Following in the footsteps of St. Emeric

Itinerary:

• From the Szentgotthárd (Rábafüzes) snack bus stop along the main street of the village to the Holy Trinity Church, where we join the P trail.
• We follow the P trail all the way to the St. Emeric Church located at the Austrian-Hungarian border.
• From the St. Emeric Church, we follow the Z trail along the border to the border stone marked C94-1.
• At the border stone, heading south, we cross over a 30-40 meter unmarked section to reconnect with the already known section of the P trail heading south.
• From here, we proceed on a short section of the P trail again, entering from north to south-southwest, towards a gravel road heading to Rábafüzes.
• Here, leaving the P trail, we head south on the Maria Road back towards our starting point.

Detailed description of the route

From Rábafüzes to Felső-Csóka

We start our hike from Rábafüzes, at the bus stop named "Rábafüzes, snack bar," where parking is also available. From here we follow the main street of the village and join the P trail at the Holy Trinity Church built in 1888, heading north. Walking among neat houses fitting into the hillside, we continue our hike along the Rábafüzes stream.

Rábafüzes was already inhabited in Roman times, first mentioned in writing in 1150 as Fides, then Fizes. The village is named after the large alder swamp area along the Rába river near the village border. From the Cistercian settlement in Szentgotthárd in 1183, the village was the property of the order; by the 15th century, it was recorded as part of the castle estates of Németújvár. From the 16th century, it belonged to the Batthyány estate, along with its vineyards, orchards, and mill. In 1946, about 80% of the mainly German-speaking population was expelled.

Along the well-developed path beside the stream, we can immerse ourselves in the breath of the Alpokalja region. Here, among the protected animal species, we may easily encounter the subtly colored butterfly with violet-blue wings that favors birch tree communities, as well as the red (male) or black (female) "capped" small woodpecker. In this zone, the protected broad-leaved, unisexual, short-running beard sedge also occurs.

The P trail continues from the winding path beside the stream up the hillside opening from the valley neck, going eastward. Here, we aim for the ridge by choosing the most defining path. While climbing, we may spot the most common species of titmouse, the long-tailed tit, intriguingly gliding with its tail feathers raised; it feeds on insects.

Upon reaching the hilltop, after a few hundred meters in authentic forest surroundings, we arrive at the geodetic measuring tower, from which there is no view due to the overhanging foliage.

From Felső-Csóka to Felsőrönök

From the 354 m high Felső-Csóka hill, we can look out towards Sándorhegy and Borosgödör to the east. In the ridge forest areas, attention can be paid to the presence of various forest bird species among beech and hornbeam-oak woods. From the branches of edge trees, the red-backed shrike takes off hunting insects. The sooty-headed relative can be distinguished by the black cap under its head and the white collar, called a "ruff", on the forehead.

Along our path, we can easily identify the large woodpecker of the beech forests, the black woodpecker, by its red cap, black plumage, impressive appearance, and marks made on trees. The activity of the tawny owl, a natural enemy of forest mice and voles, nesting in hollow trees and sometimes sporting reddish feathers, is mostly noticed in the evening and nighttime hours.

Continuing along the P trail, we descend among spruce forests. With a watchful eye, we might often notice the yellow-headed kinglet, a tiny, agile bird with a yellow crown, measuring only about 9 cm in length with a wingspan of 13-15 cm, often heard singing from the treetop.

In some invasion years, we might be lucky to meet the crossbill hanging upside down on pine branches while opening cones. It owes its name to its uniquely crossed beak, which it uses to pry apart cone scales, feeding mainly on pine seeds.

After the pine forests, we proceed along an easily walkable gravel road in the valley of the Sánta stream towards Felsőrönök. On the meadows alongside the road, especially in April-May, the violet-colored broad honey orchid can be found blooming, identifiable by its dark spotting. The striped-breasted, characteristic "chirping" songbird, the bush cricket bird, may also appear near the alder groves.

Along the stream with a keen eye, we can observe the robust, black-patterned but predominantly green forest dragonfly with yellow stripes on the abdomen on a black background. Occasionally, one of our special raptors, the European honey buzzard, might cross our path. Though more slender than the common buzzard, as its name suggests, it feeds mainly on wild bees' and wasps' larvae and pupae, but also consumes adults. It typically locates its prey from heights and pecks out underground wasp nests with its feet. We may also spot the playful, skillfully maneuvering European squirrel moving during the day. Its fur color variations help it blend with its environment. The long tail aids not only in balance but also serves as a warm cover.

Arriving at Felsőrönök, once famous for its grazing livestock, we can even replenish our cheese supplies at the eco-farm.

At the St. Emeric Church

At the fork leading to the St. Emeric Church, the atmospheric St. Emeric Chapel invites pilgrims and tourists to pause. After leaving the chapel, we continue on the Z trail along the final section of the pilgrimage route, attracting more followers between the two world wars, heading towards the church emerging among the foliage.

Felsőrönök’s impressive Roman Catholic church dedicated to St. Emeric stands only a few meters from the national border. A Romanesque church stood at the site until the late 19th century but deteriorated so badly it had to be demolished. According to memory, on the last Sunday of November 1898, during mass, a stormy wind lifted the church roof, causing bricks to fall on worshippers, injuring several people. The foundation stone of the new church was laid in 1902, and it was consecrated at Pentecost 1904. The three bells in the tower were made in Temesvár in the workshop of Antal Novotny. There are openings above the bells in the tower preventing the bells' sounds from blending. The church is 35 m long, 15 m wide, and 17 m high. Its cross top reaches 35 m in height.

In the early 1950s, authorities prohibited believers from visiting the church and holding pilgrimages. The last local priest was driven away; on the evening of December 9, 1951, he fled through the mined barbed wire into Austria. The church was then closed, and no one was allowed to enter for 39 years. By the 1970s, plans for permanent demolition arose—the building was long used by border guards and was virtually in ruins by the 1980s. Reconstruction could only take place after the regime change. Today, this wonderful location serves as an ideal resting place and camp for scouts, hikers, and pilgrims. Around the church are monuments commemorating the Hungarian conquest, the former parish school, and Hungarian saints.

From the border stones back to Rábafüzes

After viewing the carefully restored and renovated church interior, we cross the border and continue along the Z trail beside the border stones.

In the scenic border zone forests, it is not uncommon to spot orchids belonging to the bird’s nest orchid family, growing 20-30 cm tall. This plant, recognized by its long honey spur, thick, dense cylindrical clusters, and characteristic light brown coloration, is named after its thick, bird’s nest-like root system spreading from the rhizome. Near oak trees, we might be lucky to spot the continent’s largest stag beetle, which flies clumsily towards us. Males use their antler-like mandibles during combat, which gave the beetle its name. If many stag beetle carcasses are found in a spot, it is likely the work of the predatory shrike, a strong-beaked bird whose name translates as "thorn shrike."

On the Z trail, along the Iron Curtain route, we proceed to the border stone C94-1, then after about 30-40 meters heading south, we take an unmarked crossing with a missing section of wire fence to rejoin the P trail heading south-southeast on a known section. With a small loop, we return to the previously traversed descending road through pine forests, then at the gravel road junction turn left, leaving the P trail behind and walking south on the sparsely marked Maria Road toward the eastern end of Rábafüzes. Entering the village section and passing the former border guard buildings, we soon return to our starting point.