Romans, counts, and waterfowl in the Sárvíz valley

Itinerary

• From Székesfehérvár railway station, we cycle out to Sóstó near the MOL Arena by following the bike path (Béke Square – Prohászka Ottokár Street – Horvát István housing estate – Széchenyi Street – Csikvári Street).
• From the stadium, we also follow a bike path continuing along Csikvári Street, then Vásárhelyi Street, and finally through Hargitai Street to reach Balatoni Road, where we cycle on a protected bike path to Szabadbattyán.
• In Szabadbattyán, we make a short detour to the Kula Tower, then turning left onto Széchenyi Street, we cycle out of the settlement. Crossing the railway tracks, we turn left again and, after leaving the station, join the bike path following the Nádor Canal.
• From the closed bike path, with a short detour, we reach the Gorsium-Herculia Archaeological Park and Open-Air Museum.
• We follow the bike path along the canal for a long stretch, then finally turn right towards Soponya, passing through Soponya and Káloz to reach Dég, where we visit the castle.
• From Dég, we head towards Mezőszilas, where we turn left to cycle to Sárbogárd. Upon reaching main road 63, we turn left within the settlement and reach the railway station via the main street equipped with a bicycle lane.

Detailed description of the route

Sóstó: where environmental protection breathed life into the landscape

The Sóstó in Székesfehérvár is an astonishing place: just minutes from the city center to the stadium, where a perfectly mowed lawn is a few steps away from the wonderfully revived wild nature, with the whistle drowned out by the seagulls’ noise. Be sure to lock up your bikes and take a look at the 218-hectare, nationally protected Sóstó-Homokbánya Nature Protection Area!

First, climb up to the huge lookout tower next to the stadium! Sóstó lies at the border of three different landscapes: the once marshy Sárrét to the west, the loess plateau of Mezőföld to the south, and the city and Zámolyi Basin to the north. The gradual impoverishment of the lake’s rich wildlife is a story well known elsewhere, but the restoration of the wetland between 2016 and 2018 is an outstanding national practice. The area used to be the Sárrét marsh, named after the alkaline springs that make the water salty. For flood protection and public health reasons, the marshes began to be drained in the 1730s, and a century later a park for city residents’ recreation was created. Later, parts of the area served military purposes, and sport use appeared in the early 20th century. Construction of the stadium started in 1963; its current state results from renovation in 2016. The lake was formerly a bathing place until after World War II, but this ceased mainly due to the increasing reed invasion and wastewater entry.

The latter was a severe blow to the lake’s rich wildlife. The area was protected in the 1990s, and comprehensive rehabilitation of Sóstó was carried out along with the stadium’s renovation. As fate would have it, the city now replenishes the insufficient natural water inflow with treated, phosphate-free wastewater, and rainwater collected from the neighboring stadium’s roof is also directed here.

The sounds of success reach the lookout tower unless drowned by a match’s roar. The restored wetland has proven breeding of dozens of bird species, including herons and egrets, as well as strictly protected species such as the black-winged stilt and black-necked grebe. Along with herons, one can also hear the noise of protected black-headed gulls and strictly protected Mediterranean gulls breeding on the large gull island in the middle of the lake.

There is a total of 8 km of nature trail network around the lake, and a beautiful map by the lookout tower shows the routes. Considering the upcoming cycling, the most scenic is the tour around the North Lake, about 2 km, partly on boardwalks, passing many observation towers. Returning to the lookout, you can also visit the free Sóstó Visitor Center showcasing the area's wildlife.

The Gorsium-Herculia Archaeological Park and Open-Air Museum

The birds don’t have to say a permanent goodbye: on the boundary of Szabadbattyán, at the trees next to the Sárvíz mill canal continuing the Séd river known from Veszprém, there is a vast rookery (which is a relief since the formerly very common rook population has drastically declined in all Europe). Across the road stands the oddly named Kula Tower, built in the 15th century for toll collection. Its existence shows that the Sárvíz, now squeezed among canals, was a significant factor in the past, so much so that it was navigable in Roman times. The tower was converted into a castle in the 16th century and used as a granary from the 18th century.

Leaving the settlement, we return to the valley canals. The extensive marshland in the broad valley hindered transportation and agriculture, so drainage work started as early as 1772. Today, two canals drain the old Sárvíz’s spreading waters: the Nádor Canal on the eastern side and the Mill Canal on the western side continuing the Séd. Here, near Szabadbattyán, they almost meet; we follow the longer Nádor Canal carrying the Sárvíz waters. But first, the open-air museum offering a glimpse into Roman times invites a stop.

The substantial remains of the Roman imperial city – although still far from fully explored – attracted researchers’ attention in the 1930s thanks to a collapsed well. On the former main street, you can see the ruins of the 4th-century governor’s palace, early Christian basilica, and forum remains; enter the roofed former banquet hall to learn about Roman dining habits; and from a wall used as an observation point, get a view of the whole city’s structure. (Only 7% of the ancient city has been excavated so far.) The museum presents the most significant finds in a permanent exhibition and frequently organizes large-scale Roman-themed events on its grounds. The highly professional exhibition reveals that the settlement’s name was identified based on two contemporary itineraries: one mentions a station named Herculia on the road from Sopianae (Pécs) to Brigetio (Komárom-Szőny), and the other mentions a settlement called Gorsio sive Herculia on the road from Pécs to Aquincum.

Bicycle birdwatching in the Sárvíz valley

After leaving the open-air museum, the most scenic section of our journey follows, as we cycle far from settlements along the canal. Although the Sárrét basin that stretches about 100 km from Székesfehérvár to Csór and the Danube valley was drained a long time ago, on the wetlands along the Sárvíz valley cutting through Mezőföld, we can gain an impression of the most important natural values of the Sárvíz valley Protected Landscape Area established in 1997. From Szabadbattyán, for about 20 km stretching to Sárszentágota, we follow the protected area along the canal for 13 km to Soponya.

In the reeds along the canal, many songbirds chirp, call, or caw in spring, and if we are lucky, we can spot larger waterfowl that come from the surrounding saline and steppe plains resting or breeding in permanent or temporary lakes formed in deeper parts of former Sárvíz side branches or cut-off oxbow lakes, which represent the largest zoological value of the protected area.

The protected area’s most significant habitat is the fishpond system near Soponya alongside the bike path, a popular resting, feeding, and breeding place for waterfowl. It hosts the county’s largest colonies of little bitterns, little egrets, and purple herons, and great egrets and spoonbills also frequently pass through here for feeding from Dinnyési-Fertő. On the Soponyai reservoir, hundreds of pairs of black-headed gulls breed, along with common gulls, Mediterranean gulls, and red-crested pochards. The area is particularly noisy during autumn bird migration, as many northern birds use the Soponyai reservoir as a resting place.

The protected area connects the Transdanubian Mountains and Lake Velence with the Danube, forming an important ecological corridor in Mezőföld, which has been almost completely transformed by human activity.

Festetics Castle: a pure classicist masterpiece

From Soponya, after a long ride, we reach the castle in Dég, impressive in size and pure aesthetics, while also getting a mood of the long-stretched loess ridges of Mezőföld.

"I stood there surprised when I discovered the huge castle – perhaps the most beautiful I have ever seen" – reads an inscription from 1812 by a German traveler on a bench in the castle park. Even if we do not enter the castle, it is certainly worth buying a ticket for the garden.

According to its builder, Antal Festetics, Dég had to be one of the most modern estates and most magnificent castles of its time. We see this intention reflected in the truly beautiful, pure castle, the vast English park, the special atmosphere of the Dutch House, and the enormous oaks.

Antal Festetics started developing the Dég estate in the early 1800s and commissioned the then already well-known Mihály Pollack to design the castle. The one-story, basement, U-shaped building became one of the earliest classicist masterpieces in Hungary. The six-columned portico closing the facade open to the garden is considered a precursor of the architect’s later main work, the National Museum. The building is indeed pure, not overly decorated with elements borrowed from ancient temple architecture; the often relief-decorated tympanum was left empty. It is also unusual that a gravel ramp, not stairs, leads from the facade to the park, spatially connecting the building better to the garden. Construction likely began around 1802, with the castle standing by 1812, and the English park was also a carefully planned, conscious concept. The garden’s most famous building, the Dutch House accessible via a bridge, was built at the end of the 19th century by Pál Festetics for Countess Lenke Pejacsevich, who suffered from tuberculosis (TBC). At that time, tuberculosis was a feared, incurable disease, and many believed in the benefits of inhaling ammonia-rich air. Hence, a cowshed was placed in the basement, while the countess lived on the upper floor until her long life’s end despite her illness. The Dutch House is also accessible with garden admission, but a separate ticket is required to discover the castle’s interior.

We will have the opportunity to digest the many sights on the way to Sárbogárd, as the monotonous, large-scale cultivated landscape of Mezőföld offers few attractions. However, let’s stay alert: partly cycling on roads and partly on the slopes of Mezőföld around Pusztaegres, there is an unexpected speed burst that will keep us firmly holding the handlebars before arriving at Sárbogárd.