Zobákpuszta – Mórágy (DDK-10)

Itinerary

During the route, follow the K trail marker throughout.

• From Zobákpuszta, we climb up through the Hidasi Valley to Kisújbánya.
• We reach Óbánya through the Óbánya Valley.
• At the Saint Margaret of Scotland cross, we leave the Mecseknádasd road and head over the hills to Apátvarasdtelep.
• A long path from the former Jagercsárda leads to Bátaapáti.
• Our path leads from the village to Mórágy.

Detailed description of the route

Zobákpuszta - Kisújbánya

The small village of Zobákpuszta is situated in the saddle that separates the western and eastern parts of the Mecsek. It used to be a logging settlement, with its second flourishing period during the coal mining era of Komló in the 20th century. After collecting the stamp, we leave the asphalt at the delta junction. After a long chain of clearings, we step onto the motorway again, then finally turn to nature at a barely noticeable bridge. We arrive at the mouth of the Hidasi Valley, which is a strictly protected nature reserve.

We tread through one of the Mecsek's best endowed, varied valleys: the Hidasi stream sometimes wanders slowly, forming meanders, and sometimes rushes roaringly down sharp limestone steps, through narrow grooves outlined by rocks. Right at the beginning of the path, we cross the stream — don’t count on bridges here or later; we have to step across natural obstacles lying in the water. (Higher water flow may cause difficulties for hikers.)

On wider sections of the valley the creek slows and spreads its sediment, drawing curved bends around it. On the outer curves, it sometimes gnaws the bank, creating a scenic line for the path. From the alder grove and clearing in the valley bottom, we climb up a narrower section, where a strip of fresh green grass at a bend attracts our attention. The bountiful Csurgó spring's stream feeds the plant corridor, but for the true marvel, we have to descend the muddy hiking trail down the slope. We face a unique and fantastic sight: the mossy cliff wall of the Csurgó seems to want to bite into the rotting trunks of century-old trees lying before it. The newly born stream has built an astonishingly large travertine dam at the terrain step, and its tiny channels run across the moss surface, dripping in places, elsewhere running around the formation. It looks as if shiny water jets and drops are sprayed; the hanging vegetation adds a wild and picturesque character to the phenomenon. The carbonic acid content of water seeping deeply through limestone cracks evaporates at the surface, causing the dissolved lime to precipitate. Mosses and roots accelerate this process, and the obstacles lying along the water’s path gradually get coated with tufa (also called travertine or limestone tufa).

A new rest area or wooden footbridge would be useful before the overhanging, porous cliff wall, but it is still hard to say goodbye to the Csurgó. At the end of the clearing follows the most beautiful section of the Hidasi Valley: we accompany the unforgettable terrain of the creek falling down the thin, bench-like limestone steps with small and large cascades. Soon the valley floor widens again, and then we climb up to the Kisújbánya motorway. We turn right off it to reach the side of the Cigány Hill along a steep but beautiful forest section. A short detour follows the Z▲ trail to the summit lookout: from the top, we can scan the nearby but impressive Zengő peak and practically the entire inner, valley-cut area of the Eastern Mecsek. The edge of Komló appears behind the trees, we can recognize the Misina TV tower, and the Tenkese of the Villány Hills also rises behind the Zengő, but the small basin of the neighboring Kisújbánya is hidden from view by the hills. From here, the Mecsek shows more of an extensive hilly landscape than a mountainous area — although the southern heights lean noticeably over their surroundings. To the north, the back of Dobogó Hill merits mention as Tolna County’s highest point.

Kisújbánya - Óbánya

Afterwards, the Blue Trail descends into the idyllic streets of Kisújbánya. The secluded, tiny village was almost completely deserted until recently, but by the 2010s it somewhat revived: more and more properties were purchased as holiday homes, and a few people settled here permanently. Kisújbánya was founded in the 18th century by German settlers from Bohemia, who were engaged in glassmaking, taking advantage of the forest region’s resources. The glassworks did not operate long, so inhabitants switched to grazing and woodworking — for example, the Klumpás Farm buffet in the village center refers to one of their characteristic products.

The stamp can be found on the wall of one of the houses in the center. We stroll through the charming street lined with rustic houses, stopping at a point to view a restored threshing machine. The creek runs beside the road already before leaving the village. Upon entering the forest, the most atmospheric and world-famous section of the Mecsek Blue Trail begins. The abundantly flowing and in places gorge-like depths of the Óbánya Valley were home to nearly 30 watermills until the early 20th century, spanning as far as Mecseknádasd. No trace remains of the stone crushing and grain milling once necessary for glass production, but instead this area displays the Mecsek’s nature in its most beautiful form.

The valley remains narrow throughout but shows a different face after each small bend and is rich in rock formations. After a resting place and the memorial of Dr. Endre Péceli (a local doctor), we reach the famous Ferde Waterfall. The stream rushing over tilted limestone and marl layers due to tectonic forces offers a magnificent sight, especially after snowmelt when it thunders and decisively dashes down its steps. Leaving the charming spot, we cross a bridge over the stream and arrive at the next attraction, the massive travertine formation of the Dripping Rock. The young, approximately 15,000-year-old travertine wall is about 30 meters long and 5 meters high, partially covered with soil. Its uniqueness is that many phases and phenomena of the conflicting relationship of limestone and water can be observed. Water seeping from above dissolves and wears the rock, creating crevices and building stalactites as it drips. Looking into the dark hollow, some similar shapes can be seen on the "ceiling." Below, clear karst water collects in the travertine pools, forming beautiful little lakes. At the rock’s base, the stream flowing over its own dam swirls in a deep pool, carving a basin-shaped bed as it erodes the wall.

The beauty of the valley continues unabated; we cross the stream several times and notice new limestone bench waterfalls and cascades. The wild gorge environment softens as we approach Óbánya, with more buildings appearing, and finally we arrive at the village by the banks of the dammed Trout Ponds. The 18th-century village was founded by German settlers who first made glass and later pottery. Its simple yet beautiful white, sometimes porch-fronted peasant houses line up like soldiers. The uniquely tight valley sides create a settlement pattern rare in Hungary, making it memorable. The road to Óbánya was only built in the last decades of the 20th century; until then, the Swabian-speaking community lived intermarried without roads between settlements. Nowadays, no German is heard, but there are more and more tourists and hikers.

Óbánya - Apátvarasdi inn

The stamp can be found on the pub wall, and it is worth visiting the hillside lookout, from which nearly the entire length of the village can be admired. We leave Óbánya behind on the asphalt ribbon, and shortly after the Saint Margaret of Scotland cross, we finally step onto a path. According to tradition, Saint Margaret, granddaughter of King Stephen and Queen of Scotland, was born in the nearby Rékavár and also lived in the castle later in life. The Mecsek’s last trial lies ahead as we ascend the Temple Hill slope. This avoids Mecseknádasd, the village known for its Árpád-era chapel. From the hillside opposite, we look out over the hills — be cautious when crossing the busy road below! We follow a panoramic ridge, then turn south along a forestry road to arrive at Apátvarasdtelep (stamp place). The Vadászcsára and the village, as the name suggests, were home to a German population relocated here after the Turks left. They were deported after World War II.

Apátvarasdi inn - Mórágy

We climb on a dirt road through rolling hills and turn sharply left at a fork. In the deep cut, remnants of the Roman road to Pécs can be seen. Remaining roughly on the ridge, we walk around small valleys cut into loess to reach the Hesz Cross resting place. The crucifix, erected in 1853, commemorates Antal Hesz, who was killed by poachers.

The forest along our route changes little, with the Hét-hárs resting place offering refreshment. The namesake trees were planted following the attempt on Queen Elizabeth’s life, six of which still stand, and a seventh was replanted. We walk mostly on asphalt crossing oak forests for the next one and a half kilometers, with the monotony broken slightly by the Harsányi Cross. The crucifix was set up in gratitude after a hunting accident ended fortunately in 1932 (“Vitéz Harsányi János and his wife Schmidt Gertrud”). North of the cross lies a field that became the planned site for the radioactive waste repository of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant during the regime change era: the construction site was first designated near Ófalu. In 1989, a few years after the Chernobyl disaster, this idea sparked strong opposition from locals, culminating in a protest with several thousand participants in the pasture. The authorities finally retreated, and many years later construction started between Bátaapáti and Mórágy following a local referendum that secured residents’ approval.

We turn towards Bátaapáti, with the K trail winding through mixed forests; from a meadow, there’s a view of the Szekszárd Hills, and later from another ridge point, the wooded heights of the Geresdi Hills become visible. We descend to Bátaapáti on a dirt road. The settlement, founded in the 11th century after the expulsion of the Turks, was controlled by the Apponyi family, who brought German settlers to their estates. (Some 800 of these were expelled to Germany in 1946 under the collective guilt principle, commemorated by a plaque on the wall of the evangelical church.) Utilizing the sunny slopes, the Apponyis planted vineyards, built press houses, and operated a glassworks in the neighboring valley to enable bottling. Near Bátaapáti lies the well-sealed, resistant granite block housing the country’s only radioactive waste repository, established at a depth of 260 meters. It welcomes visitors once a week by appointment. The steel barrels’ concrete containers will be stored here until 2600.

Climbing on a mowland, we turn our back on Bátaapáti but again do not have to climb too high. We descend from the forest with regenerating shoots into the Éva Valley, which, compared to the rolling landscape, surprisingly carries a sometimes rocky stream. Nearing Mórágy, pine forests make the landscape increasingly scenic — instead of a shorter route, we ascend to the Cserfa Hill, where we reach the village near a quarry on the other side. Granite is covered by 50–60 meters of loess in most of the Geresdi Hills, only appearing at valley bottoms and slopes, where water erosion has removed the top layers. This ancient rock appears in the quarry, where an open-air stage has also been established.

Near Mórágy, at the expressively named Tűzkő Hill, there was human presence already in the Neolithic era; the village itself was founded in the 13th century. Later, Serbs lived in the area, followed by German settlers. Watermills operated on the creek, and locals were known for their pottery products. After World War II, German families were deported, replaced mainly by Székely and Upper Hungarian families (similar to other parts of Tolna County). The stamp can be found on the wall of the Local History Collection and at the train station (further from the village).