Vas

Vas

You are at the foot of the **Alps** in Vas county. This county is **famous for its thermal springs** and old ruins. It is a place to find your health and your peace. The pine forests smell sharp and clean after a rain. You can see the blue mountain peaks rising in the distance. **Szombathely** was a major Roman city called Savaria. You can still see the old temple stones in the center. In **Kőszeg**, the town feels like a fairy tale. Its medieval square is one of the prettiest in the land. Every building is painted in a soft, bright color. You can hear the historical bell ringing every day at eleven o'clock. Visit the abbey of **Ják** to see the grand stone carvings. It is a masterpiece of old architecture. The hills are perfect for a drive through the pines. This is a county of quiet strength. You can feel the mountain energy in every stream. The botanical gardens here are home to rare trees from all over the world.

Vas highlights

Part of these road trips

Follow the routes that cross this destination

The Scenic Route
The Heritage Drive
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History of Vas

Vas is the **Amber Land**, a place where the ancient trade routes of the north met the Roman Empire two thousand years ago. The **1st century Amber Road** passed right through here, bringing wealth, soldiers, and the first stone roads to the region. This ancient highway is the backbone of the **West Hungary alpine road**. You can still see the ruts of Roman wagons in the stone and visit the ruins of a temple dedicated to the goddess **Isis**, reflecting the region diverse global past. In the 1200s, the region became a sanctuary for the **soldier monks**, who built the massive twin towered **Abbey of Ják**. Its stone gate, covered in hundreds of carved figures, is the most beautiful piece of Romanesque art in the land and has survived wars and fires for eight centuries. The hills were also home to the **Őrség guards** (free men who lived in scattered wooden islands in the forest) to watch the western border. This era created a landscape of hidden churches and mossy stone forts. The 1900s brought a different kind of border history as the region became the edge of the **Iron Curtain**, a place of barbed wire and secret watchtowers. Today, those barriers are gone, leaving behind a wild green paradise of pine forests and crystal clear streams. You can hike to the **Written Stone peak** to see the Alps or soak in the healing thermal waters of the valley.
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