Dörgicse thunderstorm

Itinerary

• From the start point, head west following the PL mark towards the forest.
• In the forest, switch to the Z+ mark.
• After leaving the forest, continue on the K mark all the way to Halom Hill.
• On Halom Hill, arrive at the Kossuth Lookout on the KT mark after an unmarked section.
• From the lookout, descend on the P▲ mark to the starting point of the S+ mark.
• Run the entire length of the S+ mark to its end, where you turn onto the S mark.
• From the S mark turn to the P+ mark, then immediately to the P mark.
• Return to the village on the P mark, running back to the Temple Square start via Gernyei Street-Bere Alley-Zsedenyi Street-Memorial Street route.

Detailed route description

Starting from Church Square, cross Fő Street, which is also the main road, and start opposite on Szent Balázs Street on the PL mark. At the end of the street, asphalt disappears and you continue on a two-track dirt road. On the right, there's a beautiful view of the highest point of our route, Halom Hill, with the Kossuth Lookout and the vineyard below. Head straight towards Balázs Hill and the forest of Szent Balázs Hill, crossing between vineyards with a gentle ascent, including a short concrete section for machinery at a higher level. At the end of the road, turning right at the forest, continue on the PL mark on a comfortable, soft forest road with some rocky spots. It ascends steadily and evenly, then flattens and gently descends. At a crossroad, turn sharply right onto the Z+ mark. (From this crossroad, 270 meters along the PL mark leads to the most beautifully located ruin in the area, the Szent Balázs church ruins.) The terrain is relatively flat, then begins to descend, passing rapid right and left turns. Cross a large field, then continue straight past power lines to an agricultural road and cattle farm. Here turn right onto the K mark and stay on it for 4 km up to Halom Hill.

The trail climbs gently, running along the cattle farm fence and turning left at the fence's upper corner, continuing along the fence. At the fence's end, take a sloping left path running through an oak forest on a narrow, single-track, rocky and root-filled path, so be careful. Descend into a hollow, turning right onto easier terrain. Exit to a large field, revealing the authentic Balaton Highlands vineyard and wine cellar landscape: below are Balatoncsicsó and Szentantalfa. Turn right, run along the forest edge on the field's edge while the Kossuth Lookout appears ahead. At the end of the field, cross an oak forest and climb to a row of wine cellars under Szent György Hill, where looking slightly higher to the right over vineyards, Lake Balaton sparkles. At the end of the road, at a left bend and straight downhill section, turn right onto an asphalt road.

After crossing the road, continue slightly right on the K mark. Head uphill on Halom Hill road, then turn left at the first street (Wine Cellar Street), continuously ascending with the K mark. At the top, asphalt ends, and a dirt road leads to the parking below Halom Hill. Turn right here, following the K and the P mark joined from Mencshely side for another 100 meters. At a junction, the previous two marks turn left, but the path leading uphill and marked with signs towards the lookout and the Volcano nature trail is to the right. We cleverly take a fourth path here, less obvious, starting unmarked behind the nature trail sign to the right, and later joins the KT mark. Circling the hill on the western side with a beautiful view towards Szent György Hill mentioned above, always turning right at every junction, we reach the recently rebuilt Kossuth Lookout and the geological exhibition below. Definitely worth climbing the lookout for the wonderful 360-degree panorama: you can see Mencshely in the north with Kab Hill behind it, Balatonfüred in the east, Dörgicse and Akali with Lake Balaton in the south, and most of the witness hills in the west. Looking down, the geological exhibition shows a map-like layout of Lake Balaton made of basalt blocks beside the lookout, with larger basalt blocks above each representing a volcanic hill of the Balaton Highlands.

From the lookout, descend on the Dörgicse side road to the waterworks hill, turning right to continue on the P▲ mark. Further down, turn left at the Volcano Street junction, then after a big right turn, reach the Pincesor Street junction where the S+ mark starts on the left (this is its upper end). Also turn onto it, staying on the marked path to its lower end. The sometimes rocky, soft-soil forest road runs completely straight and gently descending through the oak forest. At its bottom, turn right to exit the forest and run relatively long partly open and partly shrubby meadows. When reaching the height of Kisdörgicse houses on the left, you may optionally take a 100 m detour left to see the medieval Szent Miklós church ruins. Soon, reach the Vászoly–Dörgicse paved road, also the lower end of the S+ mark.

Crossing the road, 50 meters left there is the medieval heritage bridge of the Bere stream, and opposite is a clearing where at its end, to the left of the table, the S mark enters the bushes as a single-track path. After a short descent, enter the forest where you continue on a single-track path. After some winding, the terrain becomes very rocky and rooty, so proceed with caution; better to walk. The very atmospheric section of Kű Valley follows, with the eponymous rock formations on the left, and nicely polished rock climbing routes with fixed descending stands on the main wall. Continuing, with rocks reminiscent of medieval castle ruins, the path stones disappear, so you can run again with a gentle descent. Crossing a bushy area, reach a junction with several marks meeting. Turn briefly right for a few meters, then turn left onto the P+ mark.

On a comfortable two-track road, wind through bushes and clearings to the lavender corner, where you continue straight but now on the P mark joining from the right, as the P+ mark branches left. Run to the cemetery, partly bypassing it alongside the stream, then over an older small bridge leading to the cemetery, turn left into the forest and continue steeply uphill on the P mark. Soon, reach the lower Dörgicse Boldogasszony church ruins with a beautiful view of Lake Balaton. Cross the meadow, and at the parking lot continue to the right on Gernyei Street, run down to its bottom, then continue along Bere Alley opposite, among neat, authentic old houses. At the end of Bere Alley, turn left, then exit onto Memorial Street via Zsedenyi Street, turn right and run back to the Temple Square start point.