I'm pretty far behind in posting, so forgive me for that!
The time has come when I don't like to sit at the computer, I prefer to spend most of my free time outside. Today is 23 April, but the pictures below were taken on 17 April.
Since it doesn't matter when, on which stretch and in which direction I complete the distances, I decided that after Bakony I could do a little Vértes.
We call them mountains, but they are rather high hills, with limestone and dolomite rocks and deep gullies. They are not alpine terrain, but rather a somewhat Mediterranean landscape, dissected by cool valleys.
The Vértes Mountains cover a small area and can be hiked in 2-3 days on the Blue Trail. I've already completed the 57 km section in 3 days, not on 3 consecutive days, but at different times. Last time I was here in winter, I walked 23 km from Csókakő to Gánt. (See my post here: @fairyberry/blue-hiking-trail-from-medieval-castle-of-csokako-to-gant).
The remaining distance in the Vértes mountains I did on 21 April from Kőhányáspusztas to Szárliget, I will write about it later.
I started early in the morning in Gant, a small village inhabited by Swabians, and finished my journey in Kőhányáspuszta. It was a relatively short distance, not much to see, but the forest was really beautiful and peaceful. I hardly saw any tourists, which I was surprised about, because there are usually a lot on a Sunday. Gánt is a small but beautiful and tidy, clean village. It is inhabited by hard-working, industrious people.
Gánt is a small but beautiful and tidy, clean village. It is inhabited by hard-working, industrious people.
But recently many new, former Budapest residents have bought houses or holiday homes here. Many keep animals, especially horses - horse-keeping has become very popular in Hungary in recent times. One side of the village is lined with electric fences.
On the roadside I saw some spring Adonis. Unfortunately, I saw much less than this time last year. There must have been too much drought in winter and early spring.
Black pines are also sadly dying. They can no longer cope with the warming climate and are being attacked by various pests.
Native beech trees are still thriving here, especially on the cooler hillsides.
Although some fallen trees made my progress difficult. Dead trees are left in certain places, which is good because they provide shelter for many small animals.
I soon reached a stamping station, Mindszentpuszta, where I didn't take any photos because I found the place a bit depressing.
In places, bare rocks rise up, slightly hidden by the trees, so I had to get closer to them.
Dense forests alternate with sunlit glades.
I noticed a beech tree with a strange growth. I wondered what forces had deformed it?
The Vértes Mountains are home to several castle ruins, one of which is Oroszlánkő Castle.
The castle is hardly recognisable and quite difficult to get to, but I went to the top anyway. The trees are almost completely overgrown it.
As I approached my destination, I saw more and more long-stemmed primulas. I used to pick a lot of these flowers as a child, but now they are protected. And in fact, it's much prettier in its own place than half wilted in a vase.
Among the tall, wispy beech trees, I felt like I was walking in a huge cathedral.
My destination, Kőhányáspuszta, is a small settlement of a few houses, with only a few permanent residents. But it has a small chapel and a country house.
I had an hour before the bus arrived, so I went to the country house. It's all a bit quirky, charmingly eclectic, with its own mix of folk, vintage and retro. The man who welcomed me lives in the small Swabian house and has been collecting old objects for decades.
Outside, the walls of the house are covered with all kinds of utensils.
I even recognised some of them, such as the stand-up washbasin I used as a child.
I also saw a lot of objects under a roof, mainly used for agricultural purposes.
It was an old Trabant in excellent condition that I liked the most. Uncle still drives it around town.
And finally a cute dog called Vacak, who wanted to accompany me to the bus.
