Rolling hills and warm waters define Zala. It is a county of deep green forests and hidden spas. You will find a park or a pool around every bend. It is the ultimate region for relaxation. The mist often hangs over the valleys in the early morning. You will find that the roads curve gently through the ancient beech woods.
Hévíz has the largest natural thermal lake in the world. You can float among the water lilies even in winter. The steam rises off the warm water like a dream. It is a unique experience for any traveler. The water is deep, blue and full of healing minerals. You can feel your muscles relax as soon as you step into the lake.
Explore the Göcsej region to see old wooden farmhouses. The hills are steep and the woods are thick. It is a great place for a slow drive through nature. This county is a balm for the spirit. You will find that the green color of the hills stays with you. The local pumpkin seed oil is a dark treasure you must try.
Zala highlights
- Hévíz Thermal Lake Swim in the largest natural hot lake in the world where white and pink water lilies float on the warm surface. The water is deep and blue and stays warm all year.
- Keszthely Festetics Palace Tour a grand palace with a tower and a library that looks like it belongs in a movie. The park is full of flowers and is right next to the big blue lake.
- Zalaszántó Stupa Visit a giant white dome on a green hill that was built to bring peace to the world. It is the largest of its kind in Europe and is a very quiet spot.
- Őrség Forest Hills Drive through a land of rolling green hills and deep pine woods where the houses are far apart. It is a place of deep peace and old wooden craft.
- Kehidakustány Spa Take a hot mineral water bath in a quiet village surrounded by green fields. The park has many slides and pools for a fun break during a long drive.
- Zalavár Old Church See the ruins of a stone church that was built a thousand years ago when the first kings came to the land. The site is quiet and sits near a large marsh.
- Egervár Castle Visit a square stone fort with four towers that has been turned into a place for music and theater. The walls are thick and the court is full of life.
- Göcsej Village Museum Explore a collection of old wooden houses and mills that show how the people of the hills lived long ago. The park is green and smells of old wood.
- Zalaegerszeg TV Tower Climb a high tower on a green hill to see the entire western landscape and the distant mountains. The view of the rolling hills and the woods is grand.
- Little Balaton Marshes Walk on wooden bridges over a sea of reeds and dark water to see thousands of rare birds. It is a wild world that protects the water of the big lake.
The local Four
History of Zala
Zala is the county of Morning Mist and Hidden Fire, where the steepest green hills in the country hide a prehistoric warmth. In the middle ages, this was the End of the World, a rugged frontier of thick forests and bogs that even the greatest armies struggled to cross. The local people lived in scattered settlements on the hilltops to keep an eye on the valleys, creating a unique way of life that relied on the timber of the woods. This quiet defensive history is the soul of the Southwest Hungary hill drive.
The region fortune changed in the 1700s when the Festetics family built one of the most grand palaces in Europe on the shores of the lake. They did not just build a home; they founded the first agricultural college in the world and a massive library that became a lighthouse of knowledge. They also discovered the Lake of Fire at Hévíz (a giant natural hot lake) where water lilies float on water that stays warm even in the middle of winter. This era turned the wild hills into a place of science and luxury.
The 1930s added a layer of industrial mystery when oil was discovered deep under the green hills, leading to the creation of Bázakerettye (a town built in the middle of the woods) that looked like a slice of America. Today, the oil derricks are mostly silent, replaced by thermal spas and quiet vineyards. You can visit a white Buddhist peace stupa on a misty hilltop or explore a forest of seven hundred year old chestnuts.