Szekszárd big circuit

Itinerary

• We head west on the K trail through Béla király square, passing by Babits' birthplace.
• On the Z trail, we make a detour to the Remete-spring and the calvary and chapel above it.
• Returning to the K trail, we get a taste of the loess paths typical to the hills.
• An unmarked path leads from the wide gravel road to the Bati Cross viewpoint.
• We return to the K trail, then switch to the K+ trail.
• After the children's camp and playground, we enter the forest following the K trail.
• On the K▲ trail, we reach a neat rain shelter across the meadow of Fazekas valley.
• Here, following the K↺ and then the K trail, a short detour leads to the Haramia spring.
• Returning to the K▲ trail, we aim for the top of Óriás Hill.
• From here, we follow the K trail.
• Finally, on the P trail, we continue descending to Szekszárd, passing the vintner statue, the Vineyard viewpoint, and the calvary.

Szekszárd

From the start of the route, we head west on the K trail. The Garay square, formerly known as Zöldkút square, was renamed in 1881. At the place of the well at its end, the statue of Ferenc Szárnovszky was inaugurated on June 5, 1898, created by the foundry on Avenue de Chatillon in Paris. On the eastern side of the pedestal stands a female figure personifying the genius of poetry, offering a laurel wreath to the poet. On the western side, the relief of Miklós Köllő depicts a scene from "Az obsitos". The city's and the county's coat of arms were designed for the north and south sides but were ultimately decorated with titles from some of the poet's works. Perhaps sensing that many will unfortunately remember János Garay as a "one-hit wonder" poet in our age, forgetting notable works such as the prose collection "Tollrajzok", the ballad and folk saga collection "Az Árpádok", and last but not least, the poetry cycle "Balatoni kagylók".

Soon we arrive at the city's main square named after King Béla I. In 1061, the ruler founded a Benedictine abbey here, the ruins of which can be seen in the inner courtyard of the old county hall, designed by Jakab Stann and Mihály Pollack and inaugurated in 1836 in a classicist style. Around the abbey, a fortress was built after the Tatar invasion, described by the Turkish traveler Evliya Çelebi as a stone building with eight towers, quadrangular in shape, surrounded by a low moat. The building houses the Tolna County Archives, some offices of the Mayor's Office, Tolnatáj Television, and several exhibits of the Wosinsky Mór County Museum, such as the Franz Liszt memorial exhibition. In its outer courtyard stands the 1994 Borkút, created by László Szatmári Juhos and Péter Baky. This naughty creation depicts Dionysus's wedding with a lady on a wine barrel, while the deity offers her wine from a horn. Nearby is the bust of István Bezerédj, the first landlord in our country who signed a hereditary contract with his serfs after 1836. The statue is notable for having been temporarily made of aluminum in 1942 due to lack of funds and was placed in front of the county hall entrance until 1970. In the southeast corner of the courtyard, a replica of the county's 18th-century stone coat of arms can be found. Its original is exhibited in the western wing of the Wosinsky Mór County Museum.

In the square stands King Béla's statue, inaugurated in 1986 and created by sculptor Márta Lesenyei. The Secession-style facade of the town hall is also visible here, neighboring Central Europe's largest single-nave church, the Church of Our Ascension, also known as the Belvárosi church, which was built between 1802 and 1805, replacing its predecessor burned down in 1794. In 1925, it was again devastated by fire when the roof structure and tower were destroyed. The damage resulted from three children who went up to the attic during a morning mass, allegedly to roast bats or, according to others, to smoke out pigeons. The Baroque-style Holy Trinity statue was erected between 1738 and 1740 to commemorate the plague epidemic in the city and was moved to its current location in 1828. The pedestal features statues of Saint Roch, protector of plague sufferers, Saint Sebastian, helper against diseases (especially plague), and Saint Nicholas of Tolentino, protector of purifying souls. The chronostikon inscription shows the year 1740.

City walk in Babits' footsteps

From the square, the K trail passes by the statue of Saint László by Benedek Nagy, erected in 2001, and the Kelemen–Babits house, the poet's birthplace, which became a museum in 1967 with an exhibition opened by Gyula Illyés. It was converted into a memorial house in 1983. The copf-style house, built around 1780, has a courtyard with the seated statue of Mihály Babits titled "Babits Mihály Sitting" by Pál Farkas. The reformed church at Kálvin square was built in 1785, but after burning down in 1825, it received its current form in 1885.

The Remete-spring

From here, about 3 km of city walking leads to the Z trail, where we make a detour to the Remete-spring and the calvary and chapel above it.

The spring is listed on the first military survey map as Maria Brün(dl) – Mária-kutacska. For centuries, it was a famous pilgrimage site; its healing power is mentioned in church visitation records. During the Turkish era, its water was delivered through ceramic pipes (which were still operational in the early 19th century) to the well at today's Béla király square, at the edge of the then market, probably for the "small, dark bath" mentioned by Evliya Çelebi. The spring was commonly respected until recent times; no residential building could be constructed near it until the 20th century. Behind the dam-reinforced spring with an inner well, a shady staircase leads upwards toward the calvary.

The Chapel of Our Lady of the Assumption and surroundings

On the stairs, we reach an old, about 200-year-old linden tree into which someone long ago hammered two large wrought iron nails; from its base starts the 14-station calvary. At its top stand three stone crucifixes, once complemented by statues of Mary Magdalene and Saint John. Unfortunately, these were removed from the calvary group during the latest renovation; Saint John's barely visible distorted remains now lie under the bushes. From the restored calvary, we pass the outdoor altar and a large domestic serviceberry tree (over 220 cm trunk circumference, about as old as the lindens) on the way to the Chapel of Our Lady of the Assumption.

Consecrated in 1757, the chapel was built by the population of Szekszárd as a vow during the plague epidemic of 1739 in honor of the Queen of Angels. According to tradition, the site has been a shrine since the Battle of Mohács, and based on a writing of Pal Esterházy, a church stood here in the 11th century, destroyed during the Turkish era. Its revered painting is a size-matched copy of the Mariazell Mary image, which quickly became a pilgrimage site. The chapel's care was maintained by retired Franciscan priests who lived in the adjacent lodge until 1865, who gave the chapel its popular name. In earlier centuries, pilgrimages were held here not only on the feast of Our Lady of the Assumption but especially on Saint Anne's Day and the feast of the Assumption, making it an important sacred center. The chapel is part of the Hungarian Pilgrimage Way connecting domestic holy places from Esztergom to Máriagyűd.

Returning to the K trail, we soon sample the loess paths characteristic of the hill, and the pavement turns to gravel. We pass among vineyards on Kerék hill, heading toward the forested summit. Again surrounded by vineyards, we continue our journey along the wide gravel road until we reach the unmarked path leading to the Bati Cross viewpoint.

The Bati Cross and the viewpoint

The Bati Cross viewpoint, built of wooden elements and standing at 280 m above sea level, has a 15-meter-high platform. Looking east, we see the vineyards surrounding Szekszárd and the geodetic measuring tower on Cserhát hill. To the north lies Tolnai-hegyhát and South Mezőföld behind the Völgységi stream valley, with Paks and Kalocsa visible on clear days in the distance. To the west and southwest, the Völgység and the Eastern Mecsek can be seen. To the south lie the wine-covered and forested parts of the hills. Finally, our panoramic view closes southeast with Sárköz and the vast Gemenc forest; in clear weather, the grain silo of Baja is visible. Under the viewpoint, there are barbecue places and a covered resting area.

Returning to the K trail, on the right side of the path is the Bati Cross erected in 1887. The mysterious name derives from the Turkish common name "bâta" from the place name Bat, meaning marshy land or puddle. The medieval settlement was depopulated at the end of the Turkish era. The word "báta" is still used in Sárköz to refer to marshy areas.

The Szarvas Gorge

From the cross, only 400 meters along the road through forest and vineyards is Szarvas Gorge, probably the most famous loess path in the hills. Although not the longest nor the deepest such formation nearby, it is a very valuable mosaic area from a nature conservation perspective, together with its environment. On the 2-3 hectare loess steppe, among others, the rare dirty cinquefoil, strawberry pearlwort, and small knapweed can be found. At the edges of the typically dry oak woods, species-rich vegetation hides rough-fruited cherry, forest windflower, and steppe bedstraw. Mamut bones were uncovered here in 1959 during archaeological excavations by Gyula Mészáros.

The Dark Valley and the outlaws

From the gorge, we reach fences where we cross through a gate following our trail. Descending on the K+ trail among vineyards, beautiful views open onto the surrounding hills and valleys. After the next gate, we continue the descent into the forest toward the Dark Valley. Please always close gates behind you as requested by the owner. The steep side can be slippery, especially after rain. Soon we arrive at a clearcut area; turning right, we re-enter the forest. From here, we reach a wide dirt road, only 400 meters from the Dark Valley children's camp.

The 502-hectare Dark Valley is the deepest and the only locally protected nature reserve area of the Szekszárd-Geresdi hills. It opens toward the Völgységi stream and is bordered by steep sides in other directions, housing Tolna county’s oldest forest, a 180-year-old turkey oak forest.

Alongside the children's camp fence, we cross a small bridge and turn right to a resting and playground area at the edge of the oak forest. Later, following the K trail, we enter the forest where the scenic, winding educational trail of Dark Valley leads to a wide dirt road. Following the K▲ trail across the meadow of Fazekas valley, we reach a neat rain shelter. Here, following the K↺ and then the K trail, a short detour leads to the Haramia spring, the most abundant water source in the area, first mentioned in writing in 1855. The structure is supplied by water from a spring nearly 100 meters away, but slight seepage also occurs locally into the settling basin. Until World War II, it was a favorite excursion site for scouts and schoolchildren, and today many tourists visit it. Its old name (Haramiják’s Well) comes from the claim that bandits once settled near the spring. Since carving the original white marble plaque without damage was impossible, it remains below the new granite nameplate. The spring's flow varies between 5-25 liters per minute depending on rainfall. Nearby in summer, you may encounter the striking yet highly poisonous monkshood and the turban lily with headgear-like flowers. One may also cross paths with splendid swallowtail and blue honeysuckle butterflies.

Return to Szekszárd over Óriás Hill

Returning to the K▲ trail, a steep climb leads to the flat top of Óriás Hill at 280 meters, where around the trail sign bloom beautifully thousands of-leaved saxifrage and small-flowered hellebore. From here, we continue on the K and then the P trail descending toward the vineyard hill called Gurovica, offering beautiful viewpoints to the surrounding hills – perhaps the most beautiful panorama opens after the short Chestnut Gorge toward the city vineyards.

Walking for a long stretch among vineyards, we pass the vintner statue from the 2008 International Woodcarving Camp led by György Törő. A similar style statue titled "From the Cellar Homewards" stands at the corner of Munkácsy and Vincellér streets.

At the end of Kurta street leading to Bartina hill, we reach the vineyard statue installation by Kossuth Prize-winning sculptor István Kiss, inaugurated at the August 20 mass in 1983. The small square artwork consists of the city's coat of arms symbols in a unified composition. Its meticulously shaped leaves once bore the names of city council clerks, but these have since been removed. There were plans to add city history reliefs to the base, but these were never completed. The high ground offers views over the gentle landscapes of Tolna and the city.

Not far from there, at the foot of the radio tower, we find the calvary sculpture group erected by the Klausberger family in 1932. Originally consisting of five parts (like the remete calvary), it was renovated in 2010 and turned southward since the growing forest previously obscured views from the city. It is now more visible to visitors arriving at the viewpoint.

Following our trail, descending along the Bartina slope, bypassing the Gingerbread Museum and the Hungarian Methodist Church in Munkácsy street, we reach Béla király square, from which we return to the bus stop via the known route.