Protected Natural Areas of National Importance
Fényes Bath and Springs – Ex Lege Protected Bog
The Fényes Springs in the town of Tata were among the most significant karst springs in the 1960s. Among undisturbed conditions, these five springs (Katonai, Körtefás, Sarki, Védett Springs, and the Feneketlen Lake Spring) produced between 45,000 and 80,000 litres of water per minute! However, extensive water extraction by surrounding mines after World War II led a complete dry-up by 1973. After 1990, with the gradual closure of the mines, the amount of extracted water significantly decreased, and the karst water level began to rise again. As a result, the water of the Fényes Springs reached the surface in 2001. However, returning to the former rate of flow will take a long time.
20-22°C warm water emerges along a fault line at an altitude of 118-119 metres above the Baltic Sea. Water seeping through the fissures of the dolomite and limestone formations in the nearby Gerecse and Vértes mountains reappears in Tata. Due to the area’s relatively stable and mild microclimate, extremely valuable plant associations and strictly protected plant species, such as Senecio umbrosus, have survived in the vicinity of the spring lakes. In addition to botanical values, the alder, willow-poplar forests, and reed beds around the artificial fishing lakes provide shelter for various animal species, including many nesting and migrating bird species. The Fényes Educational Trail showcases this unique environment, offering visitors something of interest throughout the year.
According to Hungarian law, all registered bogs, springs, and caves are protected.
Kálvária Hill Nature Conservation Area, Tata
Kálvária Hill is a horst, a fault block that elevated along a fault line. Until recently, water also emerged along these fault lines. Interestingly, the limestone that forms the main mass of the Gerecse Hills outcrops here from beneath the younger sediments of the Little Hungarian Plain. Furthermore, almost all sedimentary rock types formed in the Mesozoic era, from the Triassic to the Cretaceous period, can be studied here. The Geology Park showcases not only the unique formations of the limestone walls of the quarry but also monoliths from all over Hungary.
