Vasalja: Churches, Nature and Places of Remembrance

Vasalja can be explored when planning a trip through three specific themes: sacred architecture and art history in the village district of Pinkaszentkirály, the Gyerek-avós wetland in the northwest, and Tündérkert as a place of remembrance. If you choose a destination based on its cultural and natural features, Vasalja offers specific points of interest.

Church, Architecture and Remembrance

The church in Vasalja’s village district of Pinkaszentkirály is considered the municipality’s oldest and most significant architectural monument. It was built in the mid-13th century by stonemasons from the Ják workshop. The historic school building forms an architectural unit with the church. The church garden contains a stone cross erected in 1906 and a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. A glass altarpiece made in 1914 at Ligeti Sándor’s workshop in Budapest depicts Saint Stephen presenting the Holy Crown and his country to the Virgin Mary. Its construction date, architectural connection with the school and religious imagery offer different ways to explore this cultural and historical focal point.

Tündérkert was established in 2015, a few metres north of the church. Each of its fruit trees commemorates one of sixteen priests and nuns from Vasalja, the local associations, and children under the age of eleven living in the village. These dedications connect religious remembrance with community life and the younger generation. Another preserved object is maintained by the Vasalja Volunteer Fire Brigade: a fire engine manufactured in Sopron in 1892 by the son of Seltenhofer Frigyes. The vehicle adds an object from local fire service history to the architectural and garden themes.

Wetland and Local Species

Gyerek-avós lies in the northwest of Vasalja, in the Pinka Valley. It is a six-hectare, 3,842-square-metre area that is largely marshy and rich in water. A small forest lies east of the river, and the Mindszenti Stream runs through the area. Pedunculate oaks and hornbeams characterise the forest. Spring snowflakes, squills and hollow corydalis also grow in Gyerek-avós, where a small colony of grey herons nests. The natural landscape therefore encompasses wetlands, a stream, woodland and a named variety of plant and bird life. If you give landscape features greater weight than architectural monuments when choosing where to travel, Gyerek-avós offers a distinct local focal point.

Getting Around by Road and Hiking Route

Road 8708 connects Main Road 8 with Pinkamindszent and runs through Vasalja on a section within the village. A route chosen by a hiking group in April 2017 is a separate matter: at the time, the group chose a route via Körmend, Vasalja and Pinkamindszent. The road connection and the hikers’ choice answer different questions about getting around: one describes an established road link, while the other describes a hiking route chosen in April 2017. You can therefore treat these details as different types of connection to the area when planning your trip.

Discover more destinations: Körmend, Szarvaskend, Egyházasrádóc.

For the overview of the wider region: Körmendi.