One of the most attractive tourist spots of the Mecsek, with a dripstone cave, a series of lakes for swimming, boating and fishing, and all surrounded by picturesque hills. The road to Orfű-Abaliget branches off from road no. 6 at the northwestern part of Pécs.
After many winds and turns, the road arrives at Remete meadow, named after the Paulite monk Antal Török, who lived here as a hermit. You can take a short hike from Remete meadow, through Lapis, to the 612m high Tubes Peak. Lapis, on the northwestern slope of Tubes, is a popular tourist destination. In 1938, archaeologists discovered the ruins of a Roman guard tower next to the hunting lodge of Lapis. Follow the yellow mark to the János Rauch lookout tower on Tubes. Follow the yellow mark to walk around the ridge of Tubes Peak.
After arriving at Orfű, it is worth taking a short excursion by following the green mark to the source of the Sárkány (dragon) fountain. This is a nature preservation area. The water springing from the ground used to be accompanied by a loud growling sound. According to legend, a dragon once lived in the cave but a rock fell across the cave's entrance and trapped the dragon inside. The dragon is now struggling to escape and so pushes the water out of the cave. When the dragon gets tired, the spring becomes quiet and runs dry.
Take the road heading north from Orfű to reach Orfű lake, a popular swimming and fishing spot. You can find the Mill Museum on the shore of the lake. Follow the road to Mecsekrákos to reach the Tó restaurant. Next to Orfű lake you can find Pécsi lake, with its built-up beach.
The road along the side of Pécsi lake leads to Tekeres. To the north lies Ottó Hermann lake, a nature preservation area and fish reservation, although the series of lakes does not end here. Northeast from the village of Kovácsszénája is Kovácsszénájai lake, which is used for fish-breeding.
The road to Abaliget passes through the Mész valley. The Abaliget rowing lake is to the southwest of the village. The dripstone cave of Abaliget can be found next to the lake. A 500m long, guided tour is available for visitors and requires no special clothing or accessories. The Abaliget cave was used for shelter by man in the prehistoric age. According to local legend, the village folk took refuge in the cave from the invading Turks. The Turkish tried to smoke them out, but the villagers escaped through a secret passage and attacked the unwary Turks from behind and won the day.
It would be easy to spend several weeks exploring all of the beauty spots in the Abaliget and Orfű region. Take the path marked blue to return to Jakab-hegy.
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