Sights and activities
Undisturbed relaxation in Kosbor's huge garden. The Őrség National Park on foot, by bike or by car. Three countries to explore.
Landscapes, ancient churches, nature trails, medieval castles, tropical orchids, chocolate adventures, healing waters.
3 hectares of tranquillity
Kosbor is surrounded by a vast estate with fruit trees, a meadow, hidden corners, sun loungers and fire pits, where our guests can enjoy the silence and endless peace.
Sitting on the Virginia Creeper (Vadszőlő) terrace with a refreshing lemonade, a delicious homemade cordial or an ice-cold spritzer, it is a joy to listen to the birdsong and breathe in the air scented with herbs. The covered “dozing” terrace at the end of the building is a favourite with lovers of an afternoon nap, and it is also the best place to listen to the red deer rut in September.
Kosbor Panzió's estate of more than three hectares blends seamlessly into the forests of the Őrség National Park. In spring the meadow is carpeted with green-winged orchids (agárkosbor), a small, purple-flowered protected orchid from which Kosbor Panzió takes its name.
Hiking in the Őrség
The Őrség National Park regularly organises guided walks where you can discover the region's remarkable flora and fauna, the unique heritage of nature and of buildings that blend into the landscape, the old crafts, and the atmosphere of the traditional hamlets (szer) and farmsteads (porta). Numerous nature trails – such as the Yellow Lily (Sárgaliliom) trail from Magyarszombatfa to Velémér, or the Triple Border (Hármashatár) trail from Felsőszölnök to the point where three countries meet – offer special sights and fascinating facts on an easy walk.
For lovers of active holidays, besides the rich network of trails through forests and wetlands, you can also walk the western section of the National Blue Trail (Országos Kéktúra). Cyclists can choose from shorter and longer routes through varied landscapes and forests teeming with wildlife, and the roads of neighbouring Slovenia and Austria are also excellent for a ride.
People and nature
The Őrség is home to many rarities: a reintroduced herd of European bison, Europe's largest land mammal, and Eurasian wild horses in Szalafő; the round-leaved sundew, a survivor from the Ice Age, in the wet meadow at Szőce and at the House of Wetlands (Lápok Háza); two thirds of Hungary's butterfly and moth fauna (1,645 species, including countless true rarities) in the spring and summer meadows; and the traditional fruit varieties still found in Őrség gardens today (a selection of which can be seen in the Csörgőalma Orchard).
The Őrség is also full of sights you should not miss: Pityerszer, the Őrség open-air folk heritage site; the Szőce wet meadow and the House of Wetlands; the frescoes by John of Aquila in the church at Velémér; the Őrség pottery workshops; the Reformed church with its coffered wooden ceiling in Szentgyörgyvölgy; and the wooden bell towers at Gödörház and Pankasz – every one of them makes a visit here richer.
Where three countries meet
Kosbor Panzió is the perfect base for exploring three countries. In Hungary, the endless wonders of the Őrség and the Vendvidék await, while neighbouring Slovenia and nearby Austria have plenty to discover too: rolling hills, medieval towns, healing thermal waters, superb restaurants and wineries. Visit Lendava or Ptuj, bathe at Bad Blumau's Rogner spa designed by Hundertwasser, or learn the secrets of chocolate-making at the Zotter chocolate factory... just leave room for dinner, whether you choose to enjoy it at Kosbor Panzió or elsewhere.
A day in Lendava
Lendava (Lendva in Hungarian) is barely 30 km from Kosbor Panzió, and the road to this beautiful medieval town winds through charming villages and hills. Take in the view from the Vinarium lookout tower, visit the exhibitions at Lendava Castle and taste some of Slovenia's excellent wines!
On the way home, call in at the exhibition of Ocean Orchids in Dobrovnik, one of the largest orchid growers in Central Europe. In the tropical glasshouse you can discover nearly five hundred special orchid varieties and tropical plants (such as pepper plants, papaya and flamingo flowers) – and if one catches your eye, you can buy it.
A trip to Ptuj
The ancient town of Ptuj, barely 70 km away, is about an hour's drive from Kosbor Panzió. In the castle, one of Slovenia's largest museums welcomes visitors with traditional carnival masks, Gothic and Baroque works of art and paintings, while the Mithraic shrine and the Orpheus Monument surviving from Roman times, the 13th-century Dominican and Minorite monasteries, the clock tower and the town hall are not to be missed either.
Take a pleasant stroll through this little town on the banks of the Drava, which welcomes curious visitors all year round with a string of festivals, excellent restaurants and superb wines.
Zotter Chocolate Theatre
Also just an hour's drive away is the fantastic Zotter Chocolate Factory in Riegersburg, Austria. With their unique outlook on life and crazy ideas, the Zotter family have turned their chocolate factory into a real adventure park. Besides learning about the entire chocolate-making process, chocolate lovers can enjoy a chocolate cinema lorry, an edible zoo, a graveyard of failed ideas, an organic restaurant and, of course, a fantastic chocolate shop.
Chocolate specialities made here include flavours such as plum and bacon, mountain cheese, or hemp nougat with apricot brandy. The more classic flavours are not forgotten either, as several hundred kinds of chocolate are produced here – all fully fair-trade, organic and sustainably made, following the bean-to-bar principle. The cocoa beans are sourced directly from producer cooperatives in Africa and in South and Central America, and the team handle everything themselves, from roasting to packaging design.
Mushrooms of the Őrség
Many rare species of fungi grow in the forests of the Őrség, but besides these specialities, the famously delicious ceps and chanterelles may also end up in your basket on a mushroom-foraging walk.
Thanks to the region's special sub-Alpine climate, there are many damp, shady forests with acidic soil here – well known to be a good omen for mushroom lovers.
It is no coincidence, then, that Hungarian mushroom enthusiasts regularly visit the Őrség forests, and many gatherings and mycology courses are organised here. And of course, hungry guests will often find delicious dishes made from all kinds of wild mushrooms on the table at Kosbor Panzió too.
Spa culture
For wellness lovers, too, Kosbor Panzió is an excellent base, with several superb spas nearby.
Designed by Hundertwasser, Rogner Bad Blumau, perhaps the most beautiful thermal spa in Europe, is only 70 km away, an hour and a half's drive.
The thermal baths closest to the Őrség are in Moravske Toplice (Alsómarác) in Slovenia, just 13 km away. It is a well-developed leisure spa with around 20 thermal pools, where indoor pools and waterfalls arranged on several levels offer a very special experience.
On the Hungarian side, the 40,000-year-old sodium hydrogen carbonate medicinal water of Lenti Thermal Spa is excellent for joint and musculoskeletal problems. St. Gotthard Spa & Wellness in Szentgotthárd, an adventure and thermal park, offers visitors a wide range of pampering treatments and a chance to recharge. Its unique Mediterranean atmosphere comes from palm trees, exotic plants and natural stone surfaces designed in perfect harmony with them.
The potters of Szombatfa
Our village, Magyarszombatfa, is an ancient stronghold of pottery. It is no accident that it is known as the “land of the gerencsérs” (the local word for potters). Many potters still work in Magyarszombatfa today, and eighty years ago almost a hundred people made their living from this ancient craft.
The green-glazed earthenware pots are the area's most characteristic and, in our opinion, most beautiful pieces. We use them at Kosbor Panzió too, because they are not only gorgeous but also very practical for cooking and baking.
Pottery museum and wheel throwing: the master potters patiently and lovingly introduce children and adults alike to the creative joy of working at the wheel. If you would like to try the art of throwing pots, we will gladly arrange for one of the pottery workshops to welcome you. Before (or instead of) a session at the wheel, visit the Pottery Museum in Magyarszombatfa or the Ceramics Visitor Centre, where you can learn all about the traditions of the gerencsérs first-hand while admiring masterpieces by potters of the past.
