Zengo
Encyclopedia
Zengő (ˈzɛŋɡøː; Croatian: Zenka) is the highest mountain
in Mecsek Mountains
in southern Hungary
– its height is 682 metres. The peak is situated in the southeastern part of the range. On its top, along with a look-out tower, the ruins of a small medieval castle are standing which was probably built on the site of an earlier guard tower
of the Roman Empire
.
The peak can be most easily reached from Pécsvárad
or Hosszúhetény
.
who argued that the radar and the adjacent road construction would damage strictly protected species living on the mountains including the Paeonia officinalis
ssp. Banatica. Ninety percent of the total population of that rare flower
lives on the Zengő.
Forcing the government to give up the plan was the most successful action of environmentalist
in Hungary for over a decade. The defenders of the Zengő included former Constitutional Court head László Sólyom
who in 2005 was elected President of the Republic by parliament despite the ruling Hungarian Socialist Party
's will. Sólyom often takes tours on the mountain.
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
in Mecsek Mountains
Mecsek
Mecsek is a mountain range in southern Hungary. It is situated in the Baranya region, in the north of the city of Pécs.-Geography:The mountains cover an area of approximately 500 km². The highest peak in the mountain range is Zengő , which has an elevation of 682 metres...
in southern Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
– its height is 682 metres. The peak is situated in the southeastern part of the range. On its top, along with a look-out tower, the ruins of a small medieval castle are standing which was probably built on the site of an earlier guard tower
Guard tower
Guard tower serves as a general term for any military tower providing vigilance, and henceforth guarding a certain area.-Famous guard towers:*Alcatraz guard towers*Auschwitz II guard towers*Tower of London*Yuma Territorial Prison 1876 guard tower....
of the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
.
The peak can be most easily reached from Pécsvárad
Pécsvárad
-Sightseeings:Among the most significant Hungarian heritage from the Middle Ages is the castle built on a Benedictine monastery commissioned by King St Stephen. The building complex is now used as a museum and a hotel.-External links:*...
or Hosszúhetény
Hosszúhetény
Hosszúhetény is a village in southwest Hungary, Baranya county.It is located 18 kilometres northeast to Pécs, the county capital, in a valley between the feet of Zengő, the highest peak of the Mecsek mountains and the peak called Hármashegy....
.
Name
Its name literally translates as "resonant". According to the local legend the noise heard from the mountain from time to time is caused by treasure hunters who entered the mountainside hundreds of years ago and could never come out again.Radar plan
In 2005 the Hungarian government abandoned a plan to build a NATO radar on the peak after fierce resistance to the plan from locals and green groupsGreen politics
Green politics is a political ideology that aims for the creation of an ecologically sustainable society rooted in environmentalism, social liberalism, and grassroots democracy...
who argued that the radar and the adjacent road construction would damage strictly protected species living on the mountains including the Paeonia officinalis
Paeonia officinalis
Paeonia officinalis, or European peony, Common peony, is the common peony cultivated in Europe for five hundred years. It was first used for medicinal purposes, then grown as an ornamental. Many selections are now used in horticulture, though the typical species is uncommon. Paeonia officinalis is...
ssp. Banatica. Ninety percent of the total population of that rare flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
lives on the Zengő.
Forcing the government to give up the plan was the most successful action of environmentalist
Environmentalist
An environmentalist broadly supports the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that seeks to improve and protect the quality of the natural environment through changes to environmentally harmful human activities"...
in Hungary for over a decade. The defenders of the Zengő included former Constitutional Court head László Sólyom
László Sólyom
László Sólyom is a Hungarian political figure, lawyer, and librarian who was President of Hungary from 2005 to 2010. Previously he was President of the Constitutional Court of Hungary from 1990 to 1998....
who in 2005 was elected President of the Republic by parliament despite the ruling Hungarian Socialist Party
Hungarian Socialist Party
The Hungarian Socialist Party describes itself as a social democratic party in Hungary. It is the partial successor of the communist Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party , which ruled Hungary between 1956 and 1989. The decision to declare the party a successor of the MSZMP was controversial, and...
's will. Sólyom often takes tours on the mountain.