Cycling on the edge of the bikla

Itinerary

• Ride down from Siklós Castle and turn left, then turn left again in front of the town hall, following the bike path towards Harkány. At the Máriagyűd junction, turn left again towards Harkány! (There is no bike path for about two blocks, but it continues afterward.)
• In Harkány, head straight to the junction with Pécs in the town center, then follow the slightly winding bike path to Ady Endre Street — here the bike path crosses the road, but you should turn right!
• Leave the roundabout at Harkány’s edge towards Sellye! From here, ride on the “Ormánság main road” until Kémes.
• At Kémes, turn left at the church towards Szaporca; from here, follow the signs to the Ős-Dráva Visitor Center.
• From the visitor center, cycle back a bit then turn right onto the Black Water embankment. Ride on the embankment to Drávaszabolcs until main road 58.
• At Drávaszabolcs, two options await: continue on the Dráva embankment to the dam keeper’s house near Keselyősfapuszta, then turn left and after a few kilometers reach Matty. The shorter route leads on roads through Drávaszabolcs and Gordisa to Matty, from where the road leads straight to Siklós.

Detailed description of the route

Mosque, orthodox church, Catholic shrine and medieval castle

Our tour starts in Siklós, which offers many specialties for visitors. First, mention is due to the Malkocs Bey Mosque, which is one of Hungary’s few Turkish architectural monuments used according to its original function. Built in the mid-16th century and beautifully renovated, it served as a prayer place during the Yugoslav wars for the small Islamic community settled in and around Siklós. Very close by, just around a corner, is the orthodox church built in 1783 with donations from the Serbian community living in the town. The iconostasis was made around 1800, but it is not easy to admire as the church is usually closed; prior appointment is advised.

Another jewel of the town is the often-seen fort of Siklós Castle, the foundation of which may have been laid in the mid-13th century. Throughout the turbulent centuries, the walls changed owners many times, and today several exhibitions await inside. Everyone can find something that interests them, from weapon displays, torture chambers, furniture or wine collections, to rooms presenting the culture of the Croatian and Serbian minorities living in and around Siklós.

The Máriagyüd shrine is accessible via a 6-kilometer detour (with a short climb at the end). Its history dates back to the Turkish era; legends from that time were later recorded by Franciscan monks. According to these, a statue of Mary disappeared from the chapel previously standing there, and hermits found it by a miraculous spring. Marian apparitions began at the statue in the late 1600s; during the Rákóczi War of Independence, it was taken to Eszék, where it still resides today. The statue was given to the church in 1713, and the shrine of Gyűd, adorned with the "miraculous statue and church of the Virgin Mary," has attracted pilgrims far and wide because of the reports of healings and Marian apparitions, continuing even today.

Bustle at the beach, endless calm on the bike

Another form of physical and spiritual refreshment is possible at the baths in Siklós and Harkány for those who wish. For families and those cycling with children, the bathing complex opened in 2010 under Siklós Castle is recommended, offering three pools of different depths and various water games for children alongside the "adult" experience pools. The more prestigious Harkány medicinal and bathing complex caters more to those seeking healing (though children are also considered at the beach). The water here is primarily recommended for the prevention and treatment of musculoskeletal and joint diseases, osteoporosis, chronic gynecological inflammations, and improving lymphatic circulation disorders. The healing water was discovered in 1823 in the “Mecca for rheumatics,” and the construction of the bath was started a year later by the Batthyány family.

Leaving the bus station in Harkány, follow the somewhat winding bike path, then at the roundabout on the town’s edge head towards Sellye – the center of Ormánság. Ormánság (or Ormányság) is perhaps a lesser-known corner of Hungary. The ethnographic region was delimited by local-born ethnographer Géza Kis to 45 settlements, characterized by the Hungarian Reformed community with its distinct ö-dialect and a unique skirt style, the bikla – hence the geographical extent indicated by the already quoted saying. There are several etymologies for the word Ormánság: one says "ormán" derives from the Turkish "orman" (forest) word, while another considers a Finno-Ugric origin from words meaning “back, rise.” The Turkish origin is supported by the area’s (former and even still characteristic) significant forest coverage, whereas the Finno-Ugric explanation is supported by the fact that villages in the Dráva floodplain are built on smaller hills rising from the surrounding marshy lands.

Thus, we cycle west to east through Ormánság to Kémes, hardly disturbed by motor vehicle traffic. The entire route is characterized by cycling on low-traffic roads – and between Siklós and Harkány, a well-developed bike path connects the two towns. The tranquility also applies to the villages along the way, but it is evident that except for the two small towns, the area is hardly prepared for tourism. Shops, buffets, and pubs are usually open even on Saturdays, but accommodation is rare on the route, and we did not come across any open restaurants on a summer Saturday afternoon, despite passing two big inns. However, this should not scare anyone from visiting Ormánság because the Dráva region is a wonderful cycling area.

At Kémes, in front of the church (those who enter the modest house of God from outside can admire the painted wooden coffered ceiling), turn left towards Szaporca.

Floodplains, oxbows, embankments

The Dráva region can be described with these three words, but to be more precise, it is worth examining the landscape’s origin. The river, originating in the Dolomites, covers a total of 750 kilometers, the last stretch of which flows through this area. Here it once deposited its fine sediment, sand, which the wind gathered into small dunes within 10-15 kilometers of the river. Before regulation began in the 18th century, the Dráva meandered freely, but due to interventions, it straightened more and more; oxbow lakes formed in the old riverbed.

This is explained in detail at the Ős-Dráva Visitor Center in Szaporca, where you can get to know the Ormánság landscape, its people, and its flora and fauna. Three nature trails start from the building: the shortest, a few hundred meters long, leads to a neighboring farm, presenting traditional farming; another explores the Ős-Dráva; and a third, 13 kilometers long, showcases the Dráva’s wildlife with a birdwatching tower, a photo hide, an observation tower, and a bird ringing station. During our visit, a stork chick was temporarily housed at the visitor center: presumably pushed from the nest by its parents as the weakest, it survived the fall and was cared for by the visitor center manager until it recovered.

From the visitor center, continue along the Three Rivers cycling route connecting Barcs and Mohács on the paved embankment of the Black Water towards Drávaszabolcs. Cycling beside the creek, a feeling of endless tranquility embraces us, which remains throughout our tour. At the border of Drávaszabolcs, we reach main road 58; turning right towards the border crossing, we can approach the dock on the Dráva where it is possible to board the sightseeing boat leaving from here (it is certainly worth checking departure times in advance). We cycled off the embankment into the village, then turned off the main road towards Matty – but you can also decide to remain on the embankment to the dam keeper’s house near Keselyősfapuszta. (In this case, you will have to turn left from the embankment and follow the narrow connecting road to Matty.)

Traffic on the secondary road is not heavy, so we can calmly cycle past Gordisa, then reach the fishing lake on the outskirts of Matty, which is naturally a separated branch of the Dráva (many villages in the area have their “own” fishing lake). Rest areas and a buffet invite a break – during our visit, a large family with several dozen members created a truly authentic atmosphere by the lake.

Siklós Castle gleams white from afar as we approach the end of the tour from the south – the only short climb is in the last few hundred meters, otherwise the route runs entirely on flat terrain. The well-deserved relaxation after the tour can be crowned in either the local or the Harkány bathhouse.