Wandering in Csesznek in the Ördög-árok

Itinerary

• From the parking lot, head towards the castle on the P trail.
• After the Csesznek sign, turn left onto the ZΩ trail and run along it through the Kőmosó Gorge.
• At the end of the gorge, continue right on the P+ trail; under the castle, we arrive at Vár Street, where turning right on the P trail we run back to the parking lot.
• Running alongside the parking lot, continue on the P trail for more than 6 km to the end of the Ördög-árok.
• After the Ördög-árok, turn right onto the Z trail and follow it back to the start.

Detailed description of the route

Kőmosó loop

From the parking lot, start towards the castle on the P trail. After the Csesznek sign, turn sharply left, then immediately right at a house entrance. Soon afterwards, run further on the comfortable, single-track uphill path marked ZΩ towards the Kőmosó Gorge. Passing under the castle, the path descends more steeply, we cross the stream, and continue into the narrow, atmospheric gorge extending between the Csesznek castle hill and the Kőmosó hill. We cross the stream again, this time on a wooden bridge. On both sides, many via ferrata routes lead upward, forming one of the most popular networks. Deep in the gorge, turning right on the ZΩ trail we begin a steep ascent; here running is impossible, we step and climb on the rocks, but in wet weather, even stepping requires caution.

After ascending, continue right on the P+ trail. Climbing steeply along a single-track ridge, then we reach an ancient Jewish cemetery standing fully exposed on the hillside, dignified even in its abandonment. A stepped descent follows, at the bottom of which we turn right and go uphill towards the houses. Emerging onto the asphalt of Vár Street, turning right on the P trail returns us to the village and parking lot, closing the first loop.

Ördög loop

Running alongside the parking lot, continue on the P trail, which gently ascends, sometimes on gravel dirt roads, for over 6 km. After the horse corral on the left, meadows border the route, with shrubs on the right, and the landscape opens with forest and hills visible in both directions. Entering the forest, the ground becomes rockier and begins to rise, then reaching the beech forest, the path narrows to a runnable single track. From the hillside, we reach a saddle, then winding through oak and beech groves on forest roads. Soon we reach the highest point of the stretch leading to the Ördög-árok (399 m), followed by a long descent and then another smaller climb. After a high-voltage power line clearing, there is one more ascent, then the path slopes downhill all the way until reaching the easternmost and lowest point of the route, where at the valley bottom we meet the stream coming down from the Ördög-árok.

On the far side of the stream, turning sharply right, still ascending on the P trail towards the Ördög-árok. It starts as a comfortable single track, becoming increasingly stony, and we travel alternately on the right and left banks of the stream. The gentle ascent becomes steeper, with some points where the P trail climbs quite high, and the descent can be very slippery due to loose terrain (if the bed is dry, we can stay on the trail). The steeper ascent above shifts back to gentle, but progress does not speed up. We arrive at the Ördög-gát, a huge rock formation at a sharp bend. Here the P trail switches to a steep stepped section climbing right and upward to avoid the Ördög-gát, continuing on the exposed, steep right side of the gorge to another slightly ascending section. Here we cross the stream several times, sometimes needing to use our hands; this is not really running, so we must be very cautious throughout. After the last climbing crossing, there is a relatively runnable section, but we still need to cross from one side to the other several times. The easiest crossing may not be exactly at the trail sign, so it's worth checking below and above it for easier options. Finally, we reach a T-junction where turning right on the Z trail we move away from the stream and can pick up speed again.

Gently ascending on a single-track path that turns into a forest trail, continuing to ascend similarly. Passing under high-voltage power lines again, cutting through a scrub area, then running further in an oak forest. After a large left turn, a 600 m long, very stony and technical section leads us to the highest point of the run (446 m), proceed carefully. From there, the comfortable single track starts to descend. We pass a rain shelter, then enter a small valley whose special atmosphere is created not only by the terrain but also by the dense, gray mass of huge beech trees. For a short section, the path becomes very narrow and exposed; be careful of slipping risk (fortunately, the section is only 20 m). Many fallen trees on the path require passing under or over them. We descend into a lower valley section featuring mixed oak and beech, with white rock walls on the right side equipped with climbing routes. Exiting the valley by cutting through bushes, we reach a paved road and turn right, remaining on the Z trail. There is enough space on both sides to avoid running on the asphalt. One last gentle ascent awaits, with the Csesznek castle once again visible on the left, and soon we arrive back at the parking lot.