Forests, vineyards, views around the Máriagyűd pilgrimage site (PICK Burgundy circular tour)

• From the Siklós (Máriagyűd), social home bus stop, we start on the P trail heading towards the hill.
• At the foot of the stairs leading to the pilgrimage church, turn left onto the S trail and follow it up to the Tenkes ridge.
• Here, turn right on the K trail and continue along the Tenkes ridge for a long stretch.
• Emerging from the forest into the vineyards, at the top of the Makár-dűlő, turn right on the S trail.
• Reaching the foot of the Máriagyűd basilica, ascend to the open-air altar, and following the Calvary or the paved promenade, arrive at the forest statue of the Sorrowful Virgin Mary.
• Continuing along the promenade, passing the terrace in front of the pilgrimage church, descend the stairs, then along Vujisics Tihamér Street, turning right at the social home to reach the starting point, the bus stop.

Detailed description of the hike

Climbing to the Tenkes ridge

We start our hike in the center of Máriagyűd, just a stone's throw from the famous Sarlós Boldogasszony Basilica and pilgrimage site. To avoid worrying about completing the hike, it is advisable to visit the basilica at the end. First, we walk up on the P trail, then at the foot of the stairs near the crucifixion, turn left onto the S trail, during which we can recall the history of the picturesque village spread at the foot of the Tenkes. In Roman times, the road connecting Pécs and Eszék (more precisely their Roman predecessors, Sopianae and Mursa) ran this way. According to tradition, alongside the Vókány branch, a Virgin Mary statue carved from wood was later erected to watch over travelers. Also, according to tradition, around the time of the Hungarian conquest, Etu (Etel), son of the chieftain, chose this spring area as lodging, from which the village name Gyűd derives; the Mary prefix was added only in 1934. Another theory derives the name from the duchess Gyeücsa (Géza), as it is alleged that the first chapel was built by Géza II during the march of King Louis VII of France's army through Hungary en route to the Holy Land. Regardless of the truth, Máriagyűd was an independent administrative unit until 1977 and has since officially been part of Siklós.

Following the S path, we pass a pilgrim stop (rain shelter), then by the rarely used Reformed church, turning north and climbing a loess path behind the houses. Our route coincides here with the Csodabogyó educational trail. Established in 1998, originally only as far as the Pyber hut, it was expanded to a 6.5 km loop in 2021, along which panels introduce the Tenkes wildlife, especially the tree species. Mainly shade-providing, low flowering ashes and downy oaks grow here on the southern slope, mixed with rock grasslands and slope steppes, while the trail winds upward.

Loess covers the mountain base, but on steeper parts of the Tenkes, limestone prevalent in the Villány Mountains surfaces. We soon see an amphitheater-like area approaching the trail's observation tower built in 2003. Although the wood structure's covered terrace doesn't offer a panoramic view, the scenery below is magnificent. To the east rises the nearly symmetrical cone of Szársomlyó, with the elegant towers of the Máriagyűd pilgrimage church before it. We also see the Drava plain and among the trees the houses of Siklós and its imposing castle on a limestone ridge separated yet structurally part of the Villány Mountains.

In the footsteps of the Captain of Tenkes

From the lookout, one wouldn't guess that just a few tens of meters away, at the end of a loess ravine, is a natural cave in the hillside. The approximately 45 m long and 20 m deep Gyűdi cave consists of several chambers with stalactite remnants and dripstone crusts, though many formations were removed in 1872 for ornamental and commemorative stone use. Several fissure caves exist in the Villány Mountains formed by rock layer shifts, but the Gyűdi cave is among the rarer thermal water-origin caves, where deep thermal waters dissolved the rock.

The story goes that during the Rákóczi War of Independence, the hero Eke Máté, the Captain of Tenkes from the popular TV series acted by Ferenc Zenthe, hid in one of the Tenkes caves from the Habsburg troops. The Hungarian Television's first 13-episode 1963 series was set in this region; Eke Máté repeatedly troubled Colonel Eberstein here with his companions Buga Jakab and Siklósi bá'. However, outdoor scenes were actually filmed near Budapest to save costs, with the crew spending only one month in Siklós to film scenes set at the castle.

Leaving the lookout, we ascend a slightly steeper path to the Pyber hut beneath the summit, originally a forest guard cabin preserving the memory of forest ranger Pyber Iván (father of current district head). Though not open to tourists, the fairy-tale cabin serves as a 'forest office' and rain shelter with fire pit, tables, benches, and a separate toilet. This is an ideal spot for a sandwich if hungry.

In the forest of the Tenkes ridge

Turn right on the K trail and climb a short steep rise to the east-west ridge of the mountain. The trail first follows a forest road, then a narrow path through dense, natural karst scrub forest on Natura 2000 territory. Dominant trees include kermes oak, downy oak, and flowering ash, among which Máriagyűd monks planted black pines in the early 20th century. These were relatively healthy until the early 2010s but have since visibly declined due to climate change. The Tenkes forests are rather young, mostly planted in the early 20th century since previously the slopes served mainly for pasture for millennia, as reflected in names like Felső-legelő.

Here on the ridge, the educational trail's namesake, the prickly Christ's Thorn, appears: a sub-Mediterranean shrub whose striking feature is that red berries appear to grow directly on its leaves, which are actually modified stems. It blooms with whitish-green flowers in April-May, creating a rare and beautiful sight, hence the name.

At a rain shelter, we reach another rest area with benches, tables, fireplace, and covered shelter, another excellent sandwich spot. Continuing on the K trail through similar forest ambiance, then where the trail branches left along a clearing onto the northern side of Tenkes toward Tenkeshát, switch to the S trail leading shortly to the Makár-dűlő vineyard tops near the stone cross on Csukma Hill.

Home of Villány white wine

Exiting the forest into open terrain, vast vineyards stretch south toward Siklós sprawling on the Drava plain and east toward Szársomlyó cone and the modest, floristically protected Black Hill. Among the vines, Beremendi Cement Factory's massive building is visible, and on clear days even the distant Papuk Mountains in Croatia can be seen.

The orderly, sunlit vineyard rows indicate professional cultivation, no accident as while the namesake settlement lies beyond Szársomlyó, this area is still part of the Villány wine region. Whereas Villány is mostly associated with red wines, here white varieties dominate, favored by thicker, less rocky soil. Traditionally, varieties like Furmint and Hárslevelű grew here, but nowadays Olaszrizling, Sauvignon Blanc, and more recently Bánáti Rizling and Zenit gained prominence. Near Máriagyűd, small parcel, backyard-style viticulture and winemaking still prevail, a tradition among villagers; however, in distant vineyards, larger scale production is rising.

The S trail descends through acacia along vineyards from Csukma Hill and soon leads to the splendid Akasztó viewpoint. From this high, botanically rich limestone slope above Akasztófa-dűlő, Siklós towers and castle as well as Máriagyűd village, vineyards, and basilica appear even closer from the west.

Looking back, a landscape wound in Csukma Hill's slope catches our eye: the now closed Rózsa quarry, where pinkish, ammonite-rich marble limestone was mined for long. Stones from here adorned places like Pécs Theatre Square and even the Parliament building. Historically, at least six limestone quarries operated in Tenkes, some extracting greenish or yellowish limestone.

Back to the basilica

The S trail leads down from Akasztó to Csukma-dűlő vineyards, soon touching the dilapidated cellar row of Szabolcsi-ditch. Like the Nagy-ditch behind the Reformed church on the far side of Máriagyűd, these cellars see little use nowadays. Built mainly for defense in Kuruc times, they were constructed along the deep ditch system.

Passing a loess ravine, we reach a peaceful rest spot under the shade of the Holy Well grove. In the 17th century, the water here was considered therapeutic and originally sprang from rock, later a well was dug with a small wooden hut over it. The springs played a significant role in Máriagyűd's history, so much that the settlement was once called Forrásközi Boldogasszony. The neat surroundings also make a great sandwich spot.

From here, just a few hundred meters along the Macskalyuk vineyards brings us to the village's pride, the Sarlós Boldogasszony basilica. The 37 m long, 22 m high, and 14 m wide church seats over 800 and in its current form was built in 1739 for pilgrims arriving due to the apparitions, by demolishing the western section of a previous single-nave building and widening the nave. In 2008, it was granted the rank of basilica minor by Pope Benedict XVI. Previously, during the Turkish era, it served as a mosque and was at times used by Reformed and Greek rite Serbs. Its gem, visible on the main altar, is the statue of the infant Jesus and Virgin Mary wearing a silver mantle, crafted in the early 18th century; the original with a dramatic history is preserved in the Franciscan church in Osijek.

A short stroll remains behind the basilica along a circular promenade shaped like a rosary under the shade of horse chestnut trees planted in the 1930s. We can bypass the Catholic cemetery via the steep Calvary path built in 1751 with Zsolnay ceramic stations since 1949 or take the gentler paved path. Both lead past the shingled St. Mary chapel, hidden in a remote hillside corner, up to the Sorrowful Mother statue made in 1860 — a pietà standing before a half-circular stone wall extended in 1937 in the shade of a giant linden tree, inviting contemplation. From here, the promenade descends behind the Franciscan monastery toward the church and the bastion-like terrace offering views over the Drava plain.

Be sure to visit the basilica, and if you have time, enjoy coffee at the visitor center's café, Bistro. For relaxation, taste local wines at the Gergen Estate wine bar opposite the stairs leading to the church, where along with this hill's nectar, homemade fruit juices, cheeses, and jams are also sold.