Tour Horizont regions: Vasi-hegyhát

Second region of the 2026 Tour Horizont. Section 26 and 25 of the Horizont route. 
🚴 Distance: 96,2 km I 🚵 Elevation gain: 948 m I 💪 Difficulty: 4/10

If tired cyclists could find bivouac spots like the luxury resting places located on the shore of Himfai Lake all over the country, everyone would probably slack off more and cycle less. The swans (and recently the industrious beavers too) floating kitschily on the water's surface can be observed from covered huts and comfortable benches. Those who stay for lunch or dinner can eat sitting at a table and barbecue at a fireplace. But one must move on from here eventually. But no worries, in Nádasd, the Game of Thrones pinball machine at Diófa Bistro welcomes everyone with love; you can request a song from the JBL speaker, and they serve coffee with a good amount of foam, which is particularly appreciated considering that after this, it's not worth counting on many catering places until roughly Vasvár.

The truth is, however, that even so, nothing is missing from this part of the tour. Around Döröske, the route becomes almost fairytale-like: every property is tidy, the bushes are neatly shaped, the hedges are well-maintained, as if the wild boars passing through here also wear ties. Nagymákfa is a tiny cul-de-sac village, but it is full of cozy little guesthouses – no wonder, as both the surrounding area and the settlement are beautiful.

After this, the Vasvár sign appears – but Vasvár itself does not. On the outskirts of Kismákfa, a big curve in the route starts into the forest, but the area around the Chapel of St. Bartholomew on the hilltop is one of the section's gems. Between the rows of vines, model-like vacation homes and press houses look out onto the landscape, offering a glimpse into the carefully maintained gardens and unique living spaces without fences. It's a mixture of "small Hungarian" grotesque and "small Hungarian" idyll at once. Time must have stopped here at some point and only restarts when it feels like it.

The Iron Gate (Vaskapu) is made of wood, but it cannot be missed; it is probably the largest gate a mortal cyclist can pass through. This entrance is part of the Vasvári Sánc (Vasvár Rampart), with a rest area at its base, for those who do not crave big-city hospitality. However, those who do will find themselves in Vasvár in no time.

No matter what time of day one arrives at the Szentkút Chapel, a peculiar atmosphere wafts around it; the place certainly has some kind of secret spirit. The road emerges in an unorthodox descent among the Stations of the Cross at the boating lake, which is moderately interesting, but right next to it is the even more famous campsite, offering everything a bicycle tourist might need.

After Vasvár, further "joy-cycling" follows on the roller coaster of the Vas hills: on wide gravel roads, through oak and pine forests up to the Jeli Arboretum and beyond. It is no accident that arboretums grow where they do; the biodiversity here is astonishing.

Cycling in this region, overcoming monotony is definitely not the challenge. Every turn reveals a new landscape – time flies among the pine groves, rows of vines, and bluish-white gravel roads, though sometimes backward. Winemaking has a tradition of several hundred years in the area; traditional thatched-roof press houses have been found here since the 1700s, and the route leads past such buildings at the (also functioning as accommodation) Hegypásztor Pincék.

If the Olaszfa pub is open, it's worth a visit (no detour is even needed). Its guests are guaranteed to be the same characters as in any pub in the country at any time. The terrain here is slightly more technical, with a few kilometers of so-called "agrogravel," but nothing too serious should be expected. Loose sand or a puddle in a tractor track might build character and lift spirits. However, if it's hot, it can get very hot here.

In Bérbaltavár, the stamp point and the refreshment stop are located at Nelli's shop, which handles unexpectedly high traffic. The visitor numbers are no surprise, as it offers good coffee and a selection of pastries and snacks suitable for cyclists, as well as a comfortable terrace. From here, Batyk is quickly reached, and beyond the Zala region, a new world awaits the traveler. Well, that's an exaggeration, but a new section definitely.