Wandering in the Móri valley

Itinerary

• From Mór railway station, start south-east on Gyár Street, then turn left at the end of the street; Deák Ferenc Street leads straight into the town center.
• At the second roundabout turn right (exit at the first option); Dózsa György Street leads straight towards Bodajk, with a bike path from the town boundary to Bodajk.
• At the end of the bike path, turn right, then upon arriving in Bodajk, at the first major intersection turn left towards Iszkaszentgyörgy.
• After leaving Fehérvárcsurgó, turn right at the Iszkaszentgyörgy junction, then upon reaching Kincsesbánya continue straight at the first significant intersection, then turn left at the miners’ memorial (József Attila Street). At the end of the street turn left (Kincsesi Street), then right; Kossuth Lajos Street and its continuation lead out of the settlement towards Iszkaszentgyörgy.
• In Iszkaszentgyörgy at the roundabout take the first exit and continue along Petőfi Sándor Street towards the “Centrum”. At a Y junction, take the stairs visible opposite, which lead to the castle.
• Leave the castle behind passing through the park southwards, then continuing straight out of the park (Ady Endre Street). At the end of the street turn left; Móricz Zsigmond Street leads back to the roundabout, from which a bike path leads all the way to Székesfehérvár.
• In Székesfehérvár, upon reaching Új Csóri Street, cross the road at the traffic light, then turn left and follow the cycling infrastructure leading to Palotai Street.
• Palotai Street leads to the town center, but it’s worth making a detour towards the open-air museum (turn right onto Tobak Street), then approach the inner city through Piac Square.
• It’s advisable to leave the city center towards the railway station via Várkörút and Prohászka Ottokár Street.

Detailed description of the route

The Móri valley separates the Bakony from the Vértes mountains, stretching northwest to southeast between the two ranges. The one to two kilometers wide rift valley is bordered on both sides by rim areas, whose highest prominence is Kő Hill, but probably the most spectacular among them is the rock rising under Csókakő Castle. The settlement that gave the valley its name - or at least its site - was likely already inhabited at the time of the foundation of the state, but during the Turkish occupation the population was decimated, so after driving out the Ottomans, the new landowner (the Hochburg family) settled German families here, creating a Hungarian-German mixed population. Thanks to the settled population, grape and wine cultivation spread in the area, making Mór nowadays the “town of a thousand goods.” At this time, the city’s current appearance began to develop in that the defining buildings (such as the Lamberg and Láncos castles or the Great Church) were built in the 18th century.

The town of a thousand goods

The Lamberg Castle is worth visiting first: the late Baroque castle can be seen in a renovated state following the earthquake of January 14, 1810 (the exact time of the quake was determined by the clock on the top of the castle, which stopped at 6:10 PM due to the tremor). The building itself can only be visited with a guided tour, and whoever enters through the ornate wrought iron gate can see, among other things, a Swabian folk house, a Baroque room, and a local history collection inside the walls. Opposite the castle is a very atmospheric park, whose promenade leads directly to the former district court building, behind which the tower of the Great Church rises. The Capuchin church of Mór was consecrated together with the monastery by the Archbishop of Kalocsa and the Bishop of Veszprém, Count Pál Széchenyi, in 1701 after the Turkish rule ended. The church, damaged in the already mentioned 1801 earthquake, was rebuilt in the latter half of the 19th century, because (in addition to earlier earthquakes in 1763 and 1782) the earth movements of 1856 and 1869 also seriously affected it. In the small square next to the church is a statue of Sándor Wekerle: the first minister from a bourgeois background was born in Mór. As you head towards Bodajk, you can see one more slender church tower near the roundabout: the Neo-Gothic Hungarian church was built in 1888 on the site of Mór’s medieval parish church.

Regarding local wines, the Mór wine region is most famous for the ezerjó variety, but the other typical varieties are also white grapes: followed by chardonnay and tramini, with the occasional presence of királyleányka or green veltliner. The settlements of Csákberény, Csókakő, Mór, Pusztavám, Söréd, and Zámoly also belong to the wine region, i.e., the slopes facing the valley from the east and south of the Vértes border the Móri valley.

After wandering in Mór, it’s time to set off; from the town center leads a relatively low-traffic road that becomes a wide bike path at the town boundary, from where you can enjoy the westernmost branches of Vértes while gliding along.

The bike path crosses the main road 81, running parallel to it for a short section, then turns right and leads straight towards Bodajk. The settlement is mainly known for its pilgrimage church and Calvary, but also noteworthy is the local castle, where a hunting museum opened in 2021. The pilgrimage church owes its fame to the Holy Well here, around which legends have spread that its water dries up every seven years, and also that Saint Stephen, Saint Emeric, Saint Ladislaus, and Saint Gerard visited here. Following the Turkish occupation – just as in Mór – the Capuchins settled here: first they built a chapel, then between 1728 and 1742 the still visitable Baroque church was built, alongside it the Capuchin monastery soon followed. They increasingly prepared to welcome pilgrims: the Calvary was built, and a pilgrim courtyard was separated from the monastery garden around the spring. Religious tourism still thrives today, but even non-believers should drop into the church garden for its special atmosphere, and it’s worth climbing the Calvary, if only for the surprisingly good view. One of the castle’s most exciting times from a tourist perspective may have been when the Gajavölgy Tourist Hostel operated there (1964-1990); today, in the beautifully restored building called the Bodajk Hunting Castle, there is an interactive exhibition showcasing the beauty and values of wildlife, and the culture of hunting. Interactive magic globes, virtual safaris, and other similar multimedia solutions are the main attractions that draw visitors in.

The treasures of the Móri valley

From Bodajk, we continue on a low-traffic road towards Fehérvárcsurgó, where the castle and its park are the best-known sights. The Károlyi Castle originally stood on the site of the noble residence built above by the already mentioned Hochburg family; the current building was constructed in 1844 by György Károlyi following the plans of Viennese architect Heinrich Koch; young Miklós Ybl also participated as a sort of technical manager. It’s definitely worth mentioning that in 1825, Károlyi offered 40,000 forints at the reform parliament and was one of the founders of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. He also participated in the revolutionary events of 1848-49, which is why the Austrian authorities practically put him under house arrest at the Csurgó castle in 1849. György Károlyi’s great-grandson István was the last owner of the Fehérvárcsurgó estate, which after World War II became state property and followed the usual path: first it served as a holiday resort for the Budapest Gas Works, then from 1949 for a time it functioned as accommodation for Greek refugee children, thereafter it operated as a children’s home. After the regime change, it was renovated in several phases along with the surrounding castle park, so currently partly a hotel operates there, and partly some parts are also visitable through guided tours. Among many other rooms, perhaps the library is worth highlighting: because of its impressive size and the abundance of books on its shelves, this might be where visitors lose themselves in the details the longest. On the shelves, the book legacy of Szabolcs Vajay, historian and researcher of genealogy and heraldry, can be seen (this information already explains, for example, the series of volumes displaying the coats of arms of various Slovak counties).

The castle is surrounded by a huge arboretum-like park, which also features a cozy lake – right here is the so-called rose terrace, named after the finely pierced (also made of cast iron) pattern stretched between the cast iron pillars protecting the terrace roof. From this perspective, it’s quite clear that it’s not worth going further towards the intriguingly named Kincsesbánya without exploring the castle garden. On a small island in the lake, a gloriette awaits those who wish to relax; the ancient trees or even the grassy lakesides tempt with a little picnic. It’s just the right place to eat a sandwich or at least a muesli bar before the remaining kilometers. Before continuing, you can also cycle to the village church, whose gate’s arched recess indicates that the house of God was not built recently. Indeed, the original 13th-century late Romanesque style church was rebuilt in the Gothic style a century later (the traces of which are still visible today) and also served defensive functions as a fortress church in the 16th century. Our next stop promises to be an exciting place based on its name, but Kincsesbánya is already past its prime. The treasure of the area was bauxite (from 1966 the center of the Fejér County Bauxite Mines Company was also in the settlement), but today no mining operations exist in the area; at most, memorials related to mining, the mini housing estate, and, of course, the village’s name inform about the past. From here it’s just a hop to Iszkaszentgyörgy, a settlement formed on the site of the villages Iszka, Szentgyörgy, and Atya.

Undoubtedly the best-known and most interesting sight of the village is the castle, which is still a remarkable building despite its current shabby state. The name Amadé-Bajzáth-Pappenheim castle includes its history: the oldest part of the manor house was built by Antal Amadé in 1735, then Tádé Amadé extended it thirty years later with the east wing and the gate, creating the foundation of a building developing over centuries. József Bajzáth, Bishop of Veszprém, reconstructed it in the 1820s, while the Pappenheim family significantly remodeled the castle in the first decade of the 20th century. The latter family owned the building until the end of World War II, after which it was used for all sorts of purposes imaginable: it served as a hospital, refugee accommodation, holiday resort, and workers’ hostel until the 1950s. What is highly unusual is that a quasi-town center was created in the huge building in the 1960s: the office, the local police station, a general store, pharmacy, and post office operated here, followed by the cultural center, library, cinema, and elementary school, as well as service and rental flats. The restoration of the castle as a monument began in 1985 but appears to have stalled. What is not visible but certainly worth mentioning is that the castle is currently rented from the state by a Finnish gentleman who tries to tidy up and maintain it inside, with the photos available clearly showing full respect for the building’s past.

A less fortunate fate befell the Duzzogó, which was nothing other than a two-pool bath built over a warm spring along the former road to the village of Atya. The bathhouse – which according to descriptions could have created a quite pleasant environment for bathing – was built by Count Siegfried Pappenheim on the Duzzogó spring, which delivers water at 28 degrees Celsius. After World War II, the building decayed, and due to bauxite mining, the spring’s water also dried up.

Those biking on a lighter bike suitable for easier terrain challenges should take a detour to the outskirts of Iszkaszentgyörgy: on a smaller hill – partly surrounded by pines – there is a lookout. Even climbing to the highest level does not grant a true panoramic view, as tree tops grow ever higher, but it is worth stopping here for a few minutes. To the southeast, Székesfehérvár and the Mezőföld are visible in the distance, while looking east, the Vértes emerges among the trees. From the lookout, everyone passing this way must definitely head for the Iszkaszentgyörgy pyramid. According to local legends, Count Siegfried Pappenheim built the 10-meter-high, square-based pyramid on the hill above the village, presumably in the late 1920s or early 1930s. He did this in memory of a relative who ended his life here due to a love sorrow. The original pyramid was dismantled by the 1960s; the present one was built in 2014 by the local forestry company. This company also maintains a nearby stone table with a fire pit, making the area ideal for roasting bacon.

We leave Iszkaszentgyörgy behind on a bike path: the sufficiently wide, good-quality infrastructure makes a small detour compared to the almost straight public road, but this actually becomes an advantage: it’s truly atmospheric to cycle on the asphalt strip running between the fields while getting closer and closer to the coronation city. In Székesfehérvár, we turn onto busy Új Csóri Street at the Iszkaszentgyörgy junction (to the left); fortunately, we can ride on bike paths or pedestrian and bike paths all the way to the city center.

Székesfehérvár, Székesfehérvár

The mainly Baroque-tinged city center has preserved its medieval urban structure, mainly because the city walls surrounding the city core stood until the first half of the 19th century. The city’s eventful history dates back to before the state foundation. From the millennium past, we can highlight the most important elements: the story begins with Prince Géza, who founded the city on one of the hills emerging from the swampy, marshy land, where a small stone castle was built, including the princely palace and a church. Saint Stephen elevated the city to a royal seat and also granted special ecclesiastical status partly by building a huge basilica and partly by making it the coronation city. The king’s throne stood in the basilica, where the coronation jewels were kept, as well as the treasury, and later the country’s archive. Besides the coronations, many Árpád dynasty kings and later kings of mixed dynasties were buried in Székesfehérvár, and for example, in 1222 the Golden Bull was declared at the parliament here, and Sigismund in 1412 hosted King Władysław of Poland here.

From the 11th century, Székesfehérvár became an important stop on pilgrimages to the Holy Land, and many Crusader armies also touched the city. After the Mongol invasion, Alba Regia’s secular significance declined, but it became increasingly important as a religious center. The flourishing ended first after the death of Matthias: then the troops of Maximilian Habsburg occupied and looted the city, which in 1543 fell into Turkish hands and became the center of the Buda vilayet, named Isztolni Belgrád (a name derived from some Slavic language). Few written sources remain from the period of occupation – which lasted with a brief interruption until 1686 – so little is known about the city’s Turkish life. At the beginning of the 18th century, Székesfehérvár showed the image of a neglected, ruined city but soon the reconstruction started, thanks to which the current cityscape matured, at least as far as the city center is concerned.

Every street and square in the city center holds some sight or curiosity, among which a few are considered must-see points for visitors to Székesfehérvár. It’s worth starting exploring the small streets in the heart of the city, at the ruins of the former coronation church (the basilica burned down during the city siege in 1601, along with most of the castle, when gunpowder stored in one of its towers exploded). Although the church may have once been one of medieval Europe’s largest basilicas, today the name Romkert (ruin garden) is fully justified, as only ruins can be seen on the Coronation Square, which nonetheless hint at its former grandeur. Next door is the late 18th-century Rococo-style bishop’s palace, whose greatest treasure is the library with more than 40,000 volumes. On the other side of Városház Square – unsurprisingly – stands the town hall, which, according to an old mention, was already surely used for that purpose in 1689, and where a genuine copy of the Holy Crown can also be viewed. At the next corner stands the Hiemer House, and on the other side of the street is the Franciscan church – you can easily spend one or two hours on the city’s main square before setting off to explore the streets reflecting the medieval city structure.

The small city tour’s stops can include the Black Eagle Pharmacy Museum (whose several hundred-year-old carved furniture certainly deserves mention), the Cistercian church, or the wonderful Art Nouveau Árpád bath. The Clock Play resonates at 10 o’clock and every second hour thereafter, featuring figures depicting royal figures from Hungarian history tied to various legends, including Saint Stephen, Saint Ladislaus, Saint Elisabeth, and Saint Margaret, as well as Matthias Corvinus and Queen Beatrix. Equally charming and fresh in the city is the statue of Aunt Kati, the courtyard woman, in Liszt Ferenc Street. The former characteristic figure of the Fehérvár market stretched out her goods (milk, sour cream, duck and goose courtyards, i.e., poultry cut into four parts and fried in their own fat) at the marketplace even at the age of 93. The city tour ends at the Saint Anne Chapel, the city’s only completely intact medieval building. The Gothic building was probably built around 1470 and was used as a mosque during the Turkish occupation.

For practical reasons, the tour ends at the railway station, where those who wish can easily return to the starting point by train. Riding through the Vasútvidék district from the city center, you will come across the Prohászka Ottokár memorial church, a monumental round church and one of Székesfehérvár’s symbols outside the city center. The building’s designer stated about his work (with all modesty set aside): “Although several notable architects competed, none approached the perfection of my floor plan. A perfect round church with four transepts. Its main attraction is its 30-meter internal diameter dome, which alone is unique.” The railway station itself is also a historic building, a prominent representative of socialist realism. It is worth looking around the waiting room, where huge frescoes can be seen over the ticket counters on both sides of the entrance.