A Mecsek ékköve: Máré-vár

The Várvölgy, one of the special regions of the Eastern Mecsek, starts to the east from the connecting road in Magyaregregy. During the tour we will present the history of the valley, its former buildings and settlements. We will get acquainted with the settlement of Máré at the campsite at the entrance to the valley, the forest beach across the road, and the former mills. We get a picture through the special rocks along the way of the huge earth history changes that have made this region rich in special ores. We get to know the heroic age of domestic tourism and hiking in Hungary through the history of the first shelters and springs. We see before us the contemporary landscape, which was increasingly abandoned by its inhabitants, and then the image of the once flourishing cultural landscape changed more and more. Its valley was swampy, its fishponds were replaced by rocks, and the forest slowly recaptured what belonged to it. They even grazed in the meadows for a while, then beech and oak sprouted in the place of the herds. As we walk, we can imagine what the image of the valley might have been like in the Middle Ages and at the dawn of the New Age.
However, the central element of the virtual tour is, of course, the Máré Castle, also called the hidden gem of the Mecsek. Today, an asphalt road leads here, making it easily accessible to anyone. The castle, excavated and renovated in the 1960s, dominates the entire countryside. From its pedestrian walkway you can easily see the whole valley, the area of ​​the former extensive estate. Standing on a lonely hilltop, the castle has stood for 700 years, and within the walls today a modern exhibition presents its most important periods. We get a picture of the late medieval formation and development, the construction of newer and newer buildings. Almost in front of us we can see the wooden roof structure of the upper castle, the tower built against the east wall, the gate and walls of the hussar castle. We can wander through the tunnels starting from the castle cistern, imagine the gate tower protecting the upper castle, and then look around the courtyard in search of the Renaissance buildings. The age of the Várdaians and Bakics comes to life as serious craftsmen make their special carvings on the windows and door frames of the buildings. However, the Renaissance flourishing came to an end with the Ottoman conquest, and life in the castle was slowly coming to an end to give way to nature. The reconstruction in the second half of the 20th century brought a new era to the life of the castle, it is visited by a large number of hikers and hikers, and in the last year and a half programs, festivals and new attractions invite visitors.