német valley we climb through beautiful wind-exposed beech forest and find a smaller rest area with benches and tables at a trail fork. We ascend from the steep valley covered with dark beech forest towards Gesztes castle.

Turning left off the asphalt road, we climb stairs under old beeches to the Gesztes rock alcove, where a statue of Virgin Mary was placed in 1921. The statue was vandalized in the 1950s but restored in 2002 by a local couple, this time replaced by a statue of Saint Bernadette of Lourdes in the rock cavity.

With more elevation gain, we can visit Gesztes castle along the KL marked trail. Guarding the valley since the 14th century, its history is intertwined with tourism: a shelter was made there in the 1930s, and in the 1960s one of its towers was converted into a tourist hostel. Currently, the entire building is closed due to prolonged renovation. One of the Várgesztes OKT stamps is located near the staircase leading to the Lourdes cave below the castle, while the other stamp is found close to the bus stop, on the wall of the village’s small shop.

Várgesztes – Szárliget

We leave Várgesztes along the main street heading towards the fishing lake. By the shore of the lake beneath the Zsigmond rock, there is a spacious rest area with numerous benches and tables, and buffets operate during the season. On the far shore, we begin a climb through a shady, narrow gorge-like valley. About two-thirds up, we can take a right detour along the Zsigmond rock following the K▲ marked path. The treeless rock terrace is 5-10 m wide, offering a bird’s-eye view of Várgesztes, with the vista extending from Majk to Várgesztes, crowned by the ruin of Gesztes castle.

Upon reaching the plateau, we hike without marked climbs or descents through areas of clearings and orderly wind-exposed beech forests. We arrive at the Mátyás-kút rest area, centered around a lodge guarded by a sizeable wooden statue. The spring at the rest area can dry up entirely at times. Around it are rain shelters, benches, tables, and fire pits; a swing and toilet add unusual forest comforts. The spring’s name honors King Matthias, often a hunter in the Vértes.

Leaving the rest area, we follow a winding forestry road through pleasant woodland, crossing a gas pipeline clearing before arriving at another well-developed rest area, Szarvas-kút. The isolated, peaceful valley features a small wooden house with an always open loft that can comfortably accommodate 2-4 people on benches and the floor; the ground floor serves as shelter from rain or covered camp site.

On the predominantly beech forested Blue Trail, the next sight is just 1 km away. Near the Vitányvár junction, on the right side of the descending tourist path, is Rockenbauer Pál’s portrait carved into a beech tree hollow. The artwork was created by an unknown artist 15-20 years ago.

Shortly after, we reach a junction where turning left onto the KL marked trail allows a short detour to Vitányvár. This is one of the most atmospheric points in the Vértes: suddenly huge walls emerge among the trees — the ruins of a fortress protecting the road crossing Vértes, likely built after the Tatar invasion by members of the Csák family. The castle often changed hands during Turkish rule and was deliberately blown up in 1597 to avoid being reclaimed by the Ottoman Empire. Its building stones remain embedded in nearby structures, and despite decay, large road fragments and window openings remain. From here, the view onto the Little Hungarian Plain is beautiful.

This is followed by a section with old beeches in a labyrinthine trail, then a left turn where under the trees is the Körtvélyesi forest cemetery. Local inhabitants of Körtvélyespuszta and nearby forest settlements were buried here. The small cemetery is surrounded by waist-high wooden fencing, with graves marked by wooden, iron, or stone-carved crosses. Outside the fence are seven collective graves of Hungarian soldiers fallen in spring 1945 near the end of WWII.

From the cemetery, the trail passes between huge rocks leading to Mária-szakadék, evoking the atmosphere of the Bakony mountains. Nowadays, it is completely dry, but decades ago it regularly featured a temporary waterfall cascading down its rock steps. The valley widens near the Csákányospuszta tourist hostel, and the forested area gives way to cultivated lands, pastures, and meadows. On a small hilltop in the open terrain stands the beautiful panorama-offering ruined church of Csákányospuszta, the only remaining building of the 13th-century village of Csákányosegyháza. After the Tatar invasion, King Béla IV granted this territory to the Oghuz warriors in exchange for their help, and the place takes its name from their preferred weapon, the battle axe.

The remaining part is just a matter of “covering”: walking along main road no. 1 and a connecting road, which was once the embankment of a wooden and sand-carrying narrow gauge railway completed in 1918, we finally reach Szárliget. The memorial of the two former narrow-gauge railways stands beside the Blue Trail, while the large train station marks the end of this section and the border of the Gerecse mountains. On the station building’s side, the last stamp from the Vértes part of the Blue Trail can be found.