The experience circle of Orfű

The Destination Circle Tour of Orfű can show something new to even those people who have been fans and “habitual visitors” of the region for a long time. It was especially enjoyable for me that on the route of 16 kilometres with 12 stations there was a focus on not only the march. We could get refreshment by the delicacies from the local producers, we learnt a lot about the ecosystem of the region on the study path.

Actually, we can join anywhere in the circle tour, but my precise ego would have screamed if we hadn’t started from the first station. So we put down the four wheels at ‘Szomjas Vándor’ (Thirsty wanderer), from where we oriented toward north and we set out on the yellow cross trail. Passing the dam of Lake Pécs, we got to one of the most beautiful settlements of the lake district, Orfű-Tekeres. The village consists of only one street, where the fabulous houses compete for our attention from two sides, peasant-citizen houses and brick buildings. Along our way we touch the cemetery on the right, then we join the route of the 600-metre-long Csermaalja study path which was built lately. Our triple point will be at the dam of Otto Herman. Here we move on to the yellow square trail marker along Lake Kovácsszénája which leads directly to the village. We have to turn right after the bus stop and go over a wooden bridge which has uncertain statics but it is still stable. (It didn’t break down even under my husband with my son on his back!)

From here the Orfű brook shows the route which we follow on the right all along until we arrive in Husztót. Here we can make a detour to Ildikó Csendes’s “paradise on earth” where after registering in advance we can fill up with colourful vegetables and we can wander through her estate too. On the same route we return to Kovácsszénája where arriving to Novák Cheese factory we can have our first rest. On the spectacular farm we can stroke a little goat and a piglet, and we can pamper our taste buds with artisan cheese. Just trust in Peter, the mayor of the village. We can continue our tour alive and well. We will head toward east touching at first the Chapel of Our Lady of Hungary, then the cemetery. Our dirt road leads on hilly area which runs into our point of seven.

Let’s go on to the south where we march next to cultivated fields all the way to Várhegy, finally we connect to the Mecsek Zöldút route. There will be our point of eight from where we turn southwest toward Abaliget. We reach the town at the cemetery then across the main road Abaliget cave and the Bat Museum. So far my son was sleeping in the carrier but we stopped here and had a longer rest. In the cave expert guide starts at every whole hour which is a super experience for both children and adults. We can continue our tour feeling rested: going past the ‘Denevér Bisztro’ (Bat Bistro), we get to the forest. On the same spot the Bat study path begins as well but we set off on the blue cross trail marker next to the fence of the campsite. Touching the Kis-Paplika spring we spiral first in the beech forest then in the watery meadow. After a while the blue cross takes you across the main road where we take the way of the blue circle toward Zipernowsky spring. We reach the Lake of Pécs soon. If we arrive at noon to the lake, we should make an approximately 50-metre-long detour and let’s sit down on the porch of the Mediterranean Restaurant: we won’t regret it. They’re great in pizza (they make original thin crust pizza from Italian flour!) but the chef’s choice is also lavish. For the food coma we’ll enjoy the remaining three kilometres leading to our first stop which can be done by wandering on the shore of the lake.