Budai Sas-hegy Természetvédelmi Terület

The Budai Sas-hegy Nature Conservation Area is a 30‑hectare, nationally significant nature conservation area located within the operational area of the Danube–Ipoly National Park, situated in Budapest on Sas Hill. It provides habitat for numerous protected and strictly protected animal and plant species, and because of its geological values and special location it is a true refuge in the middle of the city not only for wildlife but also for visitors.

Protection of the area

Pest‑Buda, and after 1873 the rapidly developing expansion of Budapest, was for a long time seen by almost everyone as a joyful process. Wealthy citizens built villas where forests, orchards and pastures stood, and in addition industrial sites and transportation increasingly consumed natural habitats around the capital. The expanding built‑up area tightened its ring around Sas Hill as well. In the period before the Second World War, parceling reached the main ridge of the hill. The un‑parcelled main peaks and the southern slope area acquired a “public garden” role in the capital’s planning, so the afforestation of the barren parts began. Today we see it as a ghost image, but in the first half of the 20th century the complete urbanisation of the hill seemed a near possibility.

Between 1780 and 1940, research of varying intensity but extensive scope was carried out on the hill. The researchers – besides describing new plant and animal species – began to realise that certain parts of the Buda Hills must be protected from the city’s expansion. First, in his 1942 book *Budapest’s Living World*, Antal Pénzes raised the importance of protecting “the upper, rocky and grassy part of Sas Hill”, the natural values of the area: rock formations, dolomite and loess vegetation, and the associated animal life, especially post‑glacial xerotherm rare species.

Fifteen years had to pass before the National Nature Conservation Council's decision No. 985/1957 established the 30‑hectare “Sashegy” Nature Conservation Area. The decision prescribed the characteristics of heightened protection, i.e., the enclosure of the area on the edge of the capital, strict guarding, afforestation, habitat reconstruction, and a ban on any kind of utilization. Implementation began in 1958. For a long time armed guards also stayed on the hill.

In terms of protecting the natural values of the Buda Hills, it was a very significant step that the Buda Landscape Protection Zone was created in 1978. Its area is a multiple of the Sashegy Nature Conservation Area, but within Buda's nature‑conservation values the significance of Sashegy remained prominent.

In the decade following the regime change, the legal regulation and institutional system of nature conservation changed, and new harmful factors also appeared in the area. With the reduction of green spaces, public parks, and dog‑run areas between residential districts, the pressure from the public on nature‑conservation areas increased. Unfortunately, on Sashegy more and more illegal intruders appeared. Because of dog walking, cycling and almost constant disturbance, several rare animal species have already disappeared from the area. Some visitors knew they were trespassing, others in good faith thought that a short walk would not harm the area's wildlife. In addition to the built educational trails, new paths were forged, initiating erosion, and fire‑making sites were established. Significant areas were damaged, and numerous protected values are still in a state of destruction.

Therefore the Danube–Ipoly National Park Directorate – as a nature protection authority – in its decision in accordance with the new legal order, in 2003 reinforced the protection of Sas-hegy. It restricted the area's accessibility, deciding that visitors may only use the designated nature trails and rest areas.

In 2007 the Danube–Ipoly National Park Directorate received support from the European Union INTERREG programme for the renewal, protection and presentation of the values of the Sas-hegy Nature Conservation Area. Within the project, in the spring of 2008, on the 50th anniversary of the existence of the Sas-hegy Nature Conservation Area, a new exhibition was built in the visitor centre.

Researchers of Sas-hegy

Balogh János

Borbás Vince

Boros Ádám

Janka Viktor

Kitaibel Pál

Pénzes Antal

Sadler József

Changes in the surroundings of Sas-hegy

Sas-hegy has not been connected by natural forest cover with the rest of the Buda Hills for centuries. Not only did the settlers of Buda cut firewood, but already during the reign of King Géza II (1141–1162) the forests around the Buda Castle were cleared to plant vineyards. The first vineyards were in Óbuda, on the Little Gellért Hill and on Sas-hegy. White wines were cultivated in these areas for a long time. The Turkish occupation halted viticulture and wine production, but at the end of the 17th century the Serbs fleeing the Turks also spread Balkan red wine production in Buda. The most famous variety was Kadarka, and the best quality wines came from the sunny slopes of Sas-hegy, Gellért Hill, Nap Hill, Rókus Hill, Mátyás Hill and Szemlő Hill. The whole wine region was named after Sas-hegy. According to a map made in 1778 of the Buda and Pest area, on the Buda side from Óbuda through Rózsadomb to the Budaörs border there were vineyards everywhere. On Sas-hegy only the rocky summits rose out of the vineyards.