Hike in the Kőszeg Mountains
It is relatively easy to say that whether you are in town for business or leisure, be sure to visit at least the highlights of the Kőszeg Mountains.
However, there are quite a lot of them, since we are in the Lower Alps, the most “alpine” region of Transdanubia—in an area of high mountains in Hungarian context.
Let’s see some hiking destination tips below!
Long hike
Duration: 3.5 hours
Difficulty: medium
Sights along the hike: Crown guarding bunker – Calvary – Pintér hilltop – Devil’s plate rock – Fatalin beech trees – Óház hilltop and lookout tower – Seven leaders’ spring – Iron curtain hike – “Andalgó”
Szálasi Bunker
It was opened up by Kornél Bakay in 2002.
The hike starts from Kálvária street near the inner city along the path marked with 
trail markers. It is worth taking a look at the Szálasi bunker located on the left, where the Holy Crown of Hungary was guarded at the end of World War II.
After taking a left turn, then following the markers on the Calvary hills, the hike leads to the hilltop (392 meters) and the Baroque-style Calvary Church that was built after the pest plague of 1734. The rest area here provides a magnificent view.
Kálvária-templom (Calvary Church)
Jesuits erected the first wooden cross here in 1686, later a chapel was built on its site in 1715.
Ördögtányér-szikla (Devil’s Plate Rock)
A natural birdbath and a devilish depression in one.
Reaching the top of the vineyards, following the 
markers, the Cross of Trianon can be reached, then going forward following the markers, the wide road leads through a natural beech forest up to the Pintér hilltop (507 meters). After that, going through a chestnut forest and following the forestry road and the 
markers, the hike leads to the Devil’s plate rock. From here, the trail leads through the rocky chestnut forest to the Fatalin beech trees that are about 300-year old trees—so take at least a breather to honor them.
The markers lead to the Óház hilltop (at 607 meters). A pleasant steep path leads up to the lookout tower that was built on the site of Kőszeg’s first Árpád-era castle following archaeological excavations and rebuilding a part of the castle in authentic style.
Óház lookout tower
A lookout tower standing at the site of Kőszeg’s first castle.
Hétforrás (Seven Leaders’ Spring)
It was built in 1896, in honor of the millennium.
Leaving the lookout tower to the north following the markers, then descending steeply along the National Blue Trail and the 
markers, the hike reaches the area’s most prominent tourist destination, the Seven Leaders’ Spring, named after the seven leaders of the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin. Here one can relax for a while, admiring the scenery and breathing in the fresh air.
Following the and markers, the trail passes the ruined border guard barracks building, then a longer climb leads to the saddle between the chestnut forest and the Pintér hilltop.
Leaving the National Blue Trail and following the markers, hikers can reach the Austrian border along the Iron curtain trail—which would have been impossible 35 years ago.
Vasfüggöny (Iron curtain)
Current hiking trail, following the path of the former electric fence and wire fence on the border.
“Andalgó” botanical path
A narrow botanical path by the Gyöngyös stream.
After about half an hour turning east, the “Andalgó” botanical path starts that leads through 10 stations on a hike of around 2 kilometers.
Then, the trail leads “home”: following the markers and after a few hundred meters, the trail ends among the houses, near the starting point.