Hassagy – A village of chapels and wine-growing history

Hassagy is a two-street valley village in the hills of Baranya. Streams, chapels and historic traces of wine-growing give the village its rural character. Two road connections are mentioned for finding your way: main road 57 on the Pécs–Mohács route, with a turn-off at Olasz, and road 5611 from the direction of Ellend. If you are looking for a village destination rather than a city break, these local and landscape features can help you get your bearings in Hassagy.

Valley, water and vineyard

Hassagy lies where the Ellendi stream and the Vasas-Belvárdi watercourse meet. The artificial Hásságyi Lake, created on the watercourse in the 1960s, is right next to the village. South of Hassagy, the 206-metre-high Hásságyi-szőlőhegy rises west of Olasz. Fields and vineyards cover the hill, which is also home to several crosses and statues. In the surrounding area, a waterside landscape and wine-growing meet traces of religious culture. No marked hiking trail passes through Hassagy, so check current route information in advance if you are planning a hike.

Chapels and village history

The Szent-Rókus Chapel stands on the northwestern edge of Hassagy, at the edge of the plateau. Built in 1769 in the Baroque style, it is protected locally. From Petőfi Sándor Street, the road continues uphill as Ady Endre Street in a semicircle; a 60-metre-long dirt track then leads to the chapel. Check access and the condition of the track before visiting. The Szentháromság Chapel is also located in the wine-growing area. It was built in 1890 as a place of prayer against the spread of phylloxera. Renovation work on the Roman Catholic Páduai Szent Antal Church began in June 2023 and ended in September of the same year.

The village layout also reflects different phases of settlement. Around 1740, German settlers came to Hassagy and established the Schwabendorf quarter above the church. Later, Raizedorf Street was developed to the west, on the other side of the stream valley. In the first third of the 19th century, wine-growing was one of the village’s livelihoods; Hassagy had extensive vineyard land at the time. This history places wine-growing within the village’s past.

A glimpse of community life

Occasional events are held at the cultural centre, including weddings, balls and programmes celebrating German national traditions. Hassagy’s library and free internet access are located in the building complex that also houses the cultural centre, municipal office and doctor’s surgery. If you plan to visit the library, it is advisable to check its current opening hours.

More to explore in the wider Baranya destination

The wider Baranya destination also encompasses distinct cultural and natural attractions in other places. In Pécs, the Early Christian Necropolis of Sopianae recalls the 4th century. It includes decorated underground burial chambers, above-ground memorial chapels and Christian wall paintings. The Zsolnay Cultural Quarter in Pécs offers a different focus, with exhibitions on the Zsolnay golden age, the “Pink Exhibition” and the history of the family and factory. Hassagy’s local chapel history can thus be distinguished from Pécs’s archaeological heritage and industrial history.

The Ős-Dráva Visitor Centre near Szaporca offers a nature and agriculture theme within the wider Baranya destination. An interactive exhibition connects its displays with a demonstration farming area, where practical farming methods are presented. Three themed educational trails teach visitors about traditional agriculture, the Ős-Dráva Programme and the wildlife along the Drava. The farming area features, among others, Hungarian Grey cattle, Mangalica pigs, Hucul horses, and heritage sheep and poultry breeds. The wilderness trail along the Old Drava complements these themes with a birdwatching and bird-ringing station, a viewpoint, a photography hide, a covered activity area and rest stops.

The distinction between local history and present-day regional offerings is also worth noting when it comes to wine: wine-growing in Hassagy is recorded as a historic livelihood. In Villány’s wine-cellar row, by contrast, visitors can go from cellar to cellar throughout the year to taste wines and food. The two places therefore represent different aspects of the wider Baranya destination.

Discover more destinations: Véménd, Belvárdgyula, Erdősmárok, Kölked, Szajk, Monyoród, Szederkény, Palotabozsok.

Back to the wider travel overview: Mohácsi.