Strázsa Hill Nature Trail opens to the public

Author:

2022. 07. 11.

The official re-opening of the Strázsa Hill Nature Trail, on July 6 2022, was performed by the Duna-Ipoly National Park Directorate (DINPD). The trail has been a popular hiking spot in the area for decadesThe hill and its surroundings still bear the scars of a tumultuous military past, some of which have now been restored. At the opening ceremony, Andárs Füri, Director of the Bükk National Park; András dr. Rácz, Secretary of State for Environment Affairs; Gábor Erős, Member of the Parliament and Ádám Hernádi, The Mayor of Esztergom greeted participants at the foot of the hill.

The opening day covered several projects, implemented both independently and together by the DINPD, contributing to the conservation and preservation of biodiversity on Strázsa Hill:

Recultivation of an abandoned military area (2016-2022)

After 1956, the site was used for military training purposes by tank divisions and chemical warfare units of the Soviet Army. After the Soviet withdrawal from Hungary, attempts were made to assess the contamination of the area. The lakes were found to be contaminated with toxic heavy metals and the former fuel storage area, which is next to the livestock farm, was found to be polluted with aliphatic hydrocarbons.

These areas are relevant in terms of water source protection: both the former fuel storage area, adjacent to the Szentlélek stream, and the lakes, neighbouring to the DINPD Visitor Centre, provide breeding places for several species of birds and are home to many protected reptiles, amphibians and bats.

The aim of the project was to clean the contaminated areas, thereby preventing further spreading of pollutants and accumulation of toxic metals in wild animals. During and after the remedial work, continuous soil and groundwater sampling was carried out, which verified that the remedial activities were conducted in accordance with official regulations.

Tender: KEHOP-3.3.0 Environmental remediation of the abandoned Soviet training and shooting area on Strázsa Hill in Esztergom

Renewed nature trail

The 1.2 km round trip starts at the north side of the Strázsa Hill, takes you up to the tower and brings you down on the south side. In addition to the renewal and widening of the steps, railings were also installed by the DINPD. The railings primary serve to mark the trail so that visitors can easily follow the designated route, thus minimising damage to the protected habitats.

The renovation of the educational trail was funded by the following two LIFE grants:

Long term conservation of Pannonian grasslands and related habitats through the implementation of the Hungarian Prioritised Action Framework for Natura 2000 strategic measures LIFE17 IPE/HU/000018
Conservation management tools for increasing structural and compositional biodiversity in Natura 2000 oak forests LIFE16 NAT/IT/000245

Farm Machinery Procurement (2016-2022)

In the targeted area, grasslands managed by DINPD are maintained by its own grazing animals (Hungarian Cikta and Cigája sheep). However, in order to achieve more efficient management, it is necessary to supplement grazing with mechanical clearing. The project improves the conservation status of 330 hectares habitats in the Strázsa Hill area.

With the development of the new farm machinery infrastructure, the necessary pasture management can be carried out more efficiently by our employees. This inproves the condition of the grasslands.

Tender: KEHOP-4.1.0 Procurement of farm equipment and machinery for livestock farm near Esztergom area to improve grazing management on dry grasslands

The following short film is about the history of Strázsa Hill, the remedial work/conservation interventions and the renovation of the educational nature trail:

For more information, please, contact Dóra Sz. Mosoni, Project Communication Assistant (mosonid [at] dinpi.hu).