alpannonia® Hard - Melting Pot of Nations

Our route follows the alpannonia® yellow trail markings for only about 50%, so it is definitely recommended to use a GPS device or this map, as often no other tourist markings assist with navigation.

• In Horvátzsidány, we approach the starting point of our route from the Church of St. John the Baptist. First, we walk down Posta Street, turn left then sharply right onto Tömördi Street, and immediately turn left towards the forest, where shortly after we spot the alpannonia® yellow trail marking. In a short time, we reach the Kiszsidány Spring, where the usual dense tourist signs found in Hungary make the use of a map or GPS device unnecessary.
• At the first major intersection, we turn left towards the village center, walk along the Main Street right to the road connecting Horvátzsidány with Csepreg. We cross to the opposite side of the road, where we find the Church of the Virgin Mary. To its right, the alpannonia® yellow marking continues, and we follow the traffic rules with increased attention and caution, as cars and scheduled long-distance buses also travel here.
• About 200 meters later, we are once again led safely along an agricultural dirt road by the alpannonia® yellow marking. At intersections, we do not turn off but continue straight until we enter the park around the Peresznye Lake. In this beautiful environment, we can also try outdoor fitness equipment, cross the small bridge over the Peresznye Creek, and turn left onto Hunyadi Street.
• Hunyadi Street leads us to the main road, which we cross diagonally left-right; under the Tégláskert Restaurant, we reach Zrínyi Miklós Street. We continue here until at the end of the street, after passing farm buildings, we reach another dirt road, cross a small bridge over a creek again, and continue to the first intersection.
• At this intersection, we turn left and walk straight for a long time through the fields, then shortly meet the alpannonia® yellow marking again. We continue all the way to the radio tower, where we turn right; from here on, we will not see tourist markings for a long time. We walk to the edge of the forest, turn left at the trees, then, following the path, turn right and "lose" ourselves in the forest. At the sign marking the national border, we turn left and follow the road; at the next intersection, we turn right again down the slope, finally crossing the Ribnyák Creek on a wooden bridge and walking again through fields.
• We follow the agricultural dirt road until we notice large, motionless brown figures in the distance. As we approach, it becomes clear these are cows, specifically Jersey cattle. A family from Ólmod raises them for their delicious dairy products. The enclosed area for the cows is located at a sharp bend on the road from Horvátzsidány to Ólmod, but we stay on the dirt road and turn right at the cows.
• We follow the winding dirt road, first turning left; to our right runs the border line and a creek babbles in the thicket. This area is definitely muddy, so choose your hiking day carefully. The dirt road continues winding, crossing into Austria, where we continue hiking on a gravel path. In Borsmonostor on Wiesengasse Street, we see more and more houses to our left and, to the right in the distance, the Schneeberg again.
• At the first intersection, we turn left onto Grenzgasse Street. Houses are built closely together, with many house cats in the gardens, as we gently climb into the forest. Before the border, there is still a wider turn for cars; we keep left on a good-quality dirt road intended for cyclists, and shortly after, we encounter a Hungarian-language sign: we have returned to Hungary.
• Descending into Ólmod along Klastromi Street, we reach Main Street, first turning right, then left onto Fenyő Street. We continue along Fenyő Street until we reach the statue of the Virgin Mary; before this, we turn left and see the alpannonia® yellow marking again, which after a respectable forest climb leads us to the Belovich Chapel.
• Leaving the chapel behind, we reach an intersection paved with concrete slabs, turning left. At the next intersection, following the Maria Way marking, we turn left again and walk forward through a clearing made for the electrical network. Shortly after, the marking turns right; nearby we find the 2nd verification point/insect hotel, then our path leads to the Csepreg road connecting Kőszeg with Horvátzsidány.
• We cross to the other side of the road and, following the Maria Way marking, walk on the road embankment over the cars until we reach the Maria Chapel. From here, a sign shows the direction towards Marton Szállás on the concrete slab road, and we follow this. It is a long straight road; the mentioned Marton Szállás is on our right, later on the left, the "Képesfa" gives meaning to the name...
• Although a road branches sharply left at a 90-degree angle, we continue straight, again reaching an agricultural dirt road, walk to the forest, then along the edge of the field and forest continuously to the Péruska Maria Chapel. Here, we can even barbecue at the built fire pit or simply become contemplative in the garden of patron saints.
• Our path leads right from the Péruska Chapel, but we can also shorten the route across the field; it is worth watching the map, targeting the forest where we see the alpannonia® yellow marking again. Entering the forest, we see traces of large forestry machines, follow our marking, which at an intersection turns left, then shortly after right, finally after a left branch leads us back to the starting point of our route at Tömördi Street in Horvátzsidány. From here, we know the way to the Church of St. John the Baptist.