Bogyiszló

Bogyiszló is located near the mouth of the Sió Channel at a distance of 5 km from the River Danube. It is accessible via Motorway M6 and Main Road 6, or, from the Hungarian Great Plain, via Road 51, crossing the Szent László bridge named after Hungary’s royal Saint Ladislaus. The village is just 10 km east of Szekszárd. Bogyiszló is well-known for its hot and sweet paprika as well as for its folk dance and folk music. Dedicated to preserving local traditions, the settlement’s cultural association puts on performances during the carnival and vintage seasons, folklore festivals, as well as on special occasions like local weddings.

Historically, Bogyiszló had been located on the left bank of the River Danube. The river frequently flooded the region; in these periods, only higher plateaus and elevations–like the one Bogyiszló was built on–escaped from the water. The inhabitants of the neighbouring settlements often found refuge in Bogyiszló from these floods; some of them eventually settled down in the village. At the end of the 14^th century, probably as a result of an enormous ice-pack deposited by the river during a great winter flood carrying massive amounts of floating ice, the River Danube changed its course and cut itself a new riverbed east of the village. What had been the old river bed dwindled away into a trickling secondary watercourse and eventually became an oxbow. Today, the village of Bogyiszló stretches along this surviving horseshoe-shaped lake.

Nature lovers will find an abundance of opportunities for relaxing and enjoying the beauty of nature both within and around the settlement. Possibly the most beautiful of these is the Orchid Forest. Enjoying nature protection, this 1.5 km long and sometimes merely a 100 m wide stretch of woods is best to see at the end of April or in the middle of May, the season when the astonishingly beautiful orchids of the area are in full bloom. Another good idea is to visit the ancient oak forest. Also enjoying protection, the pristine oak forest has many rare, centuries-old trees. The Gemenc Forest starts just outside the village, offering further sights and touring opportunities. If you can, visit the Folk Heritage House, which is furnished with items offered to the public by local citizens.

Sources: http://www.bogyiszlo.hu/, http://hu.wikipedia.org/, http://www.vendegvaro.hu/