Family circle around Kisújbánya and Pusztabánya

Itinerary

• Start from the parking lot on the trail marked K heading west (out of the village).
• At the intersection, turn right onto the S marked hiking trail, which we follow until the next junction.
• At the lookout, at the end of the climb before the summit, turn left onto an unmarked walkway to reach it.
• Descend on the unmarked path behind the lookout down to the forestry road.
• At the intersection, turn left onto the trail marked K+, which we follow to the nearby junction.
• Follow the K marking on the asphalt road (right) until the next highway.
• From the highway, then left downhill, follow the Z marking to Pusztabánya.
• Enter Pusztabánya on the Glassmakers' Road marked ZT.
• Turn back and follow the ZT (Glassmakers' Road) marking all the way to Kisújbánya.
• In Kisújbánya, turn left onto the K marking to return to the parking lot.

Detailed description of the tour

The panorama of Cigány-hegy

Our journey begins from the parking lot before Kisújbánya, accessible by forest road from Zobákpuszta by car. First, we head towards the 524 m high Cigány-hegy following the K marking, then turn right onto the S marking. After a short climb, we soon arrive near the summit, which can be reached via an unmarked walkway branching left. At the top, an exciting lookout awaits: the stone structure built in 1980 was supplemented with a wooden-clad metal framework in 2007 to enjoy the panorama from a higher vantage point. The lookout is regularly and well maintained; the lower level is protected, providing shelter from rain (or for overnight stays) without risk of getting wet.

The view is dominated to the north and east by the Dobogó and Szószék blocks; looking west we can follow the ever-lowering peaks surrounding the Castle Valley until they run out: in this direction, the panorama extends over the Mecsek. Turning southwest, the view extends to Misiná and Jakab-hegy; the southern panorama is dominated by the much closer Hármas-hegy and Zengő.

When finished at the lookout, follow a short unmarked path behind it, and after a brief descent, join the K+ marked dirt road. Turn left here to reach the Kisújbánya access road after a few hundred meters. Turn right on the paved road and continue following the K marking, which then leaves the forestry road on a steep hillside.

Spring fields deep in the Mecsek

The South Transdanubian Blue Trail descends steeply on the hillside, passing many springs and spring fields. Some can be discovered with minimal detour by following the K● markings. As the marked spring is not always easy to find, this can be an exciting exploration with children! To reach the Szürke spring, you need to enter the thicket, but some are right beside the path.

Pusztabánya

At the end of the 17th century, after the Turkish invasion, glassmaking appeared as a novelty in the Mecsek forest. Nearly all essential raw materials were readily available in the mountains: lime, potash made from beech bark, and the excellent burning beechwood (quartz sand had to be brought in from Zselic). We reach Pusztabánya, the former center of Mecsek glass industry, on the Z marking after leaving the K marking on the highway.

Glassmaking became a flourishing industry in all major forest areas of our country after the expulsion of the Turks. Several glass furnaces operated in the Mecsek, including the one in Pusztabánya from 1784 to 1805. In Hungary and thus also in the Mecsek glass workshops, the northern type of glass production was typical, with expertise brought by German-speaking Bavarian and Moravian masters. This method used clearer, whiter glasses compared to others but required higher temperatures of 1200-1400 degrees Celsius for shaping. The process demanded lots of water, so furnaces were built along water-rich forest streams; heating the furnaces and finishing the glasswork required an unimaginable amount of wood, mainly beech. When the forest around a furnace was depleted after a few decades, it was relocated. This also happened in East Mecsek, where the last operating area of the furnaces was Pusztabánya. Its name is twofold: the mine means glass factory, and its original Hungarian name was Üvegbánya, referring to its abandonment.

Right at the northern end of the former village is the Glassmakers' Road, where we will continue our journey back to Kisújbánya, but first, let's take a small detour to Pusztabánya. It has several memorials to glassmaking: a stone obelisk with glassmakers' markings and opposite it, at the cabin renovated in 2024, a wooden pillar commemorates the glorious past. In the valley beside the road, we can see the archaeological remains of an old glass shed excavation and a newly built glass furnace. Since Pusztabánya became depopulated, residents did not take stones for building materials, so this unmatched industrial archaeological ensemble has survived. Two new furnaces were built based on the surviving ruins in 1995, and after six days of heating, glass was made again in Pusztabánya after two centuries.

Let us continue our journey on the Glassmakers' Road (marked ZT) back to Kisújbánya. To the right of the road stood the atmospheric outlaw's hut built in the mid-20th century, which was demolished in 1995. The Kárászi Forestry and volunteers built a new cabin nearby, which gained great popularity but burned down in January 2019. Interestingly, the term outlaw here referred to a job related to glassmaking: a 'ash outlaw' was responsible for tending the fire in the furnace.

We share the path with the Z marking for a few kilometers but split at Hárs-tető, turning left on the Glassmakers' Road marked ZT. After the pleasant forest, a vast meadow, the undulating pasture of Miske-tető, almost hits us in the face, where Kisújbánya residents grazed their animals after the collapse of the glass industry.

Miske-tető

This vast meadow may surprise visitors but in fact, it dominates the central region of East Mecsek pastures—especially visible from nearby Zengő (682 m). Walking across the meadow, we first see the peaks of Zengő and Hármas-hegy obscured behind bushes when looking back. After the junction of the Glassmakers' Road educational trail (ZT marking) arriving from Kisújbánya, look right into the dense wooded grove hiding the old Kisújbánya cemetery. It’s worth pushing through the vegetation to see the sometimes several centuries old graves and stone crosses. In the waist-high grass of Miske-tető, large numbers of autumn crocuses bloom from late August, worth observing due to their spectacular appearance. After the mentioned junction, turn towards Kisújbánya to reach another former center of Mecsek glassmaking.

Kisújbánya

Though glassmaking ceased in the 19th century, Kisújbánya did not get depopulated; residents moved to grazing and woodworking deep in the forest. However, the village did not survive socialism, becoming completely abandoned in the early 1970s. Later, city residents bought and renovated the adobe houses of Kisújbánya, turning the former furnace site into a desirable holiday village. Nowadays, many guesthouses are operated by foreign owners, and the traditional street image is preserved.

The small Kisújbánya has two notable buildings: the beautifully renovated community center and the St. Martin’s Church on the hill beside it, with a long flight of stairs leading up. It’s worth climbing the stairs; the church won’t disappoint and is in good condition. Down the main street of Kisújbánya, we can also see a threshing machine surrounded by information boards. At the end of our route, we only need to climb the slope back to the parking lot following the K marking.