Püspökszentlászló
Püspökszentlászló is a dinky settlement in the conservation area of Eastern-Mecsek in the narrow valley of Zengő and Hármashegy.
The little village is a real paradise for hiking fans and an ideal spot for relaxing from the everyday hustle and bustle.
According to the legend, once the Hungarian King Saint László was hunting in this area and he found refuge from sudden stormy weather in one of the caves in the vicinity. Thanks to this event, he later built a little chapel which became a fundamental building of the village. Its name is first mentioned in an awarding document from the year 1235.
The name prefix Püspök (meaning “bishop”) points to the fact, that this land has been owned by the bishop of Pécs for centuries.
During the Turkish occupation the village went completely empty. The first German settlers came to the village around 1760. Due to its location on a steep hillside, the settlers could build their farmhouses only on one side of the road. The chapel and the bishop’s mansion built by count László Eszterházy, bishop of Pécs in 1797, are located at the end of the road of Püspökszentlászló. The wonderful building is surrounded by a mighty botanic garden and arboretum founded by bishop Sámuel Hettyey. There are 25 different pine types and 80 types of other plants to delight the visitors of the garden.
The village is under the administration of the Hosszúhetény Council with 32 plots with centuries old peasant houses either preserved in their original condition or newly restored. In the village some houses are still lived in while others serve as holiday resorts or guesthouses for tourists.
Thanks to his firm belief and insistent organization efforts, Jesuit monk Jenő Vácz (1914-2003) founded and built the so called “House for Arranging the Way of Life” (Életrendezés Háza) in the middle of the village in 1995. Today, this house runs programs promoting the initiation of spiritual opening, positive attitude to life, poise of mind and a rich life-style.
Thanks to its picturesque location, the blissful cool weather and the varied flora, Püspökszentlászló – the rugged jewel of Southern Transdanubia – is nowadays a highly popular holiday-village of the Mecsek hills.
