The best of the Baranya mountains

Itinerary

• From Zobákpuszta, follow the S+ trail through the Takanyó valley to the Kis-kaszáló.
• From the Kis-kaszáló, the K▲ trail leads to the clearing at the end of the Kis-Tóti valley.
• At the clearing, we cross on an unmarked path along the glassmakers' trail, then follow the K◼ trail.
• From the Szentlászló valley, the K▲ trail leads all the way to Zengő.
• From Zengő, follow the S trail downhill, then straight on the yellow mark of the Hungarian pilgrim trail to the Zengő-kő meadow.
• From the meadow, the K◼ trail guides you to the edge of Püspökszentlászló.
• From the edge of Püspökszentlászló, follow the S trail through Miske Hill to the asphalt road of Kisújbánya.
• From the K trail, turn into Kisújbánya, which leads to Óbánya.

Detailed description of the route

The aquatic realm of Takanyó

In Zobákpuszta, a settlement known for the former mine shaft of the Komló coal mining, we start the tour following the S+ trail and soon leave the busy main road. We descend through the forest to a wide meadow, keeping a straight direction at the end of the grassy area, crossing the highway and entering the Takanyó valley. We cross a stream and then the ford of the Völgységi stream a few meters ahead. Although barely visible here as a "newborn," it becomes the most important stream of the Eastern Mecsek, collecting much of the region's water.

A long, but low-walled meadow leads into the Takanyó valley, bordered by hunting fences, with the stream running along the edge under the trees. In the early 20th century, the valley was used as a parceled area, with meadows and fields noted in an auction announcement—remnants of which form today's idyllic landscape. The romantically beautiful clearing ends with a branching path winding into the hillside, and the trail enters the trees. Here, the valley narrows with steep sides divided only by the stream bed. We descend on a worn, slippery trail alongside the water for a few meters, then climb over the ditch. Below springs the constantly flowing Takanyó spring, in front of which tufa, or freshwater limestone deposits, can also be observed.

From here, the hiking trail turns into a side valley, following a deep ditch and naturally chaotic beech forest, leading to a forested junction contrary to the name Kis-kaszáló (Small Meadow). Among the dense dozer roads, we turn right onto the K▲ trail, which ascends moderately through a visibly managed forest to the asphalt road of Kisújbánya. (On the opposite hillside, the now dilapidated Csengő-lak shelter, originally a hunter's cabin turned hostel, renovated with the Pusztabánya Betyártanya by hikers from Pécs in the 1960s when a mountain hut was built on Köves Hill.) Turning left on the connecting road, after about 10 minutes of hiking, we reach the mountain meadow of Pusztabánya.

At the site of the hut, along the springs

On a peaceful, beautifully situated meadow stands a hostel surrounded by fire pits and resting areas. In the forest on the side opposite the building, the historical significance of the site is highlighted by the ruins of the former glassworks and the reconstructed glass barn. Beech forests, common in the cool valleys and prominent ridges of the Eastern Mecsek, once hosted a series of glassworks operated mainly by German workers from the late 17th century. As the nearby trees were consumed by firing, the glassworks always relocated: starting from Réka valley, then today’s Óbánya, subsequently Kisújbánya, and finally Pusztabánya area. The glass barn began operation in the late 18th century, partly with Czech-origin workers in what was then called Üvegbánya, and despite being one of the largest employers in Baranya County and an important commercial unit, it suffered constant disadvantages: essential quartz sand had to be imported from far away, with the closest supply from Zselic. By the early 19th century, increased demand for building materials drove the wood prices so high that maintaining the extensive forest-consuming glassworks was no longer viable. After closure, “Üvegbánya” depopulated, as reflected in its changed name, Pusztabánya—the glassmaking craft no longer revived in the Mecsek forests.

A signpost marks the junction, from which we turn right onto the K▲ trail and enter under the trees. Here, we encounter the reconstructed furnace, and as the verifiable remains of this remote glassworks have not been dispersed, these archaeologically uncovered ruins provide a unique insight into the size of the former industrial facility. We descend along a wide forest track called the “Glassmakers' Trail” into the Kis-Tóti valley. On the left, a deep ditch accompanies the path, where two Pusztabánya wells would spring from, although no water is expected from either, and accessibility is complicated. Further down, karst water seeps from the fenced Daragói Great Spring, most of which is not visible here as it flows into Hosszúhetény. The spring was once capable of several hundred liters per minute, helping over 20 mill wheels turn in the village and valley over centuries. (Its Slavic name means 'dear' in Hungarian.) The path continues in a valley with low sides; we skirt the fenced Baba well on muddy ground, which also supplies Hosszúhetény. The name originates from a former settlement where midwives bathed newborns there.

We reach a large, sloping clearing. In the atmospheric cirque, hiking trails branch off; our route follows a path that clings to the valley floor (marked by the green sign of the Glassmakers' Trail). Finally, we turn into the Szentlászló valley (for a few steps on the K◼ trail), then right onto the K▲ trail. Along the gravel road of Püspökszentlászló stands a crumbling cellar; however, nothing remains of the former Schober mill belonging to it.

The distant views of Zengő

It is already noticeable that the landscape has somewhat changed in the valley: notably impressive slopes tower above us, and the mountainous atmosphere will soon fully unfold. We leave the wide valley lined with meadows behind and turn onto the Zengő massif following the K▲ marks. (A little earlier, at the fork of the dirt road, it is worth viewing the Kőmorzsoló statue.) We climb the longest ditch of the massif, dominated by oaks on the slope. A signboard draws attention to the fact that we are in a primeval forest, which is managed by creating varied age structures with small clearings instead of large block logging, allowing a natural state to develop. Areas fenced off from browsing and trampling by game serve to observe undisturbed forest dynamics. During the endless ascent, the water-washed ditch at the bottom disappears, filled by the dozer road at the valley floor. Higher up appear beech trees with silvery trunks, with rotting trunks on the ground, and if we arrive at the right time, the wild garlic and flower carpet enhance the spectacle. Next to an old clearcut, we join another trail coming from Hosszúhetény and follow it with left and right bends and constant ascent to reach a narrow mountain ridge.

Here, old beech trees sway in the wind crossing the ridge; among their slender trunks, we catch glimpses of the Eastern Mecsek ridges. In the still, mountainous forest stands a small stone cross: the original Bocz cross was probably erected by the naming family in the 19th century, associated with an interesting tradition. During World War I, soldiers from nearby villages vowed that if they returned safely, they would visit the mountain annually. This tradition led to men from Hosszúhetény waiting here for sunrise on Easter Sunday, commemorating Jesus’s resurrection.

From here, only one last gentle ascent leads to Zengő. The unmistakable structure of the lookout tower gradually appears. Next to it, ruins of a 13th-century residential tower emerge from the ground, but the history of the summit structures dates back to the Migration Period. The geodetic measuring tower erected in the 1970s was accompanied by a lookout tower built around 2020, whose upper floor offers possibly the most beautiful panorama of the Mecsek and undoubtedly Southern Hungary. Only from here can one truly appreciate how the Eastern Mecsek undulates as a prominent hilly landscape above neighboring, lower slopes, its green canopy covering a sea of flat roofs and dense valley network. In the center, below Dobogó, lie the meadows of Miske Hill, and Kisújbánya can be spotted. To the west stand the mountains sloping toward Pécs, the Misina-Tubes ridge, and the flat back of Jakab Hill; to the south, the Villány Hills and the mist-covered (Croatian) Papuk dominate the horizon. In clear weather, vast vistas open: the Kőszeg Mountains outline, the Buda Hills and Bakony appear, and the Badacsony massif is perhaps most easily identified. The panorama also reveals the meeting of hilly and lowland landscapes, displaying the Mecsek as a "model".

In the center of the Mecsek

We say farewell to the highest point of Southern Transdanubia and descend north on the S trail: the steepness of the slope here is undeniable proof of the character of Zengő’s summit. The path leads uncomfortably steep downhill through a primeval beech forest torn by wind. Following the yellow mark of the Hungarian pilgrim trail straight, we soon reach a meadow with a limestone-walled rain shelter and a memorial stone for old pilgrims’ campsites (surrounded by rest areas). Here, we turn left onto the K◼ trail, which soon leaves the paved road and turns into the forest. We leave the patches of Korsoma meadow, once recorded on old maps as a cabbage field (listed as Kohlplatten), and shortly after, turn into the fence of the Püspökszentlászló arboretum. According to legend, King Saint László founded the settlement to escape a storm, building the original chapel. Hermits and Benedictines later took possession of the area. The village, depopulated during the Turkish occupation, was repopulated by German families in the 18th century, which is when the summer episcopal castle and the church were erected. The arboretum was established at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries (by the bishop’s will), but the settlement’s fate was severely strained by historical storms. The castle once housed a nursing home and a tourist hostel. Cardinal József Mindszenty was briefly imprisoned in the dilapidated building. Today, both the renovated castle and the arboretum are open to visitors.

The S trail does not enter Püspökszentlászló but climbs the valley slope in an erosion ditch. Passing under large beech trees and fallen trunks, we ascend, walking sections of the Spouses’ Trail, which presents the challenges and tasks of married life along the village surroundings walkway. We cross the road (rain shelter) and pass the centuries-old enclosure of the Diós well. The dripstone tufa around the outlet forms a collar, but only scant water seeps from the deep. We reach the mountain ridge in a wind-blown pine forest and aim straight for Kisújbánya. Gradually, the dense forest thins and the landscape opens. The unique meadows of Miske Hill, located in the heart of the range, wave like a green blanket beneath the surrounding towering peaks. The broad, prominent, yet basin-shaped ridge presents all the topographic charms of the Eastern Mecsek. Buildings of Kisújbánya peek out from the valley while a rarely marked trail (initially following power lines) traces the ridge’s bike track. We walk on the old fields and pastures of Kisújbánya, where nothing calls attention, but to the right, under a group of trees, the old village cemetery can be visited. Opposite rises the backs of Dobogó and Szószék, and looking back, the rounded massif of Hármas Hill and the pyramidal summit of Zengő dominate the landscape with views toward the Villány Hills. The plateau base is formed by hard basalt spread by Mecsek volcanism, into which the streams hardly carved significant valleys. With a gentle ascent, we leave a tension behind before stepping again onto the asphalt road that networks the mountain range. (Ahead is a short but steep detour to the Cigány Hill lookout, from which the terrain we have traveled can be viewed.)

We continue right on the K trail and descend into Kisújbánya, perhaps the village best preserving the atmosphere of the old mountainous settlements. The isolated, tiny part of the village nestled in the valley blends into the Mecsek landscape, faithfully preserving the Swabian village image. The third glassworks of the range operated here in the 18th century after the Óbánya glassworks consumed the surrounding forests and was forced to relocate. Czech-origin, German-speaking workers operated it under a Bavarian master glassmaker; after two decades the barn fire destroyed neighboring beech forests, prompting relocation to today’s Pusztabánya area. After closure, the tiny village inhabitants engaged in grazing (the expansive pasture of Miske Hill is a remnant) and woodworking (the Klumpás restaurant’s name preserves one of the typical industrial goods names).

The surviving mid-mountain nature

Walking through Kisújbánya, we leave the threshing machine exhibition site, then the asphalt ends, and the stony road squeezed between houses crosses wet fords, as if walking through the century-old sets of a historical film rather than a holiday village. Near the village edge, we enter the nationally renowned Óbánya valley – its splendid forest and the rocky-rimmed stream reveal a barely disturbed wilderness image. Although grand, overwhelming forms or truly wild rock formations are absent, and scale remains human-sized, the lack of an exploration road, the sometimes water-wading path, and the many roaring kilometers paint the original shapes of a mid-mountain landscape transformed and conquered elsewhere. Only a few remnants of the former mill chains remain (also transformed), though over two dozen wheels ran from Kisújbánya to Mecseknádasd until the mid-20th century.

After a rain shelter, we soon reach the Ferde waterfall, whose uniqueness lies in the fact that thin limestone and marl layers deposited in hard layers were tilted by tectonic pressure, thus “tearing apart” and slightly diverting the stream. The deeply incised valley exposed a wealth of Middle Triassic sedimentary rocks: the upper section (near Kisújbánya) is dominated by harder, siliceous limestones, while further down, softer limestone and marl meet. Crossing the wooden bridge, we descend beside the stream and, if water levels permit, it is worth stepping into the middle of the creek bed to observe a small waterfall with a swirling, turquoise-colored basin, over which the dripping rock’s mossy crust leans. The latter is a massive freshwater tufa from which karst waters leak at numerous points, gradually enlarging the rock.

We stand before the valley’s narrowest section where the bed fills the hollow from wall to wall, and the path crosses the creek on debris fords. Further on, we follow the water’s course alongside the ditch on a well-passable road. The creek is forced into bumps by successive rock thresholds, forming smaller waterfalls in places. Buildings such as the Krémer mill appear downstream until finally, we reach the Trout Lakes. Alongside the romantically presented small lakes, bordered by wooded mountain slopes, we follow a side branch of the creek into Óbánya, the second of the Eastern Mecsek glassworks, operating in the mid-18th century. After closure, pottery became the village’s hallmark, replaced today by a unique streetscape. The whitewashed, neat houses, squeezed by the slopes, line the single street. Our tour ends at the bus stop – with pubs and eateries found a bit lower in the center.