You say ‘karst’ and I think caves. I have vague recollections from my geography class of water doing things to limestone and creating all sorts of weird and wonderful formations. When a trip to the Fényes tanösvény (Fényes nature trail) near Tata was mooted as an option before we all went our separate ways, I was happy to go along. What better way to spend a Friday morning of a holiday weekend than communing with nature. But my, oh, my. I wasn’t expecting what I got.
Think clear underwater springs and lots of alder in a marsh with turtles, frogs, and all sorts of birds and plants. And a wooden walkway, a self-pull ferry, a rope bridge, and a viewing tower. Add some sunshine and take away some people and you have what can only be described as a mystical experience.
One of the signs described karstic water as
…gravity water located in the fissures and cavity systems of stones becoming karstic (e.g. limestone, dolomite). The water gets from the surface into the deepest layers of the mountain chain that is becoming karstic partly by soaking, partly through waterholes. Becoming karstic is the process of chemical weathering during which, depending on the free CO2 dissolved in water and the water temperature, carbonate is separated. Karstic water gathering inside the limestone mountains returns to the surface through temporary or permanent springs, meaning natural tapping.
The nearby town of Tata was also known as the City of Waters. Before big business came calling after the coal seams were discovered, the city was rife with clear water springs. It wasn’t until the coal mines closed at the end of the last century that the water came back. Some call it a miracle. I’d go along with that. No doubt there is a perfectly good scientific explanation for what happened but given the splendour of the place, I’d prefer to stick with my miracle.
I wondered at the significance of the tall wooden tower just beyond the entrance gate. It’s to show how high the water level would be were all those karst springs to break free. Fourteen metres. That’s how deep it runs underground. The wooden walkway runs just shy of 1500 metres offering viewing points along the way for visitors to stop and bask in the beauty of it all. It really is magical. The light. The colours. The greens of the foliage, the blues of the sky and the water.
The marsh forest that covers nearly 4 ha is quite something and reminiscent of the Kis-Balaton in a way with its dead alders sticking out of the water. The view down from the lookout tower gives everything an almost surreal perspective. The orchestra of insects, birds, and frogs is so loud you have to work to hear yourself think.
Dead tree trunks and clumps of grass make like islands in the water. We were fortunate to have had a blue-sky day with no wind. The reflection of the clouds in the water gave the feeling that the world had turned upside down. There are moments when it seems like the heavens have come down and touched the earth. I see it in waterlilies. The Hungarian, tündérrózsák, literally translates as fairy roses. They get it. There’s something otherworldly about them. Here, in Fényes, the endangered white waterlily is alive and well and making the world a lovelier place.
If you go nowhere else this summer, make a plan to visit Fényes. Go early to avoid the crowds. Take your time. Open 9am to 7pm. Last admission ticket sold at 6 pm.
Website: https://tataifenyestanosveny.hu/
Address: 2890 Tata, Fényes Fasor 1363/95 hrsz.
2 responses
Looks a-maz-ing!
It is – a friend visited on a cloudy day and the colours are so different…