alpannonia® Hard - It truly is a peak experience...

Our route follows the alpannonia® yellow and red markings 95% of the time, but note that in Austria we encounter hiking signs much less frequently compared to the Hungarian side, so it is advisable to use a map and/or GPS device.

• Our starting point is the Saint Joseph chapel in Bozsok, from here we head towards Austria and the border crossing following the alpannonia® yellow marking, initially on the sidewalk along the main road up to the intersection with Kökörcsin Street, from which we continue carefully by the side of the road, obeying traffic regulations.
• We are almost at the border, but the alpannonia® yellow marking points sharply right and upwards onto a street that runs parallel to the main road for a short while before turning right into the forest. There are a few holiday-like houses here, then we "enter" the forest following the alpannonia® yellow marking. Beware, on this section we are likely to encounter herds of deer or roe deer, so try to move quietly.
• We reach the first significant intersection after about 10 minutes, here we turn sharply left but still follow the alpannonia® yellow marking, soon arriving at the Holler cave intersection. It is worth exploring the cave, but for this we briefly leave the alpannonia® marked trail by branching off to the right, walking about 100 meters from the intersection, where on the right we see the conventional cave sign on a tree and a narrow worn path; about 50 meters further we will spot and can freely enter the Holler cave, then return to the alpannonia® yellow marked route.
• We now follow a longer mostly downhill section until we reach a babbling brook and an intersection, where the red hiking sign would lead sharply right into the Dark Valley, but we follow the alpannonia® yellow mark diagonally forward-right onto a slightly ascending path.
• On our left across the brook on a high mountainside we may spot a herd of mouflons, so it is worth observing carefully here. Our path crosses the brook again higher up but there is no intersection here, we just follow the alpannonia® yellow marking. Higher up the path turns back towards the valley, reaching a three-way intersection where we must take the first sharply left and upward option, again guided by the alpannonia® yellow marking.
• We reach a clearing, at the next intersection the marking is painted on a large rock; here we also turn left. We pass a wildlife feeder, which already has a white arrow painted pointing up and right towards Írott-kő. Following the alpannonia® yellow marking along the clearing, our path leads uphill to the dense pine forest just below Írott-kő.
• Exiting the dense pine forest, we find the first checkpoint/insect hotel and a small wooden hut, and from here we can already see the Írottkő lookout barely 50 meters high. After exploring the lookout, we continue on the alpannonia® red marking now in Austria, proceeding straight at every intersection towards the Austrian side parking lot of Írott-kő, known as Passhöhe.
• At the parking lot, our neighbors built a World War memorial and there is also an alpannonia® information board. After viewing these, we head towards the parking lot’s rear right corner and continue our hike following the alpannonia® red marking. We walk on a forestry dirt road for a good while until the marking leads us onto a narrow path densely surrounded by tall undergrowth, following the trail to a small clearing where a tower nearby can be seen. We are close to Szarvaskő (Hirschenstein) peak, though our current route does not lead us all the way there, but visiting it is recommended due to proximity, and the alpannonia® red marking easily leads to and back from there. There is also a much taller broadcasting tower at Szarvaskő whose size impresses.
• After resting and marveling at the size of the tower beside Szarvaskő, we return to the intersection after the lower tower, leaving the alpannonia® red marking for the yellow; from the smaller tower side, that is, arriving at the intersection according to our original route, we turn right. Note that we look for the alpannonia® yellow marking but don’t find it, only a white-painted alpannonia® letter 'a' on a tree a few steps right from the intersection. This will serve as our "yellow" marking for a while.
• From here, at the first intersection, we turn left following the white alpannonia® letter 'a'; on our right in the forest, we see a large white building, the former Rohonc sanatorium. Currently empty, but still guarded, so we kindly ask hikers to only look at it from the path. Nearby is also the 2nd checkpoint/insect hotel.
• Our path continues beside the sanatorium on a forest footpath until reaching the paved access road connecting the sanatorium to the Rohonc-Léka (Lockenhaus) main road. On the asphalt, we turn left, walk out to the main road; the now genuinely yellow alpannonia® marking leads us to the intersection and here we follow a roughly 500-meter section alongside the main road downward to the bottom of an S-curve where the marking then leads us back into the forest downhill to the right. Be careful and strictly observe traffic rules here, as this excellent quality road with bends is favored by drivers and motorcyclists, and scheduled long-distance buses also operate here, so caution is advised!
• After the S-curve, the alpannonia® yellow marking leads us right into the forest; after a few meters at a small intersection, we turn left and continue downhill beside electric poles following the alpannonia® yellow marking. On this path we go straight ahead, though a few minor side branches exist, we proceed continuously forward until arriving at an S-curve where we cross the brook flowing on our left, then walk between a smaller brook on the left and a larger one on the right.
• We continue forward until reaching an intersection, where we continue straight uphill following the alpannonia® yellow marking; at the forest edge below to the right is a dilapidated house on the other side of the brook. Shortly after, we reach Nußgrabengasse street in Rohonc. Among beautiful large houses, we walk to the end of the street reaching the intersection by the evangelical church.
• Under the church, we then turn left since signs indicate the Badesee bathing lake to the left, our next tour stop. We always follow Hochstraße street to the left, until reaching the mill before the lake, then we see the lake’s parking and the high embankment. Upon reaching it, the lake view unfolds before us; we can walk around it from any direction, maybe also admire the mentioned bird tower, then return to the parking, circle the mill, and now turn left then right onto Faludigasse street, proceeding to the next first intersection.
• At the intersection, beside the fence of the house on the left, a sign points left-up to a narrow climbing path to the Rohonc vineyard hill (Weingebirge). On the path, we again see the alpannonia® yellow marking. Among the houses, we find ourselves on Tieferweg street, turn left, follow the upward street bending right, proceed straight at the intersection onto Weinbergstraße street, which continues sharply right at the next intersection; we also turn sharply right downward, then at the next opportunity sharply left onto Weigebirge street.
• Here we see beautiful wine cellars (sometimes with Hungarian-sounding family names), while also enjoying the panorama, splendid... At the first serious triple intersection, we choose the middle road, Tieferweg street, continuing on and marveling. Before the end of the street, we turn right downward, then immediately left. The street curves gently then straightens, we continue straight ahead, then turn right at the next intersection which leads us down to the main road.
• We now see the border crossing, so we turn left and, obeying traffic rules, walk by the main road, crossing the border back into Hungary, now on familiar terrain returning to our tour’s starting point, the Saint Joseph chapel in Bozsok.