Koloska Valley run

Itinerary

• From the parking lot, start on the P and Z+ markers, behind the building of the csárda turn right, and continue on the P marker for 4 km in the Koloska Valley.
• At the turning point of the route, switch to the Z marker and follow it for another 5 km.
• Upon reaching Balatonfüred at the Lóczy Cave, follow the Z▲ marker up to the Jókai Lookout.
• From the lookout, descend back to the Koloska Valley on the K marker, where on an unmarked section, switch to the Z+ marker and follow it back to the start point.

Detailed Route Description

From the parking lot at the Koloska Csárda, start through the small park in front of the csárda on the P and Z+ markers. Cross a small wooden bridge over the Koloska stream at the building's corner, then immediately turn right onto the P marker and stay on it for 4 km. We cross a meadow and enter a pine grove: running on a gently ascending single-track path and comfortable surface. We follow the left side of the stream, which changes to oak pine forest; the trees there are very tall and provide shade. Soon we arrive at the large clearing of the Koloska Valley rest area, passing through which, at the valley's entrance, the Koloska spring bursts forth. Beyond it, the valley narrows, passing a rain shelter, and the path ascends gently. We run past the centuries-old 'Koloska hero linden' fighting the rocks, then shortly after the valley bed disappears. More precisely, it widens and flattens; we continue on a normal forest road with still very comfortable, soft terrain. For a short stretch, we join a two-track forestry road, but after reaching a clearing, we turn off it and cross the clearing lengthwise. We ascend gently on a normal forest path until we reach the turning point of the run.

Here, sharply left off the P marker onto the Z marker, staying on it for about 5 km until the Lóczy Cave. After the turnaround, another 200 m of gentle ascent awaits, reaching the route's first summit point. From here, we descend continuously on the Z marker. Single-track paths and forest-road sections alternate; trees are lower and sparser than in the valley, so less shade can be expected in summer. Arriving at a large clearing, we encounter tall, old, majestic pines, then the path steepens somewhat, and we start winding in the Kéki Valley. At one point, the Z marker sharply turns left off the forest road — this requires attention because the markers were painted only on thinner shrub stems and branches, so they are barely noticeable. Here, we climb steeply but shortly to the plateau called Irtáshát, where we continue on a forest road. From here, we descend to a clearing whose upper end reveals a partial view of Balaton's western basin, opposite the range between Balatonszemes and Balatonlelle. Further down, we reach small plots and houses — ostriches live near the second on the left — at the end of the gravel road, turn right onto asphalt, then left again onto Törökszegfű street, and finally left onto Öreghegyi street, reaching the Lóczy Cave.

At the Lóczy Cave, the Z▲ marker normally goes sharply left and straight up to the Jókai Lookout, but at the time of editing, due to the new visitors' center under construction and expected to be completed in summer 2021, we can join the Z▲ marker via a temporary and short detour. To do this, continue on Öreghegyi street, turn left at Rizling street, then immediately left again onto Cholnoky street; at the end, the Z▲ marker appears, and from there turn right uphill. A narrow, single-track path climbs steeply and almost entirely rocky; proceed carefully. Nearly 1 km awaits to the lookout, with a 120 m elevation gain, with stones disappearing only at the very top. It is definitely worth climbing to the Jókai Lookout; otherwise, the view is limited by trees. From above, the view is beautiful: we can see the eastern basin of Balaton, to the right below we see past the Tihany Peninsula, and in the western basin, we can see up to the hills near Boglár, with the summit of Badacsony also visible on the northern shore.

From the lookout, begin descending on the K marker on a comfortable, single-track path, with sections of varying steepness. Lower down, the path narrows into a trench with a thick leaf layer; never run here, only walk carefully, as stones may be under the leaves. Upon reaching a flatter section, in a right turn, we leave the K marker and switch left onto the Z+ marker over an unmarked 100 m section. Soon, we reach the large meadow above the Koloska Csárda; running along its right side, we reach the small wooden bridge and cross it back to the parking lot.