The Mecsek Mountains
The Mecsek Mountains with a height of 682 meters, aren't the highest, longest or most spectacular mountains of Europe. On the contrary, most Europeans have never heard of the Mecsek Mountains before. The Mecsek Mountains, a mountain range in the province Baranya in southern Hungary is one of the most beautiful places in Europe. Our honey bees love it as much as we do. If you want to know more about this region, please continue reading.
The Mecsek Mountains is a special region, partly due to the climate. There is a transitional climate with Mediterranean and continental elements. You could also call it a microclimate. There are many sun hours, relatively little wind and a right amount of rainfall. The winters aren’t very harsh and long, but just enough for nature to reset itself every year. To conclude, an ideal situation for flora and fauna to thrive.
The local flora is dominated by deciduous trees and shrubs. The typical oak-hornbeam forest also consists of a small percentage of linden trees, cherry trees and acacia trees. In addition, the Mecsek Mountains is home to 13 plant species that are typical for this mountain range and nowhere else to be found. It is a quite unique region as you can read. This is why the honey has its unique taste and nutritional value found nowhere else.
With flora comes fauna. From the hummingbird butterfly to praying mantis, from hare to lizard and from swine to deer. The animals and insects play a vital role in the Mecsek Mountains. They have the ideal habitat where they can live undisturbed. This is partly because the region is a protected nature reserve which is only used for logging and small recreational activities.
The undisturbed life in the Mecsek Mountains is possible, due to the fact that the region, wherein the mountain range is located, is sparsely populated. There are 57 inhabitants per square kilometres and most of them live in the cultural city Pécs. Besides Pécs, people live in many small villages surrounding the Mecsek Mountains. It is still possible to wander around through the forest for hours without passing other hikers, nature lovers and outdoor people. Furthermore, the region has fields of agriculture, no highway and very little industry. This results in a clean and uncontaminated environment for nature and our honey bees.
Team Vicus Apis.