Towering at a height of 525 meters, Ámos-hegy and the adjacent recreational forest are both situated to the east of the village of Eplény. Beech trees, sycamores, and larches adorn the surrounding countryside, and songbirds provide the wonderful background music. If you’re patient and quiet enough you may even spot a graceful deer or a robust wild boar. If you direct your attention to the undergrowth, you can see such tiny creatures as snowdrops – it’s protected and it is forbidden to collect it –, hollowroot birthwort, and common lungwort.
The two separate study trails cover a distance of 3.6 kilometers and 4.2 kilometers respectively. The stops along the way provide information about the morphology, geology, and distinctive flora and fauna of the area, and also about the practices of local forestry, wildlife and water management. You can take a ride on the chairlift or hop on a bike or you can climb all the way to the top of the lookout tower, where you can see as far as Lake Balaton and the villages and hills of the Bakony region.
Tip: You can also access the lookout from the Veszprém-end of the village instead of the direction of the ski arena; in that case, turn left after Margit Élelmiszerbolt (Margit Grocery Store) while standing opposite the hill, towards the sign indicating the beginning of the recreational forest. There’s another sign for the lookout in the other direction, at the end of Gyöngyvirág utca, but the signs for the path to the peak are contradictory in that direction.
