The best of the diverse Őrség landscape

Itinerary

• We leave Őriszentpéter towards Szalafő via the Templomszer, famous for its Árpád-era church.
• After cycling through Szalafő, we reach Pityerszer on the other side (a folk monument complex).
• At Pityerszer, we continue straight on a dozer road, turning right at the junctions to pass through the Primeval Forest.
• Upon reaching the main road, we turn left and cross Farkasfa.
• We take a detour to the Hársas Lake, then continue again on the dozer road.
• Turning right on the main road, we reach Kondorfa and return to Őriszentpéter.

Detailed description of the route

Őriszentpéter and Szalafő: introduction to the uniqueness of the Őrség

Heading towards Szalafő from the Őrség National Park visitor center, the Pajta Bistro will first invite us to a stop to enjoy something delicious in this modern restaurant fitting beautifully into the Őrség landscape. Highly recommended for the end of the route! Visiting the beautiful 13th-century church located at the end of Templomszer is a must. Around the church, the former moat system is visible, and behind it, a renovated medieval brick kiln can be seen. With a minimal detour, Keserűszer, one of the most beautiful parts of Őriszentpéter with many traditional buildings, can be reached by bike and is definitely worth the ride.

From Őriszentpéter, an easy ride leads to Szalafő, said to be the most archaic settlement of the Őrség, where there is also plenty to admire. The village, built on seven hills, thus consisting of seven 'szer' parts, is mainly known for the open-air museum located in Pityerszer, but it would be a mistake to rush through the village: at Őrszem Inn, local dishes can be tasted; next to Gatter Inn, we can admire the oldest tree in the Őrség; a small cheese purchase can be made at Ferencz farm; and for those curious about Őrség flavors, it is definitely worth visiting Gaál Zsuzsa's Memory Farm in Papszer (prior booking recommended)! At the Batha farm in Felsőszer, we can see how the Őrség's gold, pumpkin seed oil, is made.

Pityerszer: touching antiquity

After so many sights, we arrive at Pityerszer by overcoming a steep climb, where we dive into historical curiosities! The conquering Hungarians settled guards here who enjoyed royal privileges until the mid-17th century because they defended the western border at their own expense and with their own weapons. Soldiers settled on dryer elevations of the hilly landscape, from which later multi-house village parts, called 'szer', developed. This settlement type is still excellently observable in several places of the Őrség today. In fact, the Őrség is the only region in Hungary where part of the settlers from the conquest period still live in the same place today. Although not a geographically independent region, its folk traditions show many peculiarities, and the traditional culture is reflected everywhere even in the landscape.

The folk monument complex’s real value lies in the buildings being, except for one house, in their original locations, faithfully preserving medieval traditions. Here we find the 'tóka', a small pond still common in many parts of the Őrség. The locals could not drill wells on hilltops, so they had to go down to the valley for drinking water. Rainwater was collected in the tóka, used for watering animals, washing, and some manual work (e.g., flax retting). The unique Őrség house type due to semi-free-range livestock farming is the fenced house: the house and farm buildings are arranged not in a row but in a U shape, providing protection to animals and humans alike. We can see typical separate barns standing on brick pillars, called 'footed barns'. Finally, we can admire the country's only straw-thatched, multi-storey granary, which some researchers link to constructions used by the Székelys.

Excellent exhibitions can be seen at the museum, and delicious dödölle (potato dumplings) can be tasted at the buffet. Later, bricks replaced the wooden log walls, which are now rare; good quality clay was locally available. Although there are none in Pityerszer, various houses in Szalafő have protruding front porches, called 'kódisállásos' houses, the most beautiful local variants of brick houses named after the old-time travelers ('kódisok') who could find overnight shelter here.

The traditional Őrség farmsteads included orchards surrounding the houses and meadows with scattered fruit trees on the steeper hillsides, which are the most distinctive elements of the Őrség's landscape. This can be well observed in Pityerszer, especially when relaxing in the shade and admiring the view.

From Pityerszer, we continue straight on the wide dozer road easily followed on the tourist map, leading to the signposted Primeval Forest (turn right at the two large intersections). In the Őrség, forests and fields alternated spatially and temporally. Fields farther from the settlement were not fertilized and occasionally reforested, then the forest was later burned to prepare the soil for cultivation. The forests that have developed are no longer the formerly typical oak and beech but mixed stands dominated by birch, aspen, and Scots pine, often still preserving traces of ridge farming. Due to the heavy clay soil, ridges were necessary to let rainwater drain in furrows. The Primeval Forest is one of Hungary's forest reserves where no forestry interventions have taken place for a long time, allowing natural forest processes to be studied. If time allows, it is worth joining a guided tour by the National Park.

Hársas Lake: the atmosphere of the Alps

Further cycling, we are already at the source area of the Zala River - the origin of Szalafő's name. Soon, we reach the main road, where a left turn leads to a wild rush into Farkasfa. Apparently, a local pub often discusses the 'crazy cyclist' unable to brake in time when entering the village and therefore missing the turn.

We cycle from the village to Hársas Lake to take a swim in this beautiful natural environment without developed infrastructure. At the lake, partly surrounded by pine forest, we truly can feel like we are at the 'foot of the Alps'! Then we have to climb back up because turning from the lake junction back to Farkasfa, about 100 meters away, starts another widely visible dozer road on the tourist map, running through beautiful forests to the main road between Kondorfa and Csörötnek. From Kondorfa, belonging to Outer Őrség, we cycle back to Őriszentpéter on the main road, where if visiting during a festival, we can relax under an apple tree listening to concerts to end the day’s tiredness.