In search of Forgotten Eras
I am always surprised that we can hike to such a corner of Somogy that is close to the county seat, yet mysterious, hidden, not well-known, and worth exploring. Such was the location of our Saturday hike, visiting the chapel and ancient oaks of Sörnyepuszta, as well as the chapel and cemetery of Hidegér in this year’s last outing of the Hiking Club.
Sörnye consists of a few dozen houses that have seen better days and even significant times, where residents strive with superhuman effort to make their homes livable, habitable, and more beautiful. It was thought-provoking for us to consider what chances a child has starting from this environment, where a bus leaves in the morning and returns in the afternoon from Kaposvár. Surely the beautiful natural surroundings compensate the locals for many things, yet it seems they must overcome many more difficulties to achieve dignified living conditions: such as getting to work or accessing medical care, entertainment opportunities for peers, and even attending a theater can be a significant problem. These were thought-provoking examples of other people’s not-so-bright living conditions for us, but the natural beauty of the area was stunning.
Our first stop was a nearly thousand-year-old chapel next to the tiny village, which had been weathered by the elements and passersby. Máté Varga, our developer, told the story of the place with his usual thorough knowledge and precision, which we listened to with great interest. From the Sörnyepuszta chapel, our trail to Hidegér led through fields, meadows, and shady forest paths, allowing for great conversations, lots of laughter, and a carefree good mood among the tireless team of the Kaposvár Hiking Club. On the way, we passed the remains of the once-thriving Újsörnye village, now reclaimed by nature. Just half a century ago, it was a flourishing settlement, but it quickly depopulated due to the storms of history. Today, a few mounds of earth and ever-growing garden flowers signal: hey, traveler, people lived here!
We were all surprised by the beauty of the white chapel hidden at the edge of the forest in Hidegér and the untouched old cemetery surrounding it. Moss and ivy poetically covered the names and graves of the deceased, as we imagined the life stories of those who once lived while looking at the ivy-covered graves. It was a strange feeling to experience how nature weaves through the past and reclaims its own. Máté also shared that during a recent genealogy research, it was discovered that his great-great-grandfather is buried there.
On our hike, we also visited an old oak grove next to Sörnyepuszta, which once adorned a castle park. Today, only the centuries-old trees await hikers. We also didn’t miss the fish pond on the village’s outskirts, shared by swans and anglers during our visit.
The hike ended in the neighboring village at our mentor’s house, who surprised us with a pancake party. While the mothers who accompanied us prepared the treats, we sat around the table, trying to outshout each other to solve the “20 Questions” challenges we had given each other.
And since we were munching next to a Baroque church playground, we didn’t miss the chance to learn about the building’s history, which was, of course, presented by Máté. Several of us had never seen crypts under a church before, and the exhibition of old books, relics, and vestments in the oratory was also interesting for us.
We agreed on two things at the end of the hike: when to meet for the nighttime board game party at Dani Vincze’s place; and for the next year’s project related to “Waters of Somogy,” where to take our trip.
The photos from the hike can be viewed in the gallery.
Jázmin Pretz and Levente Sipos
The older Csányi students have already visited Somogysárd and its surroundings, but the younger ones have not, so the idea came to show some interesting places around Sárd on the end-of-year hike. We hope that the historical and natural sights we visited are not only important to us enthusiastic local patriots but are also considered worth visiting by others. The weather was kind to us, allowing us to cover the nearly nine-kilometer distance, and today – exceptionally – we didn’t have to overcome any elevation, but due to the overgrown vegetation, we had to skip two locations. So I could only tell about the Sörnyepuszta earth fort and the ruins of the Somssich mausoleum, and with a few photos, I illustrated how the glory of the world passes away. As usual, the hike was full of good spirits, and both children and parents enjoyed themselves, finding something to their liking among the diverse sights.
Máté Varga, teacher