Discover Pusztaederics

Different chapters of local history come together in Pusztaederics: the Szent Őrangyalok Chapel preserves traces of a medieval church and its later reconstruction. There is also the church consecration festival in September and two routes that a regional tourism program once linked with the town. These topics provide a concrete starting point for planning your trip—whether you are particularly interested in architectural history or want to explore routes and landscapes.

Routes with different courses

A 2012 regional tourism program lists the Zöld Túra as a route from Pusztaederics via Ketvég, the Gyorósi Forest, the Miskei Forest and the Tompai Forest to Alsóhahót on Road 74. The Zöld Kereszt, also listed in the program, connects Pusztaederics with the Bezerédi Forest. For both, the program names Söjtöri SE / Zöld Klub as the organization responsible. The routes described therefore differ mainly in their listed stops and destinations: the Zöld Túra passes through a series of forest areas, while the Zöld Kereszt leads to the Bezerédi Forest. If you plan to take one of the routes, check its current status beforehand.

Chapel history and church consecration festival

The Szent Őrangyalok Chapel is located in Pusztaederics-Szompácspuszta. It was built in the mid-13th century as the parish church of the village of Szompács. Following the destruction during the Ottoman period, it was rebuilt in the Baroque style in 1755; parts of the Romanesque foundations were preserved. Its architectural history thus reflects change across several eras: medieval origins were followed by a Baroque renovation, with older structural elements remaining in place.

The chapel’s church consecration festival is a recurring event in local life. It takes place on the first Sunday in September and is one of the most important local traditions. If you would like to combine a visit to the chapel with the festival, you can use that Sunday as a fixed reference point when planning your trip.

The former manor house of smallholder Hári Kálmán has a different role in community life today. The building now houses the community center, mayor’s office, library, telehouse, cultural hall, doctor’s office and an ecumenical prayer room. Alongside its sacred architectural history, Pusztaederics thus also offers a look at the present-day public functions of a historic building. When looking for a holiday rental, you can consider whether Pusztaederics itself should be your main focus or whether to plan around other themes in the wider destination of Zala.

Zala as a wider travel horizon

In the wider destination of Zala, the Zalai Borvidék offers a landscape of the slopes and plateaus of the Zalai-dombság and the northwestern slopes of the Keszthelyi-hegység. The wine region comprises two wine districts and 38 settlements. This gives your selection a different thematic focus from the chapel history in Pusztaederics: here, the emphasis is on a larger wine-growing landscape and its geographical divisions.

Kis-Balaton is another of Zala’s regional contrasts. It is the destination’s largest body of water, is strictly protected and covers 14,745 hectares. It is also the setting for István Fekete’s classic novels Tüskevár and Téli berek. Those who want to explore the landscape not only through buildings but also through nature and literature will find a distinct way to experience Zala here.

For a seasonal experience in the wider destination of Zala, the Water Buffalo Festival at the Kápolnapuszta Bivalyrezervátum offers a theme to plan around. It takes place every year in May or June; the exact dates may vary from year to year. A 1.5-kilometer walking trail with rest areas and viewpoints leads through the reserve. Visitors may pet tame animals daily during opening hours. The festival date and opening hours are therefore two different points of reference: plan your festival visit around the dates for that particular year, while animal encounters are subject to opening hours.

Architectural history is another highlight in Zala. The Festetics kastély in Keszthely is Hungary’s fourth-largest castle and has 101 rooms. Alongside the chapel in Pusztaederics, this regional perspective presents two different scales of historic architecture: the history of a chapel with preserved Romanesque foundations and a castle with more than a hundred rooms. This gives you the choice of focusing your trip on the town itself or on the varied cultural and landscape themes of the wider destination of Zala.

Discover more destinations: Zalalövő, Bagod, Dobronhegy, Vaspör, Egersee, Nagykutas, Becsvölgye, Vasboldogasszony.

Return to the wider travel overview: Zalaegerszegi.