Kovácsi-hegy, on the border of Vindornyaszőlős and Nagygörbő, has a ten-station trail named after a conservationist meteorologist who passed away young. The trail is a highly protected part of the national park and has been one of Zala County’s seven wonders since 2010. The most exciting part of the 8 kilometers long trail is the so-called Bazaltutca (Basalt Street), an 800 meters long section shaped by mining that leads between basalt columns that reach 15 meters at certain points.
There are several gaps in the “street” – the most famous of these is the Vadlány-lik: according to legend, a girl who was separated from her lover hid here in her sorrow and the longing drove her insane. Even if this isn’t true, cave spiders and bats found home in these holes. Scientists believe that these were shaped by the wind: it blew the sand out from under the basalt layer and the blocks simply tilted along the cracks.
Tip: The study trail and the Bazaltutca are accessible from Vindornyaszőlős through the quarry; you can drive your car to the quarry’s entrance – from there the “Sziklafolyosó” sign shows the way.
