On Saturday morning of the 22nd of October 2022, we got up quite early to join a rather special hike. In the company of around 30 other people, we made our way by foot from Répáshuta to the so-called "Virgin Forest“. This term means that this forest or wooded area has not been touched by humans for several hundreds of years. This “not-touching“ is – of course – not to be seen literally. Instead, it means that no human being has interfered with the forest's growth and development for the period mentioned. The particular importance of the Virgin Forest does not only lie in its unaffectedness but in the accompanying high biodiversity. Not only the plants in themselves are highly protected and rare, but the Virgin-Forist is also an essential habitat for endangered animal species. Therefore, the Virgin Forest of the Bükk National Park may only be entered on special tours guided by rangers and is also fenced in and labelled as a strictly protected area on-scene.
Two other UNESCO volunteers working in the Kiskunság National Park accompanied joined us. They were not only able to see and learn about the Virgin Forest, but they also got to know the forest areas of Répáshuta, Nagyvisnyó and Felsőtárkány. Especially impressive were the karst formations like doline and the for the Bükk very characteristic limestone that the ranger Attila Bartha showed us. Afterwards, we went to the ”Jewish Meadow”. This meadow got its name from its original Jewish owner and one-time used as a marketplace where predominantly Jewish people exchanged their products. Today it is a strictly protected area that visitors can enter on their own. Luckily, the rain surprised us only on the last meters after several hours of hiking.
