From Vár-völgy to Mecseknádasd

Itinerary

• From the entrance of Vár-völgy to Mecseknádasd, we follow the P marking of the South Transdanubian Red Trail all along.

Detailed description of the route

Starting eastwards on the forestry road, we pass by the beach and camping site, then the car park, a beautiful meadow, and after leaving the hunting lodge, we turn right into the forest. After a few steps, we reach the Textiles Spring, which supplies water to the cold-water Magyaregregy beach operating in summer. Crossing the creek on a small bridge, we steeply begin to climb the hillside. We pass by a camp building that has seen better days, then after a hundred meters, we turn left onto a narrow path. Walking along one of the most beautiful sections of our route while skirting increasingly deep, wild ravine valleys under us. Shortly after, our path is crossed by the S+ marking, which leads from Vár-völgy towards Hidasi Valley. We emerge from the path at a small resting place where we can already see the pentagonal walls of Máré Castle. The former knight's castle is the only castle preserved in a forested environment in the Mecsek, offering a beautiful view.

Right of the structure in need of better fate, we enter the dense forest, where our narrow path continues to wind along the hillside. In the wild beech forest, we go past the trickling Gergely-Éva Spring, then on the long winding path, we crawl and climb over or under several fallen tree trunks. We steeply reach a small creek of a side valley; after crossing it on a bridge, we arrive at the forest clearing resting place next to Iharos Well. From the spring, we walk on the asphalt following our marking, where the Z+ marking first crosses our path, then on the opposite side of the creek to the right, we spot the renovated Mária Well spring, which we reach via a small bridge.

In the valley wedged between the mountains, we walk past the presentation boards of the Vár-völgy geological nature trail. In some places, we can admire very spectacular rock formations and small waterfalls of the creek. At the large bend in the forestry road, we continue straight on our marking, and after a few minutes, we arrive at the charming Delelő Meadow. At the built-up Pásztor Spring, there is a shelter and benches welcoming the tired hiker. Nearby flows the Boszorkány Spring as well. It is worth following the creek and admiring the tufa dams of the small waterfalls formed on the hillside. Continuing further, we climb up the summit on a very steep, water-eroded road, where many hiking trails branch off. We keep following our marking straight on the wide forest road, which leads us along the ridge on the border of Baranya and Tolna counties. On the side of Csalán Hill – a few steps from the hiking trail – we find the well-preserved remains of a Turkish lime kiln.

At Harács Meadow, we meet the Z+, then after one kilometer, the K◼ marking, both leading from Farkas-ditch to Óbánya. For a section, the P+ marking joining our route from Nagymányok towards Réka Valley. Then emerging from the magically beautiful forest, our walk leads past scenic meadows and fields. On this section, several times there are beautiful views of the Óbánya Valley and the distant mountain ranges. Descending along the ridge road, we soon see the tower of the Árpád-era church in Mecseknádasd. From here, descending slowly in a steep gully, we reach the valley. Walking along the cellars of the Mecseknádasd vineyard hill, among neat Swabian village houses with arcaded farmhouses, after nearly 2 kilometers, we arrive at the main road 6, where we can catch a bus towards Pécs or Bonyhád.

For adventurers, the route does not end here. It is worth continuing to follow the P marking and climbing up to Várhegy (Schlossberg) to the remains of the 14th-century gothic church. The church, majestic even in ruins, stands in a beautiful natural environment and withstands the storms of time. From the nearby lookout tower on the hilltop, there is a good view of the East Mecsek mountain range and Mecseknádasd lying in the valley.