Exploring the mining town of Gerecse - Daytrip to Tatabánya
- Moments on the Journey
- Sep 22, 2020
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 14, 2021
Tatabánya is known as a mining city in the Central Transdanubian region and the capital of Komárom-Esztergom county. This might sound very boring at first, but it is actually quite an interesting city! It is located in a valley between Gerecse and Vértes Mountains about an hour from Budapest so it is a great daytrip if you're in the capital. It is easily accessible as the M1 highway from Vienna to Budapest passes through the city and the railway lines leads the same way.
Start your day at the Gate of Gerecse - a free visitor center with gift shop, restaurant, Via Ferrata rental (mountain bikes and rock climbing gear) and an interactive exhibition about the mythology around Turul bird, though this cost 500 HUF to visit. Around the building there is a nice park with benches, picnic facilities and a playground. Sadly, using the toilet is not free, it'll costs you 200 HUF.
Six longer hiking trails lead from the visitor center and there are three short trails around the area - the Turul-trail, the geological trail to the Szelim Cave and the Ranzinger Vince-trail. The three shorter trail is very easy - about 3 kms and mostly flat. If you want to know more, check out the Gerecse Kapuja app. And if you feel a bit more adventurous, try the rock-climbing trails! Gerecse Mountain has 100 meters of rock wall under the Turul monument making the whole area a real paradise for rock-climbers!
TURUL MONUMENT
The giant Turul monument on the edge of Gerecse Mountain is probably the first thing you notice when you arrive to Tatabanya. The 'Turul' bird is an old Hungarian symbol from the legends often represented with a crown and carrying the sword of Arpad, who was the great prince of the Hungarian tribes and leader of the conquest of the Carpathian Basin. His descendants ruled the Kingdom of Hungary for the next 400 years as the Arpad dynasty. According to Gesta Hungarorum (old chronicle), this is the place of the Battle of Bánhida, where our ancestors defeated the Moravians.
The monument was made after the design of Gyula Donáth for the Millennium in 1896, in memory of the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin. (Actually, the statue was finished a bit later in 1907, due to financial reasons.) You can read more about the history of the millennial monuments on the Turul-trail. When you reach the statue look down to the city - you'll see the numerous block of flats and the passing M1 highway from above.
FUN FACT: This monument with its 15 meters span is the largest bird statue in Europe!
SZELIM CAVE
From the statue, the geological trail leads you to Szelim cave while tells about the region's geology. The cave was used as a shelter by the local villagers for centuries, but it became famous for the archeological findings such as human remains from the Mongol invasion, hearths, stoves and animal bones from prehistoric times - it is said to be the oldest finding in Hungary.
According to legends, the cave got its name from the time of Turkish Invasion, when Szelim (or Suliman) sultan armies arrived to the area and the villagers hide inside the cave. Sadly, the legend doesn't end with happy end: the Turkish lit up the cave with all the people inside. Nevertheless, it's a very interesting and rather big cave with its 45 m length and 14 m height. The two daylighthole and the mouth of the cave let in enough light to explore the cave, and from the bigger entrance, the view is even more amazing than from the Turul monument!
FUN FACT: This cave appeared in the movie Eragon and the popular Netflix series, The Witcher.
VINCZE RANZINGER LOOKOUT
After the cave, follow the Ranzinger Vince-trail to the Csúcsos-mountain and learn about the flora and fauna of Gerecse mountain. The Ranzinger Vince lookout is about 20 minutes from the cave at the end of the trail. It is a headframe lookout that originally operated as a mining lift. The 24-meter tall lookout is free to visit all year round. Note that, 156 step lead up to the top and the way is narrow but don't be afraid, it's pretty safe. Though it might seem a bit scary at first, the view is spectacular and well worth it!
OPEN-AIR MUSEUM OF MINING AND INDUSTRY
A bit further from the mountains, at the other side of the city is located the Open-Air Mining Museum or so called Industrial Skanzen. Tatabanya has a rich mining history and this museum is a unique memorial for this dangerous industry and the life of the industrial workers. After the coal mines of the area were exhausted in the 1980s, the skanzen opened in 1988 on the site of the last mine where the mining company's former building complex are still standing. The museum displays not only tools, machines, vehicles and a headframe but in the reconstructed buildings visitors can learn about mining techniques and the everyday life of the different mineworker classes from the 20th century. The six-dwelling houses show recreated residences, shoemaker shop and a hairdressing salon but we can find authentic classrooms from the last century as well.
As we visited Tatabanya on a daytrip, could not spend much time in the city. However, the local history museum (Tatabanya Museum) is a nice place to spend your time as well as the Cifra Palace or Tulip House. The Tulip House got its name from the tulip ornaments around the windows. Try the beautiful Jászai Mari Theatre for cultural entertainment, stroll around the Liget Park or take a bath at Gyémánt Spa.
If you have even more time to spend in this area, visit the neighbouring city of Tata, hike in Vértes mountain or see the unique floating village in Bokod!
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