Church ruins and panoramas around Dörgicse

 Itinerary

• We start north from the bus stop along Zsédenyi street on the PL trail.
• After the Saint Imre Church, we turn right following the PL trail and continue to the Saint Balázs church ruins.
• We turn back from the ruins and at the intersection turn left onto the Z+ trail.
• We reach a wide country road which we cross, and keeping our direction between two electric fences on the pasture, we proceed on an unmarked path to the Herend church ruins and the Herend Well.
• We continue on the K trail.
• After the cellars, we reach a small parking area and follow the KT signs to start the ascent to Halom Hill to the Kossuth Lookout Tower.
• After leaving the lookout, near the southeast corner of the meadow, we start descending the hill on the P▲ trail.
• At the corner of Vulkán street, we reach the P trail, turning right on it.
• After the grassy parking, we turn left onto the S+ trail. We take a detour on an unmarked path to the Saint Nicholas church ruins in Kisdörgicse.
• Crossing the asphalt road, we follow the S trail (right).
• After leaving the forest, we reach a wide gravel road. We cross the stream on the right, then on the P trail, we make a round trip detour to the Saint Peter church ruins in Felsődörgicse.
• We return from the ruins on the P trail. At the boundary of the inhabited area, we find the Boldogasszony church ruins in Alsódörgicse.
• Our trail guides us back to the settlement, where turning left at the end of Bere street we reach the bus stop again.

 Detailed tour description

Starting from Dörgicse

From the bus stop, we head north on Zsédenyi street following the green marked ᵯ Mária Route. At the far end of the street, where we join the PL trail, the late Baroque style Saint Imre Catholic Church built in 1820 stands tall. We continue left on the PL trail, but before that it is worth walking north along the village main street on the ᵯ trail for a few houses. This short detour bypasses the former Piarist granary, now operating as a restaurant called Granarius courtyard, and then leads to the Alsódörgicse Evangelical Church built in the late Baroque style in 1794. Above its entrance, a stone plaque commemorates the former pastor István Zsédenyi’s captivity between 1674 and 1677 and his successful return after imprisonment. Returning to the PL trail, we walk between old houses on Saint Balázs street to reach a gravel road amidst meadows, continuing towards Balázs-tető.

Forest walk to Saint Balázs Church

From the country road heading north, vineyards are on one side, the cellars of Saint György Hill of Dörgicse, while southwards, the waters of Lake Balaton and the hills around Lelle and Földvár appear; behind us, the church towers of Dörgicse peek through the trees. After crossing another path, we enter the forest and at the end of a straight stretch turn right to start a climb in an oak-hornbeam mixed forest with flowering ash trees. We walk among limestone blocks from the Tagyon limestone formation which builds the southern part of the hill. About 1 km later, we pass Balázs-tető. A bit further on, from a high watchtower on the right side of the road, there is a view towards Lake Füzesi, whose maximum water level is regulated by an 8 m diameter funnel-shaped sinkhole at the southern edge. This interesting hydrological phenomenon is due to the lake bed being lined with a clay layer while its surroundings consist of well-karstified limestone. The late stage of filling forms a marshy lake bordered with willows, in keeping with its name. A few meters from the water, we reach a crossroads where we continue straight with a short detour to the Saint Balázs church ruins, crossing into the Nivegy Valley.

Saint Balázs Church Ruins

According to tradition, Buda the Warrior (from Óbudavár), who settled here during the conquest, had three sons: István, Jakab, and Antal. When grown, they went with their father to the top of Halom Hill, from where each had to shoot an arrow. They established their homesteads where their arrows landed. Thus, István — Csicsa — founded Balatoncsicsó, Jakab founded Szentjakabfa, and Antal founded Szentantalfa. The latter's medieval name was also Nivegy, and the owners were single-plot nobles, royal wolf hunters, later becoming part of the Bishopric of Veszprém and then the Esterházy trust. Szentbalázsfalu was first mentioned in a 1339 tithe register, which also states that the priest was called Jakab and the chaplain János. The village became deserted during the Turkish era and was never resettled, similarly to the nearby Nivegy-valley’s Ároktő, Szentbereckfalu, and the royal greyhound breeders' settlement, Herend. 18th-century documents refer to it as Csicsó wasteland, whose nobles redeemed their lands from the Veszprém bishopric in exchange for wine tithe and wine transport duties. The ruins are still owned by the municipality.

The church was likely built in the 12th-13th centuries, though a wooden church probably stood there before. The small Romanesque nave, today the sanctuary, had a Gothic tower and a nave built onto it in the second quarter of the 13th century. Then a rock-cut crypt in the east part of the nave was created, which later collapsed. In front of the tower is a three-arched, barrel-vaulted patron's gallery, while a beautiful 15th-century pointed arch door with moulding hides among fig bushes.

An interesting piece of its history is that Jörg Lanz von Liebenfels, also known as György Lanz of Balatoncsicsó, an Austrian occultist philosopher and alleged swindler with bizarre German National Socialist theories banned by Hitler after the Anschluss, purchased the ruin in 1926 for 12,500,000 Hungarian crowns along with a 300 square fathom land plot. He made the tower and part of the larger nave habitable and used it until 1945. Meanwhile, he founded "branch organizations" of the new Templar order he established in 1907 in Balaton-felvidék in 1925 and in Szentendré in 1937. The ruins were partially restored in 2001-2002, removing 20th-century alterations during restoration.

Every February, an outdoor mass is held at the church in honor of Bishop Balázs. According to the legend of Saint Balázs, one day a desperate mother ran to him because her son had a fishbone stuck in his throat. He removed the bone, saving his life, and blessed the child. Because of this miracle, he is venerated as a saint protecting against throat ailments. During the mass, participants receive Saint Balázs' blessing protecting against throat illnesses.

Across to the medieval village church ruins of Herend

We return from the ruins and at the intersection turn left onto the Z+ trail. We begin a slow descent in the Herend forest. We cross a wide country road and continue on an unmarked path between two electric fences enclosing a pasture. At the far end of the meadows on the right, hidden behind a group of trees, are the ruins of the former village church of Herend. It was built before the 14th century, as the former steward donated the village with its church along with Tagyon and Nagyszentjakab to Bishop Benedek, the grandson of King IV. Béla (V. Béla in Hungarian ruling name). Later, King Charles Robert reclaimed it as royal property and then Bishop István received it. Its exact original size is unknown but likely was a small building of about 10-20 square meters. The village was depopulated after a 1548 Turkish raid and was never resettled. Since then, the church has been a deserted church.

Halom Hill and the Kossuth Lookout Tower

About 50 m across the road is a small marshy spot fed by the free-flowing Herend Well. Continuing north, we join the K trail where concrete rings sink into the ground, collecting spring water at the bottom. After a short forest stretch, we arrive at another meadow with a beautiful view over the northern part of Nivegy Valley: Balatoncsicsó, Szentjakabfa, and the Kossuth Lookout Tower towering on Halom Hill. Turning right at the boundary of grassland and forest, we bypass Lencse Hill. After a fallen hunting stand, we continue on a gravel road and shortly before a bend, our trail turns left. We reach another road through a oak-hornbeam forest, turning right. Passing a neat cellar, we arrive at the upper cellar row of Saint György Hill, offering a lovely view of Lake Balaton. Returning to the forest and turning left at the end of the S curve, we walk partly parallel to the asphalt road, then cross it and follow the trail north along the skirt of Halom Hill. Passing the cellars, we reach a small parking lot and follow the KT trail to start the ascent to Halom Hill, the only larger basalt hill covered mainly by Triassic limestone and loess in the area. It is the highest elevation (399m) of the vicinity, administratively part of Mencshely. Bypassing the nature trail's welcome sign on the right, we reach the top with a short sometimes steep walk, passing the smaller quarry. The hill was built up by several eruptive phases. The peak was formed by the last, producing red scoria basalt into which a dark basalt-filled dyke intruded.

The predecessor of the Kossuth Lajos Lookout, standing on the summit, was built in 1962; the current building was completed in 2015. Its name comes from the year 1849, when the children and wife of the state leader hid in Mencshely. From the panoramic tower, looking north, you can see from Somló on the eastern edge of the Marcal basin over the entire Southern Bakony through Kab Hill to the hills around Szentgál, then the Tihany Peninsula, Kő Valley, and Dörgicse follow. Below lie Zánka, the hills of Outer Somogy above the southern shore of Lake Balaton, and the twin cones of Fonyód. To the southwest are the witness hills of the Tapolca Basin, while in the background extends the Keszthely Mountains plateau, then after Sátorma and Boncsos Hill, Szentjakabfa and Óbudavár, and beyond Agártető block, again the Somló appears.

On the far side of the meadow, there is an open-air stage and an old cellar carved into the ground. At the southeast corner of the meadow, we start descending the hill on the P▲ trail, but at the waterworks fence, it is worth taking a short detour to the larger mine in front of which a series of models shows the formation of the hill.

The volcano of Halom Hill began its activity about 4 million years ago. Magma rising from deep underground met with Triassic limestone rocks storing karst water and near-surface wet Pannonian sediments, accompanied by huge steam explosions. After the water supply ceased, the gas-rich melt formed a scoria cone through explosive eruptions. Then gas-free magma rose but did not reach the surface, solidifying into dark gray basalt. 3.8 million years ago, another lava outpouring occurred, which today fills a roughly 500 m long, 150 m wide valley carved into Pannonian sediments in the form of a lava tongue on the southeastern side of the hill, up to about 270 m elevation. The peak formed in the last phase, where the outflow lava created a basalt cover on the eastern side of the hill; then in the final stage, red scoria basalt developed into which a basalt dyke intruded.

We cross a lovely wooden bridge on the red rock-carved path to the far end of the mine, where snow can sometimes remain until May at the base of the back wall. The frost hollow persists because the sun never reaches here and the cold night air remains trapped in the closed pit. On the cool, shady rocks, protected fern species have settled, such as the tongue fern and black spleenwort, or the permanent hybrid of the hart's tongue and tassel fern, the segmented spleenwort. Their presence is a true rarity in the otherwise submediterranean Balaton Uplands.

Down to the Saint Michael church ruins in Kisdörgicse

We return to the waterworks. At the sign for Vulkán street, we reach the P trail, turning right on it, then after the grassy parking, we turn left onto the S+ trail. We descend in an oak forest with hornbeams. Exiting the forest at a thorny hackberry row, we reach another road at the edge of meadows, where we turn right. When the houses of Kisdörgicse appear, the trail turns right along old mulberry trees and later passes by a wild pear tree on the other side of the road, approaching Vászoly street. Before reaching it, we cross a meadow-protection forest belt to our left and it is worth seeing the long-abandoned Kisdörgicse church ruins, formerly called Kisfaluddörgicse or Szentmiklósdörgicse.

The sanctuary, built in the 12th century, belonged to the Bogány-Randvány clan from 1225. Its decay is attributed to the Turkish armies in the early 17th century. Kisdörgicse was resettled after the expulsion of the Turks. The small village church has a rectangular floor plan of about 6×10 m, a single nave with an arched sanctuary closure. Architecturally interesting is the 165 cm wide vault start at the western entrance. The ruin, now in danger of collapse, is surrounded by warning tape.

Through the Kő Valley

After crossing the asphalt road, it is worth a short detour on the left to an 18th-century baroque stone bridge made of stone with pointed arch openings, traditionally considered Roman era.

From the rest area, following the S trail through a short overgrown section, we reach the wild Kő Valley, a dry valley. Its notable feature is the approximately 10 m high cliff formed by successive layers of limestone from Füred making up Kő Hill. Within it are 10 smaller caves, the longest being the 7th cave of Kő Valley, measuring 10 m long.

Leaving the forest, after a short segment with blackthorns, we reach a wide gravel road. Crossing the Bere stream on the ᵯ trail, then continuing on the P trail westwards for 200 m, we reach the Saint Peter church ruins in Felsődörgicse.

The Saint Peter church ruins in Felsődörgicse

The oldest village church was built by the Bogát-Radvány clan on the site of a Roman-era holy place. Its first mention is from 1082 when King Saint László, at the request of the Bishop and Canons of Veszprém, had the properties of the Veszprém Saint Michael Cathedral registered. Though the document might have been forged at the end of the 13th century, the listed properties, churches, and other buildings likely existed then. The next authentic mention is in the 1211 land registry of the Tihany Abbey.

The building complex is an eastward oriented double church, with its oldest part the northeastern quarter with a western entrance mentioned in the document, likely the first Christian stone church in the area. In the 13th century, the patrons were the Tihany Abbey and the nobles of Dörgicse, among whom the Zenthpeterdergichei Zárka family was the most significant. It first expanded westwards with a new west gate, then likely after the Mongol invasion, built a new (better preserved) nave southwards. At that time, a new entrance was made on the south instead of the western one. A charnel house adjoins the church on the south side of the transept.

The unique floor plan ruin was excavated in 1959 by the National Monument Inspectorate. West of the remains is the Felsődörgicse Evangelical Church. The millennium memorial park between the two churches is dominated by a 2 m tall statue called Regős by sculptor István Nagy on a stone pedestal. The man’s stringed instrument, hairstyle, and decorative belt plate represent our kinship with the Huns and Avars. The artist lived and worked in Dörgicse for 40 years from 1977. In summer, the scent of lavender spreading from the north side arrives from the Dörgicse Lavender Farm and Lavenderium established by Dr. Ildikó Demján.

The Boldogasszony church ruins in Alsódörgicse

We return to the intersection and continue south on the P trail. We circle a lavender field and after the fields and the cemetery, re-enter the forest and with a short climb arrive at the Boldogasszony church ruins in Alsódörgicse.

First mentioned in a 1251 document of the Fehérvár chapter, which fixes its border with Mencshely. Although mentioned in a papal tithe register around 1420 as Füreddergicse, the name Boldogasszonydergicse was common until the end of the 18th century; then until the village merge in the 1950s, it was called Alsódörgicse.

The church, dedicated to Our Lady, was built by the Fehérvár chapter in the second half of the 13th century on a hill at the base of Öcs Hill. The once large structure still triumphantly towers over its surroundings. The rectangular sanctuary, single-nave, with a gallery church has a three-story tower with three Romanesque twin windows. Before its ruin, a tent roof covered the top with two large crosses. Not far from it was the southern entrance. At the turn of the 14th-15th centuries, a second construction period strengthened the church with buttresses, and the sacristy adjoining the sanctuary’s north wall was built. The church was surrounded by a roughly 60 cm thick enclosing wall, and a charnel house was also established. In the third period, around the 1500-1600s, the Evangelicals who acquired the church made some alterations: they walled up the sanctuary and the door leading from the sacristy to the sanctuary, built an oratory, and added pews and a communion table to the north walls of the naves. Remig Békefi reported in the early 20th century the traces of a mural resembling a human figure on the tower’s western wall exterior. A famous priest was the galley slave István Zsédenyi, who was taken away in 1674 but returned to Dörgicse in 1677. His memorial plaque is on the wall of the Alsódörgicse Evangelical Church.

The first static reinforcement became necessary in 1938. An authentication excavation due to the poor condition of the walls was carried out in 1967-68 by the National Monument Inspectorate and the Veszprém Bakony Museum. Its acoustics are still excellent, and several musical performances have been held there. We found places for grilling around the surrounding meadow.

Northwest from the ruins is a small, one-room stone structure dug into the ground, possibly one of the first stone houses in Dörgicse. Three steps led down to its terrazzo-like poured floor. Its decay likely happened before the 1380s and it may have been the dwelling house of the village priest. Based on decorated ceramics found by archaeologists, the relatively wealthy parson's house was a nine-room complex built in at least two periods, adjoining the south side of the enclosure wall in an L shape. The larger room was a living kitchen. A two-room house was later built perpendicular to it, with the larger room likely a kitchen and a stove made from stove bricks in the smaller room. A small series of connecting rooms may have served economic purposes. This complex’s heyday is dated to the 15th and early 16th centuries. The buildings probably burned down in the 16th century; later a cemetery was established on their site.

Following the P trail from the meadow northwesterly along Gernye street, then turning left at the end of Bere street, we reach the bus turnaround, the end point of our tour.