In the footsteps of the Iron Curtain and its soldiers

Itinerary

• From the building of the Erdő Háza Ecotourism Visitor Center, we head northeast on the Récényi road marked with K.
• After 100 m, we turn right onto the Z marking.
• At the corner of the game fence, we turn right again onto an unmarked section.
• We head northwest on the Z (and P) marking.
• After 200 m, passing the Muck parking lot, we turn left and the K marking also joins us.
• After 400 m, we turn right again onto an unmarked road.
• At the large intersection, we turn right onto the Z marking, which follows the route of the former technical border barrier.
• At the intersection with the asphalt road, turning right on the K marking, we return to our starting point.

Detailed description of the hike

Muck

The German-sounding place name Muck is also known as the "father of the Sopron forests," commemorating Endre Muck from the Czech Sudetenland, who successfully applied for the forest ranger position of the city of Sopron in 1874. Until then, the city’s 7000 hold of forest estate had been mainly renewed by coppicing, which only provided wood usable as firewood. In 1886, Muck prepared the first management plan for the Sopron forests, which laid the foundation for regular forest management. He began pine planting already in 1881 in Várhely and along the Kecske stream, aiming to prepare the site for a future healthy oak and beech stand with longer harvest rotation. His plantations were ahead of their time in scale, as in 1910 nearly 400,000 seedlings were planted and 80 kg of silver fir seeds sown. During his 35 years of forest service, he gradually transformed the coppice into a high forest and increased the harvest rotation from the previous 15-20 years to 40 and then 60 years.

Besides his official role, he played a defining role in the efforts of the Sopron Beautification Association and the Transdanubian Tourist Association to improve accessibility around the city. Thanks to his work, by 1906 the Sopron Mountains were crisscrossed with 335 km of marked hiking trails. He prepared its tourist maps, published as supplements to the first Sopron hiking guide "Illustrierter Führer durch Oedenburg und seine Umgebungen" commissioned by Károly Romwalter. He was a member of the Lövér Committee and organized the Villa Street vacation resort.

On the site of the former Muck border guard barracks, the Erdő Háza Ecotourism Visitor Center complex was completed in 2021. Its interactive exhibition presents the forest in many aspects, fascinating both adults and children. The smaller the exhibition area, the more interesting, exciting discoveries it offers – all seasoned with games and intriguing facts. Outdoors, in the enclosure, one can get to know the “classics” of local forest wildlife – not just from signs but almost up close. In 2023, nearby the closed forest pension, the Muck tourist house was opened, where (with prior reservation) up to 40 people can stay overnight.

Along the Iron Curtain

From the buildings, we head northeast on the Récényi road marked with K. Shortly after, about 100 m, we turn right onto the Z marking, following the route of the former technical border barrier.

The Iron Curtain was established around 1945-1948; it hermetically sealed off Eastern Europe from Western Europe for decades. Alongside the technical barrier and fortress system, the earlier border hunter and later border guard organizations were set up, and the western and southern border sections were comprehensively closed. By the end of 1950, 1000 km of wire obstacles were built on the Austrian and Yugoslav border sections, of which 871 km were mined. The total cost of the protective works was nearly 7 billion forints.

Between October 1955 and October 20, 1956, the western border section was eased due to decreasing international tensions; however, after the October 23 uprising, the potential armed conflict shifted towards Austria. Thus, in 1957, the closure of this part of the state border was re-ordered. Alongside the 282 km of new wire obstacle, over 1 million mines were deployed. The next phase until 1970 involved switching to the SZ-100 electric signaling system (EJR), which enhanced security but increased workload due to technical failures and animal-caused alerts.

Finally, on March 19, 1989, the national commander of the border guard proposed dismantling the signaling system; work began on April 18, and by the time the relevant government decree was published, the dismantling was complete on a 150 km section. The border guard fully dismantled the Iron Curtain by August 1989, one year ahead of the Interior Ministry's schedule.

Back to the Muck parking lot

We proceed straight on the wide road closed by a barrier up to the corner of the game fence, then turn right onto unmarked bicycle tracks. We continue straight until the next intersection near the new growth, then turn right on a slightly overgrown path (ski track). Progress is easy in the grassy oak forest, after the park-like area we reach a red pine stand, then a fresher small hollow follows where the surrounding trees arch tunnel-like above the road, and stinging nettles in the developed herb layer may tickle our legs.

The upper circle of 8

Soon we reach the shared Z and P marks, where we turn northwest. After about 200 m, we pass the Muck parking lot and then turn left – here the K marking also joins us. We continue along a wide gravel road beside a clear-cut area, where the previous forest changes to a red pine stand. This deciduous, many-needled pine species offers spectacular red female flowers in early spring and yellowing foliage in autumn.

After about 400 m, before a large bend, we must turn right. Be careful as this is an unmarked section, so don't miss it! We continue on a wide, grassy, well-maintained clearing, then after a small climb through a mixed pine forest, we arrive at an intersection where we turn right onto the Z marking. On the long, wide, straight road, passing marsh thistles lining the forest, we reach the Récényi road, where turning right, we rejoin the K marking and return to the starting point.