The edge of today's Debrecen was the frontier between empires and peoples. In the Great Forest to the north and in the woodland to the east of the town there was a several hundred kilometre long system of fortified trenches, which is called Ördögárok, Devil's Trench. It was part of a system of frontier defence built by Roman initiative from 322 to 332, however, after 378 the Romans gave it up. The trench working as a defence line was deep and wide. It was difficult to cross it because crossing was hindered by sharpened logs dug into the bottom and side of the trench.
You can visit a small reconstructed part of the trench system to the east of the town, by the southern side of the road leading to Vámospércs, at the station Csere-erdö (Csere Forest) of the narrow-gauge railway called Zsuzsi.
We invite you to find our geocache and visit the Devil's Trench.
The information panel placed at the Devil's Trench says the following: "There can be found remnants of the one-time giant mounds in a number of places at the edge of the Hungarian plain (Alföld). They are called Devil's Trench in the Trans-Tisza region. The mounds make a huge system, which runs around the Hungarian Plain at a length of 550 km (see the map). The system of mounds comprises not only one line, but two or three, or even 4 lines at certain places, which run parallel in a distance of 3-15 km from each other. The shapes and sizes of the mounds and trenches varied partly due to the quality of the ground. Depths ranged from 1.5 to 3 metres, widths from 3.4 to 10.4 metres.
When scientific investigations were made, there were dating findings discovered. It is very likely that the mounds and trenches were made by Sarmatians in the 320's and 330's.
There are two lines of Devil's Trench around Debrecen. One runs from Csere-erdö (Csere Forest) in the Hajdúhadház area to Monostori erdö (Monostor Forest) and through Nagyerdö (Great Forest) and to Paci erdö (Pac Forest) in the Debrecen area. The other runs from Nagyerdö (Great Forest) of Hajdúhadház through Pallag, it bends to the south and crosses Fancsikai-Bánki erdö (Fancsika-bánk Forest). A part of the latter was reconstructed in 1968."
THE HIDING PLACE: You can find the cache not far from the reconstructed mound. The cache is covered with branches at the root of a tree standing close to the fence. Make sure you hide the cache well, please, after logging in the logbook.
GETTING TO THE PLACE: If you go by train, take trolley No 2 to Köztemetö (Cemetery), get off at the third stop on the corner of Faraktár Street. Then take bus No 37 on the other corner of Faraktár Street (N47° 31.785 E 21° 38.404). Get off at Csere-erdö stop. (You are supposed to punch two tickets on bus No 37.) The cache is a 3-minute walk from the bus-stop.
If you go by car, find road 48 taking to Vámospércs and Nyírábrány.
You can also go by narrow-gauge train from April to September. The cache is only about a 5-minute walk from Csere-erdö train-stop. You can go by bicycle or walk on the bicycle road from the town. (It is about an hour's walk.)
CACHE SERIES: The cache is one of our series called Debrecen and Its Vicinity. Please, make note of the serial number and the password you find in the logbook, you may need it later when finding the other members of the series.
We wish you a pleasant walk and success in finding the cache. Be careful, there are lots of thorny bushes in the area. Make sure you hide the cache well, please, after logging in the logbook.
K:Pisti & *Andy, the hiders of the cache