Szalafő ‘szerek’ (PICK Burgundy circular tour)

• From the bus stop to the Zala crossing, follow the K signs.
• After the Zala bridge, follow the thematic route signs of red heart from Szerről szerre in Szalafő until Pityerszer.
• At Pityerszer, take a detour on the S sign to the bison enclosure, then return back.
• From Pityerszer, follow the red heart signs again until the bus stop.

Detailed description of the tour

Getting to know the 'szerek'

Our tour starts from Szalafő's "center", from the Templomszer bus stop. The quotation marks are justified: the "szeres" settlements typical for Őrség and Göcsej do not have a real center. Since the central parts of the country, which characterize much of Western Hungary, largely avoided village decay, they preserve their ancient, Conquest-era structure. In the 900s, Székely families assigned to border guarding established their homesteads on hills rising from marshy valleys – thus the 'szerek' were created, whose size, population, and clustered arrangement of houses are similar to former manors. The literature describes them as a transition between scattered and grouped settlements.

Because the population is small, the 'szerek' rarely have buildings serving central functions. In Szalafő, our starting point, Templomszer provides physical and spiritual nourishment to the settlement: only here can you find a shop and a church, as well as the community center and the library. The village consists of seven 'szerek' – six of which we visit – symbolized by the Tree of Life near the bus stop, whose seven elaborately carved branches point towards each 'szer'. But other elements of the oak tree are symbolic: the Zala River – called Szala in local dialect – depicted as a wave line, represents the eyes of Őrség. Next to the tree we find the ice cellar, which once served as the "refrigerator" for the food and drinks of the Szalafő tavern.

Across Zala

We head south on the K sign, bypassing a playground and football field. Passing an honesty box stand, we reach a farm with an electric fence, and cross the almost stagnant Zala River.

The K signs turn left; from here we follow the thematic route "From Szer to Szer" in Szalafő marked by the red heart. Along this section we bypass a few bilingual Hungarian-Slovenian signs: these are waymarkers for the "Light on the Border" pilgrimage route, guiding visitors between Szentgotthárd and Lendva to commemorate martyrs Dániel Halász and János Brenner.

The signs leave the forestry access road and lead us to a spring crossing the atmospheric rest area of the Szala Valley forest trail. Fresh drinking water drips from a classic kitchen tap. We cut through a cozy forest patch, with hollow-like depressions on each side. These so-called "bomb craters" were created by bombs falling from a damaged, fleeing British airplane at the end of World War II. Soon we reach Csörgőszer, but only walk a few meters along its street before descending north into the Felsőszeri-patak valley.

Further along, we repeat a similar pattern: climbing to a hilltop 'szer', then descending into the bordering stream valley. The lowlands were long flat and marshy, which is why Őrség's earliest inhabitants settled on the hillsides. The original landscape is still preserved by Fekete-tó (Black Lake) in the Zala spring area, associated with several legends; one marked by the sign leads by a particularly beautiful memorial.

Legend says a church once stood where Fekete-tó is now. A woman rushing late to Christmas mass wished she and the church would sink in shame. Indeed, both were swallowed by the earth. The memorial immortalizes this moment: a woman kneeling with her face in her hands, and the barely visible church tower above ground.

At Pityerszer

We reach the road leading to Pityerszer, following it all the way to the Őrség Open-Air Folk Museum complex. In 1970, the Vas County Museums Directorate purchased the three properties here to create an open-air museum by restoring the buildings in their original form. The outdoor museum is not just a "passive" sightseeing experience; various craft programs, such as regional pumpkin seed oil pressing typical of Őrség, can also be attended.

Following the S signs along the road, we reach the Szalafő wild horse and bison enclosure. Initially Przewalski horses were introduced, and in 2017, 12 mostly mountainous bisons were brought in. Beyond impressing the visitors, this has a conservation role: the national park periodically releases the animals to graze freely, protecting clearings among the 'szerek' from overgrowth. If lucky, the animals surround the hide; if not, you can walk around the paddock along the fence, though this is a very long walk.

We return to the open-air museum. To our right under a tree lies a small standing water pool called a "tóka." These small ponds on water-poor hillocks primarily served watering animals, and often were used for washing. Many 'szerek' contain such tókas, traditionally surrounded by cared-for grass and scattered trees. Nature reclaimed neglected waters: they provide habitat for various amphibians, mainly salamander species, with the national park ensuring their maintenance and survival.

The Őrség Open-Air Folk Museum Complex

The red heart hiking trail passes through the Őrség Open-Air Folk Museum grounds. Officially, entry is by ticket only – if you don’t want to buy one, talk at the ticket office (which has a buffet), and they may let you in. However, we recommend purchasing a ticket and exploring the area, where you can learn more about Őrség's traditional buildings, ethnography, and settlement structure.

Passing by the ethnographer’s memorial pillar and a bench with a lovely view, we leave Pityerszer and the open-air museum, descending again into a stream valley. We cross the often dry bed of the Felsőszeri-patak on a long plank bridge. A short climb brings us to Felsőszer, Szalafő's most prestigious district. Most buildings here are beautifully renovated and serve commercial functions: you’ll find guesthouses, restaurants, pumpkin seed oil shops, and even a strudel house. Several yards have tókas, traditionally surrounded by carefully maintained grass and spaced trees.

Felső- and Papszer

We leave Felsőszer via its connecting road, to our left the Kómpe Szeme lookout tower resembles a Vas county bell tower. Almost a full panorama of surrounding 'szerek', meadows, and forests opens up; beneath, on the lower level of the structure, you can relax in a hanging hammock while admiring the landscape.

We descend back to the Zala River, closing the loop touching Pityerszer and Felsőszer. Crossing a road bridge over the river, the signs turn left to also reach Papszer before returning to the starting point. We follow a path bordered by lush undergrowth, then make a sharp right turn to the first houses of Papszer, eventually passing another restaurant. Although several dilapidated homesteads stand in Papszer, Szalafő overall is a very well maintained and value-conscious settlement.

We cross the South-Transdanubian Blue Trail signs, passing a smaller cluster of houses, and curve back to Templomszer. Opposite is the Gatter Inn building, once a sawmill, with Szalafő’s oldest tree, 250-300 years old, standing in its yard. We pass the Őrség Dairy demo shop, the Őrszem inn, and the Őrség Heart shop – all offering local products to taste and buy – and return to Szalafő, Templomszer bus stop.