Borderland wandering in the Pinka Gorge and the Vas hill

Itinerary

• In Felsőcsatár, we start from the church heading south on the Z+ trail.
• Following the trail, at the bus stop and stone cross, we turn right. At the end of this street, the Z+ joins the Z trail; we continue left on it.
• We cross the Pinka bridge, then soon leave the asphalt road: we turn right, following the Z trail.
• After 1.5 km the Z+ trail begins, but we stay on the Z trail which here takes a sharp left hairpin uphill.
• Following the Z trail, 650 meters later we reach the Eisenberg border crossing.
• Still following the Z trail downhill: after 1.7 km on the asphalt road we arrive at Judit's wine tavern.
• At 180 meters, the Z trail takes a right-angle right turn, which we leave after 50 meters with a left right-angle turn, switching to the Z+ trail.
• After 500 meters of asphalt road, the Z+ trail turns left as a path ascending to the ridge – here the Z▲ trail branches left, which we follow back and forth to the chapel with two 400-meter detours.
• The winding Z+ trail leads down to the parking lot after 1.6 km – from there, on the already known route (Z, then right on Z+) we return to the church.

About the route in detail

From Felsőcsatár to the Pinka Gorge

The current western border of our country follows the meeting point of the Alpokalja (the eastern foothills of the Alps) and the Vas-Sopron plain. This section lies south of the Kőszeg Mountains, between the Pinka plain and the Vas hill. Since 1923, the state border has divided this small region, which was hardly or not at all accessible to tourists until the regime change. Nowadays, citizens of both countries can freely explore the beauties and hidden values of the area.

We start our journey from the St. Nicholas Church, which already stood in 1284 – next to it, a Holy Trinity statue can be seen. The memorial plaque next to the entrance refers to the 1923 referendum and the reintegration (Felsőcsatár is one of the "most loyal villages"). On the right, we leave several houses built in local styles, then at the “Glavica” bus stop and the stone cross, we turn right. At the end of the street, heading left, we soon cross the Pinka bridge. The stream is usually abundant and fast-flowing; already here there are rapids and mini waterfalls making the downward flowing watercourse interesting. At the road intersection on the left, there is a parking area and an info board. Our path leads right from the asphalt road into the magical Pinka gorge. The excellent quality water originates at the border between Austria and our country, meandering extensively crossing back and forth between both countries, eventually flowing into the Rába river. Its crystal-clear water hosts 28 fish species, among which trout and chub stand out.

On the other side of the stream, you can see a mill built in the 16th century. Contemporary sources name Simon Kuthasy, a cavalry captain, as owner in 1592, who received the estate and the building on it in exchange for promising his lord to always secure its defense with full armament together with his two sons. Another, much later curiosity is that the four-wheeled mill supplied electricity to the nearby village from 1927. Unfortunately, it no longer operates today.

The winding, gushing stream offers a breathtaking view in every season. The water cascades over logs and rocks, and further ahead you will notice the dam and fish ladder built in 2014, whose existence are closely linked. The series of small waterfalls enables fish (mainly trout) migrating upstream during spawning. Thanks to the fish ladder, the fish can overcome the 30-40 cm height difference against the flow easily, and the small ponds provide resting places for continuation – thus neutralizing the obstacle created by the dam. From the resting area built beside it, the path winds through a wild landscape. Near the stream, we cut through a pleasant forest where on the left side you can see several rock ridges, green and gray slate cliff faces.

Up to Nagyvilágos!

After a winding start, the first section of the trail climbs steeply up the mountain. Meanwhile, on the right, great views open to the Pinka valley we just visited and the Austrian mountains on the far side. After the pine forest, the slope eases, and soon a small (unmarked) path starts to the left. It is worth making the approx. 300-meter round detour because a splendid viewpoint offers a nice panorama towards Felsőcsatár. After returning, we mostly follow the ridge until we reach a covered resting place next to the geodetic tower. On the latter, a painted sign says it is dangerous to climb – which is a pity because it would be worthwhile due to the wonderful 360-degree panorama. To the north, Felsőcsatár, Narda, and Csajta (Schachendorf) are visible, to the east Torony and Sé, and further away Szombathely. To the west, Austria, the nearby vineyards of Csejke (Eisenberg), and Pinkaóvár (Burg) can be seen clearly. After the tower and rain shelter, very soon, about fifty meters away, the already seen Z▲ trail starts. On it (again with a fifty-meter detour), you can visit a burial mound. The Iron Age find is actually a small artificial hill where our ancestors were buried, then – using stones and earth – mounds higher than the terrain level were formed.

Among vineyards and wine cellars

After an easy descent, we come out on a clearing where the border crossing towards Csejke (Eisenberg) is visible. An asphalt road goes down among the wine cellars – most of which were built over a hundred years ago, but quite new ones can also be found. Some timber-framed buildings and several cellars built from "csatári stone" can also be seen. Meanwhile, magnificent views often open in both directions towards Vaskeresztes and Austria.

On the returning section of the long curved road, we find Judit's wine tavern – the local, homely wine tasting spots here are called Buschenschank. Delicious bites and excellent syrups (and the blue frank from Vaskeresztes) can also be tasted on site. Leaving the asphalt roads, a moderate climb leads us back to the ridge, where among the vineyards we can admire the small medieval Virgin Mary chapel and the great view from there. In its immediate neighborhood is the Vasfüggöny Museum founded by Sándor Goják, worth visiting. The former border guard sergeant presents the connection between the Vas hill and the Iron Curtain through his own experiences and collection, talks about the Trianon peace treaty, the "loyal villages", the hardships of crossing and smuggling over the border, and how difficult it was to enter the strictly controlled area. In the colorful report, we can also get to know the recently abandoned burial mounds and the three hundred-year-old Batthyány chapel.

We leave the last buildings on a winding path and descend back through a forest to the parking area with an information board, then return to the starting point church by the same route.