"Chapel" circular route

Itinerary

• From Nagyberki railway stop, we start southeast on the P+ sign towards Kisberki.
• After leaving Saint Anthony Chapel – at the southern end of the Szalacska vineyard hill – we change signs and head west on the P trail.
• In the Sárkány-tó valley, the Z sign joins us again, which takes us together to Saint John Chapel.
• After the chapel, we follow only the P sign descending to Mosdós and then to Nagyberki on foot.

Detailed description of the hike

Near Nagyberki

We start our circular route from Nagyberki Church on the P+ sign southeast. First, we cross the railway tracks, then shortly cross the Kapos River bridge on a bike path running parallel to the asphalt road, arriving in Kisberki. We walk past the bell tower, then leaving the settlement behind, after 300 meters we turn right, heading south off the main road.

After the cemetery, we cover the next two kilometers on alternating asphalt and gravel roads. On this section, pay attention to always follow the signs pointing toward Szalacska! We climb amidst vineyards and meadows in ravines, and at the end of a very steep ascent, we reach Saint Anthony Chapel where we can catch our breath.

"An old small chapel stands at the highest point of the Szalacska Vineyard. Behind it, there used to be a press house from 1769, decorated with beautiful carvings and built from huge oak beams. The area was previously the property of Count Nicky. One of the beams of the press house was carved with the initials N.K. and the year 1769. The press house has been dismantled, and its pieces are set up in the village museum in Szenna. The chapel is assumed to have been built in 1773 and remained closed for an indeterminate period; due to immoral acts, it was not used as a place of worship but only as a stable or barn. In the early 1900s, the chapel was owned by Count Ferenc Vigyázó, who bequeathed it along with all movable and immovable properties to the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. On May 14, 1929, the Academy accepted the maintenance of the chapel and declared that it would not be used for any other purposes. On June 13, 1930, during the feast of the patron saint – Saint Anthony of Padua – a mass was committed to be paid for, and transport was to be provided. The chapel was entirely restored and renovated inside and out at that time. It was re-consecrated..." - states the information board.

In the land of slopes

Our trail continues through a beautiful vineyard environment, from which adventurous travelers can also detour on the P● trail down to the Várkút spring flowing in the valley. Returning from the spring nestled deep in the wild Szalacska Forest, we pass a roadside cross, and then slowly leave behind the press houses. After a barrier, we walk 100 meters on a gravel road and then turn right, heading west onto the P and Z trails. We go down steep winding ravines in a beautiful forest and then arrive at a fork where we turn left on the P trail – we find the signs on a very old linden tree. The Z sign leads down to the valley, where we will meet it again.

Here begins one of the most beautiful and wildest sections of our circular route. On the scenic cart road of the Sárkánytó Forest, we gently descend, pass a high stand, and after 800 meters suddenly turn right, heading north where the signs lead us onto a narrower trail. Be careful, the path almost disappears and is hard to follow; here the well-painted signs help. At the valley bottom, we turn left and cross the rickety wooden bridge of the Tüskés creek under adventurous conditions. We continue right in a pine forest, cross another wooden bridge, then keeping right at an empty farm building, we proceed along the Sárkánytó Valley.

Soon, we meet the Z sign again, with which we proceed together to Vigadó Hill. Along the cart road in the valley, we glimpse Celtic tumuli, and after leaving them behind, soon turn left to climb the hillside. On this section, pay attention because our signs continuously change direction, winding up to the lookout on Vigadó Hill, where a board reads:

"Son and daughter of our homeland, and you too, esteemed visitor, whom good fortune has brought here – before you taste the wine of our old vineyard – go up to this lookout! From here you can see a beautiful part of our beloved narrower homeland, this dear Somogy-Kapos-Tolna region – along with our precious village." Mosdós, Vigadó Hill, 1991. And indeed: the rolling landscape of Somogy, a mosaic of forests and cultivated fields, and a basin region with tiny villages spread around.

In the land of Székelys

After accepting the kind invitation and enjoying the view, let's rest at the nearby Székely gate where benches and memorial plaques can be found. (A significant number of Bukovina Székelys were resettled to the Transdanubian region during the German expulsion. The newcomers received their farms and lands.) Four hundred meters from the lookout stands Saint John Chapel, where descending also a pleasant resting place is found. With a short detour from the chapel, we can discover the brick-built Méhész spring.

At the chapel, we leave the Z sign heading to Göd, and descend on a concrete-paved road from the vineyard. We pass farm buildings and then cross the Kapos River on the main road, followed by crossing the railway tracks. Upon entering Mosdós houses, we turn right and walk nearly two kilometers on the main road, arriving at Nagyberki Church and the nearby railway stop.