Abaliget train station – Zobákpuszta (DDK-09)

Itinerary

During the route, follow the K trail marking throughout.

• From the Abaliget train station to Abaliget you will experience a rollercoaster ride.
• From Abaliget, ascending near the Petőcz Mine towards Zsongor-kő.
• Beside the ruins of the Pauline monastery, the next target is the Patacsi Meadow (Blokkház) where you can find a stamp location.
• From Blokkház our path leads to Remete Meadow.
• We descend to the Büdös-kúti Hut, which is a stamping place.
• After a tiring rollercoaster ride, we reach the Fehér-kúti Hut (stamping place).
• Our next stop is the mountain settlement of Árpádtető.
• A long path leads towards Köves-tető and then to Zobákpuszta.

Detailed description of the route

Abaliget train station – Abaliget

Abaliget station is interesting because along the route to Abaliget there is a bricked-up railway tunnel hidden by the slopes: the original passage under the mountains was replaced by the current tunnel (since the 1970s) because the former winding alignment allowed only slower traffic. After stamping, we briefly follow the tracks, then the path breaks left through the bushes. We start into the forest from a former field in front of a house. At first, clearings alternate with mixed forest while we gradually ascend the ridge. At the edge of a clearing there is a view of the higher areas of Mecsek, then we reach a wide meadow. We climb to the top, where a charming panorama opens: Abaliget sits in the valley below, and to the right we can gaze along the ridge all the way to Tubes. Following the Bükösdi Stream, we descend to Abaliget, arriving at the cave entrance by the lakeside promenade (stamping place).

The Abaliget Cave is the product of rainwater seeping through cracks in the limestone, dissolving and eroding the rock. Locals initially knew it only as a small cavity, whose coolness was exploited by the local priest in the 18th century to store his wines (hence the name Pap-lika). The small cavity was blocked by a rock; above it the Katya Stream, seeping to the surface, powered a row of mills. A miller from Abaliget, József Mattenheim, became fed up with the fluctuating water flow and, pursuing the cause, with his group crawled through the obstacle to discover the passage. Later studies reported rich stalactite formations, most of which have unfortunately been destroyed due to human intervention. The cave, explored to a length of 1700 meters, was first developed at the end of the 19th century and today about half a kilometer is accessible. The lakes were dammed in 1959, and at the shore an old guesthouse now houses the Bat Museum.

Abaliget – Jakab-hegy

Next to the cave entrance we start a long ascent to Jakab-hegy. Since we are in a limestone area, smaller karst phenomena appear on the surface. The downhill slopes of Bodó Hill are perforated by countless swallow holes: the closed, funnel-shaped small depressions were dissolved by water, once functioning as sinkholes at their bottoms. They are not as large or well-developed as those found on the Bükk plateau, but they make the landscape more lively. The monotony of the forest is broken by the overgrown concrete slab of the Petőcz Mine: on the leveled site, parking lots and turning areas designed for trucks are still recognizable, but otherwise nothing remains of the mining that ended in 2000, as everything was dismantled during reclamation. Uranium mining in Mecsek started in the 1950s, with uranium ore found in isolated lenses in the Permian red sandstone – mining would not have been profitable without state support as uranium concentration in the Mecsek rocks was low. Moreover, rock wall temperatures reached 53°C in the deep tunnels, which together with poisonous gases necessitated complicated and expensive ventilation systems. Following the Cold War arms race, Soviet import demand ceased after the regime change, and mining which had driven the area's development for decades was terminated. The Petőcz Mine extended over 1100 meters deep and had a mining railway at 700 meters depth.

The shaft, once guarded by a 57-meter drilling tower, is now covered by a concrete block accompanied by a monument. From the clearing there are views towards the hills of Somogy. We walk on the asphalt following the print of ore-transporting trucks to the junction before a curve. Our last major ascent leads to Jakab-hegy. On the right we can rest by the shallow Palos Well, then with one last effort we reach the hilltop. The hummocky surface contains Iron Age barrow cemeteries, as a fortified settlement lived on the flat ridge. The dead were burned, placed in clay pots, then buried in graves dug in the place of pyres. Above them, burial chambers or stone cists covered with earth were built.

Jakab-hegy – Blokkház

The top and southern foreland of Jakab-hegy is a wide sandstone plateau. We can visit two spectacular outcrops on the slope. Along the K▲ trail, a 10-15 minute walk takes us to the Babás-szerkövek rock terrace – do not skip this detour despite the steep descent! The rock steps of the Sasfészek mine are also unique, and the sight of the stone mushrooms on the ridge with the panorama is unique in national terms. Their gravelly material was transported to lower areas of the former terrain by sudden heavy rainfalls during a warm, dry climate in intermittent water streams. This unsorted sediment was cemented into conglomerate by siliceous solutions; while less resistant adjacent rocks eroded, the rocks rose above their surroundings. Later wind erosion, water polishing, and frost shattering shaped them: harder parts became larger, softer parts thinned due to erosion, forming the present spectacular shapes. From the small plateaus there are great views to the Dráva plain, the Villány Hills, and on clear days the long Papuk range in Croatia.

Continuing on the Blue Trail, soon we reach a rest area (stamping place), from which just a few steps to the right is the awe-inspiring rock cliff of Zsongor-kő. The chalk rocks of the area were uplifted by enormous folded domes formed by internal forces, of which the highest parts have since eroded – now the foreland basin of Cserkút can be found there. The side of the fold remains partly and forms the ridge of Jakab-hegy. The overturned layers aligned obliquely show ancient conditions and the deepening sea bottom, standing side by side on the surface. The terrifying red sandstone rock outcrop of Zsongor-kő is secured by a railing for thrill-seekers, and the panorama is unforgettable! Below lies Cserkút and Kővágószőlős, further away spreads the Dráva plain, and on the other side rises the Papuk. The western peak of the Villány Hills, Tenkes, also appears.

Just a few minutes later, we reach a small clearing with large pine shadows, an excellent resting spot for bivouacking. Its tall tower is an unusual lookout: inside a narrow shaft we climb a vertical ladder to the terrace, where a metal door closes off the intimidating passage. Thrill-seekers will dislike the building not only for this, but also because of the low railing and narrow viewing platform. However, the panorama is beautiful: northern Mecsek slopes soften into hills, and we can admire the Misina-Tubes ridge in the distance, with Zengő rising steeply above the hills.

On the small hilltop, a Hallstatt culture earthwork fortress was first built; in the 12th century a village was established here. Its inhabitants had a church named after Saint James, who also gave the hill its name; when in the 13th century the Bishop of Pécs gathered the Mecsek hermits, he built a monastery here for the Pauline monks – one of their first houses. The monks were expelled by the Turks. The church was briefly restored in the 18th century, but Emperor Joseph II dissolved the order in 1780 – the ruins can be seen on the far side of the meadow. The Paulines began building another monastery in the 1940s, but they were dissolved again in 1951. This effort resulted in the towered lookout rest facility later developed.

From the remains of the Pauline fishpond, a small pond held on the surface by clay water-retaining layers, we continue onward. Shortly after we bypass a clearing, from whose edge the blocks of Tubes and Misina appear. Our path bends back and reaches Blokkház. The building formerly served to check permits for wood transporting from the forest; benches and tables in front offer a place to rest.

Blokkház – Büdös-kúti Hut – Fehér-kúti Hut

The South Transdanubian Blue Trail leads to hills above the Pécs resort area, which, like Jakab-hegy, drop sharply to the south. Passing a wide clearing, the hiking trail follows the crest; on the right, the height can be sensed behind the trees, on the left is flat terrain. Descending in a beautiful pine forest on the side of Rózsa Hill, we begin to hear the road connecting Orfű with Pécs. The saddle meadow called Remete-rét has been well equipped: resting places, notice boards, benches, and tables show that we are on the edge of the Pécs forest park. A short but lasting detour leads from here to the Tubes and then to the nearby Kis-Tubes and the Misina peak with its TV tower. This is probably the most beautiful part of the Western Mecsek, so it's a good idea to plan a full extra day for the ridge walking paths and their fantastic panoramas.

The meadow is named after one of the Pauline monks of Mecsekszentkút, who came here to pray. The K trail follows a narrow path along a beautiful edge covered with slender beeches, and this charming path section ends at the Büdös-kúti Hut. Legend says a knight killed a dragon living deep in the well, which made the water foul-smelling. Before the permanently dried up spring there is a wooden bridge turning towards the house, whose porch is shaded by huge fir trees. The old forester’s house has operated as a hut for decades; opposite it stands a covered resting place and a built fire pit. Its water supply is ensured by two nearby springs (Évi-Jenci Spring and Feri Spring). Behind it, a wooden cross in the valley draws attention to a flat rock covered with name plaques, which is the Pantheon of the Baranya County Nature Friends. At the lower part of the meadow among the trees is a small pavilion, whose attic is usable as a bivouac shelter, available freely at any time for overnight stays.

The Blue Trail promises a tiring and uneventful section: in the following kilometers, we descend into the chapters of Mecsek's northern limestone-cut valleys, then immediately ascend out from them. Cool, sheltered gorges have fine beeches, but to visit the real attractions a detour is needed. The karst streams of the Nagy-Mély valley and Meleg-Mányi valley lose their carbon dioxide content upon surfacing, causing the dissolved lime to precipitate, forming spectacular and magical tufa steps and sparkling waterfalls. In the latter gorge, the stream cascades over an impressive tufa dam similar to the Veil Waterfall.

The Blue Trail briefly touches an asphalt road running on the ridge, and after leaving it leads to the Fehér-kúti Hut (stamping place). The size of the building and the design of its terrace show that it once operated as a guesthouse.

Fehér-kúti Hut – Zobákpuszta

The K trail leads ever downward from the hilltop, circumventing but not crossing the road. We pass the resting place of the Tripammer Oak: a huge oak commemorating Károly Tripammer, chief forester of Pécs in the early 20th century. He was responsible for the road along the ridge, the hiking trail network, and the introduction of new forest management techniques. Within minutes, we arrive at Árpádtető, a resort established along the traversing road of the mountain range, at the entrance to the Mecsextrém Forest Adventure Park. The new stamp installed in May 2025 can be found at the building of the Árpádtető Forestry of Mecsekerdő Ltd. The memorial stone next to the trail tells an interesting section of history: from 1918, the Serbian army occupied South Baranya, and it was here, on August 22, 1921, that the Hungarian army crossed the demarcation line to reintegrate the territory into Hungary.

We cover the least eventful kilometers of the entire Mecsek Blue Trail in the next section. We walk first on asphalt, then on a forestry transport road. The hilly landscape forms a transition to the eastern part of Mecsek. Due to proximity to the Komló Basin and the coal mines on the southern slopes (including some still operating open-cast mining), numerous spoil heaps and scars patch the landscape, but from our trail we mostly see forest. The noisy quarry providing good-quality andesite just outside Komló accompanies us for a long time. Shortly after the Hársas Hut site, we cross a beautiful beech forest, bypass a dammed small pond, and although we do not see it from the bushes, we hike near the giant excavation of the Vasas coal mine.

The path ascending along the side of Köves-tető wanders under wild rocks: the volcanic phonolite appears on the surface in Hungary only in the Mecsek. Circling the peak, a short detour on the K▲ signs leads to the Köves-tető lookout. From the tower we can see not only the nearby phonolite quarry and the huge Vasas excavation but also the entire Villány Hills and the cone of Zengő.

We descend near the asphalt and follow the path in the forest. Finally, at the roadside, we turn into Zobákpuszta, the former deforestation settlement. In the 20th century, mining determined its development, but by the early 2000s the neighboring Zobák Mine also closed. We find the stamp on a wall of the youth camp house left from the road bend to the left.