From Bánya to Feneketlen-kút

Itinerary

• We start our circular route from the Panoráma Pension along the S trail.
• Through the Óteleki Forest, we arrive at the ridge of Nozsi Hill, where we turn right onto the Z trail.
• After Feneketlen-kút, emerging from the forest, we leave the Z trail heading left and continue right, northwest, on an unmarked forestry road.
• At the Gólya-völgyi lakes, we rejoin the familiar S trail, on which we walk back to Bánya and the Panoráma Pension.

Detailed description of the route

You can start the circular route from the village center or from the parking lot of the Panoráma Pension located on the hillside above the picturesque lakes. The latter is more ideal as it already lies along the S trail, so following it, we head towards the valley where we make a large loop around the Gólya-völgyi lakes. Leaving behind the picturesque panorama of the fishponds dammed on the Bárdi creek, we turn right onto the forestry road. We walk a little over one kilometer on asphalt, then leave the asphalt by turning left onto the first dirt road after the sign pointing to the Görgényi hunting lodge.

Here, for a 50-meter section, the signs "lead us into the thicket" before reaching a wider dirt road where we turn right to continue. We climb nearly 100 meters in altitude over about one kilometer in the stunning Óteleki Forest. Upon reaching the top - Túlsó-bükk - we turn left, then after a few hundred meters, the trail leads us right into a deep valley beside a forest clearing. Leaving the clearing to the right, we arrive at a wild forest section where a barely trodden path takes us across a wooden bridge over a creek flowing through the valley, then reaching a wider trail, we turn left to continue.

From the atmospheric valley, we ascend a steep slope to the top, where we continue along the right side of the fence. There is hardly any sign here; we only find the trail later by walking alongside the fence. Along a wide dirt road, forest edges, and cultivated fields, we reach the hayfield where a beautiful panorama opens before us. In the distance - to the southwest - the outlines of the Vótapuszta radio tower can be seen. The hiking trail first guides us left, then soon right. We arrive at Nozsi Hill through a very beautiful forest, where the S trail ends and is replaced by the K and Z trails. We follow our signs on the dirt road leading right, south. Our path leads among fields, groves, and smaller forest stripes across the Zselic hills. Watch the signs and map carefully because shortly, we turn right onto a smaller dirt road, which after 500 meters brings us to the edge of the Dennai Forest. Here, we turn left into the thicket, where the most beautiful and atmospheric two kilometers of our hike await us.

Descending on the winding forest road, we soon reach one of the region’s gems, the Mátyás-kút. At the well famous for its legend, a nicely built rest area awaits. It is said that King Matthias himself once rested here. After eight kilometers of walking, let us also take a deserved longer break.

After the death of King Matthias’s first wife - Catherine of Poděbrady - in September 1474, he became engaged to Beatrix of Aragon, daughter of the King of Naples. Diplomats negotiated the marriage, and Matthias did not see the bride either at their engagement or at their wedding. According to the accepted custom at the time, a messenger led Beatrix to the altar in Naples in the king’s place. Legend says that the banner of those going to Beatrix stopped at this place in Zselic, and later King Matthias himself also liked to hunt in the area. This is why the well is called Mátyás-kút in memory of him.

Walking in the wild Dennai Forest alongside the babbling creek, we can discover many types of mushrooms and protected plants; in April-May, the surrounding forests are covered like a carpet by wild garlic. Moving on a few hundred meters, we can make a small detour on the Z● trail to the Feneketlen-kút, one of the forgotten but very exciting and legend-rich places in Zselic.

According to legend, the Dennai Forest, where the Feneketlen Lake is located, once belonged to the Esterházy estate and was used as agricultural land. The lake served as a watering place for animals. At that time, agricultural work was done by hand and harvested products transported by ox-drawn cart. Legend says that a whole cart with oxen sank into the lake, which is why the Feneketlen Lake got its name. The lake was cleaned and developed in the late 1950s when a grey cattle horn was found inside, which seems to support the old tale.

Returning to our trail, we come out to the forestry road where we leave the Z trail and turn right onto the forestry road. Enjoying the beauty of the unmarked roadside forests, meadows, and fields, after nearly two kilometers, we reach the already familiar S trail, which takes us up to the Panoráma Pension or back to the resort village center.