Tour description:
Our tour start at the outskirts of Sopron, before which we may take a walk along the streets of the inner city. Taking the cycle path, we head towards the very cozy Tómalom in the vicinity of Sopronkőhida, where we may take a swim at the atmospheric beach of the natural bathing water site. The next stop is Fertőrákos, which attracts tourists with its historical and geological values. In addition to a famous movie venue, the quarry, we may also visit a medieval pillory in its original state. Afterwards, we bike to Balf, famous for its thermal bath and mineral water. Balf is a major settlement of the Fertő area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a flagship grape and wine-production site in the Sopron wine region. There are individual producers consuming and selling their own red wines in almost every house. After tasting ‘sunlight in a bottle’, we return to our starting point in Sopron.
Sights:
The Quarry of Fertőrákos
The mine, which draws nearly two hundred thousand people each year, is located in the north of the municipality. According to geologists, Leitha limestone formed in the Miocene epoch, about 12 million years ago, and was already mined by the Romans, even for the construction of Scarbantia’s walls, the antecedent of Sopron.
Tómalom:
The history of the baths of Tómalom dates back to 1500, although some authors say that the lakes were already formed in the age of the Romans. The building of the mill, which drew kinetic energy from the water of the stream, was first mentioned in 1550. In 1822, a public bath opened on the lakeshore. Between 1920 and 1922, a bathing beach, a 14-room hotel and a restaurant were built based on the plans of architect Ferenc Schneider. The lake bath is still very popular.