Development of the Cultural Landscape of the Slovak Enclave Mlynky (Pest County, Hungary) and the Possibilities of Its Sustainable Present Use

The landscape of Mlynky Village, situated in the north–northwest part of Pest County, is characterized by preserved areas of historical cultural landscape and monuments, which were created or rebuilt mainly by Slovak colonists’ activities. The aim of this study was the cultural–ecological characterization of the Slovak enclave Mlynky territory and the reconstruction of the land use (historical land use), with an emphasis on the period from the mid-18th century (from the founding of the village on the land of the Pauline monastery) to 2022. We used the findings on land use changes to develop an integrated landscape management approach, which we present as two framework proposals. They aim to coordinate the development of anthropogenic activities in the present while preserving the cultural–historical potential of the studied area (rescue, revitalization, and protection of selected landscape archetypes) since the natural beauty and historical values of the landscape of the studied area have been protected since 1997 by the legislation of the Danube–Ipoly National Park. The research results also confirm the importance of natural driving forces that played a fundamental role in cultivating the local landscape during the period under study. This fact is reflected in the relatively small areas with high anthropogenic use (arable land and permanent grasslands).