Subregions of the Lenti Microregion

50 settlements of different size are there in the Lenti microregion apart from Lenti. The region has numerous potentials in the fields of economy, agriculture and tourism.
Come and visit Lenti, its surroundings, villages of the microregion, which will give you many nice experiences, and also provide a lot of good opportunities for enterprises to be established here.


Lenti

The only town of the microregion is Lenti with a population of 8568. It has a favourable geographical location, it is close to the Slovenian, Austrian and Croatian borders. The town is next to the number 8 motorway leading to the Mediterranean, at the junction of the main roads number 86 and 75, 75 km far from Lake Balaton.
Lenti is the economic, administrative and educational centre of the region. It provides an excellent chance for developing economy and attracting investors. Due to the town's properties several large companies have already established their investments in the town or its immediate surroundings.
The "Muramenti" Regional Exhibition and Trade Fair (this year organised for the 12th time), where the products and services of several domestic and foreign companies are exhibited. Lenti would like to act as centre of trade fairs both on a microregional and a regional level.
Lenti due to its position near to the border has a good relationship with some settlements abroad. Lenti signed a twin-town agreement on the 26th of September 2004 with Bad Radkersburg in Austria, Muraszerdahely in Croatia, Lendva in Slovenia to facilitate co-operation in the fields of economics, culture, sport, tourism and environmental protection; and it developed a good relationship with Capannori in Italy. As a result of the region’s shared marketing, advertising, tourism development efforts, it has become known on the international market, which contributes to the long-term development of Lenti.
The 20-year-old spa is one of the tourist attractions, where visitors can find high-standard health services, a new open-air experience bath (which has been built in the process of a 'quarter million HUF project') apart from the original pools. The Saint George Energypark is unique in the area with its special services, such as a whirlpool bath, a sparkling bath, a neck-shower, a massage banks, a giant chute, a palm garden; where the visitors find all the facilities to relax.
There are a number of fishponds in the area, the most significant of them is Lake Sárberki, where anglers as well as swimmers are expected. A new campsite has been built this year prviding accommodation for tourists together with the fully equipped wooden guesthouses.
There are several apartements and pensions in the town and in its neighbourhood but there is not any luxury hotel, which could offer a higher standard of comfort. Building a hotel of that kind, for which the town owns a suitable site, would mean that the spa and other tourist services could join the domestic and international higher standard tourism which could meet any kind of expectations, and thus the region would become more marketable. Two of the tourist attractions are the House of Tradition and the Railway Museum, where an exhibition of forestry and railway history, titled "The riches of Göcsej: forests and wood" can be visited.
Another place worth to visit in the town is the castle of some historic significance (Austrian property at present), which is on the bank of stream Kerka. Conservation works have already been finished, but it needs to be thoroughly reconstructed to become suitable for accepting visitors, to accommodate exhibitions or cultural programmes. Its utilisation for tourist purposes can be implemented only after settling the problem of property ownership.
The economics of the town is based on timber and machine industry, part of the active population is employed by a couple of factories producing for an international market. This sector could bring a further development with the aid of Hungarian and EU tenders. A new industrial area is to be created by utilising the former army barracks in Lenti, which will be suitable for companies involved in logistics and other branches of economics. The area is easily accessible, it is located next to the number 75 road.


Örség-Göcsej-Hetés region

Csesztreg, Nemesnép, Zalabaksa, Pórszombat, Pusztaapáti, Kálócfa, Kozmadombja, Szilvágy, Kerkabarabás, Kerkafalva, Kerkakutas, Ramocsa, Alsószenterzsébet, Felsőszenterzsébet, Magyarföld, Szentgyörgyvölgy, Márokföld, Rédics, Gosztola, Lendvadedes, Külsősárd, Belsősárd, Bödeháza, Gáborjánháza, Szíjártóháza, Zalaszombatfa, Resznek, Baglad, Lendvajakabfa

The villages of the Őrség, Göcsej and Hetés ethnographic area are near the Slovenian border. Its residents share their history, present and future, their natural and cultural heritage on both sides of the border. Living close to the country's border meant isolation after the world war. As a result of the isolation, however, natural environment, landscape and architectural relics could survive, which contributed to an increase in tourism in the past decade.
There are still relics of vernacular folk’s architecture to be found in the villages of the three ethnographic units - log-houses, wooden bell-towers, which are the symbols of the region, old cellars - which attracted newcomers to the area, who decided to settle down among the hills of Zala. The villages carefully attend their heritage, they are happy about visitors, and are ready to support newcomers. We can find special architectural structures in Magyarföld, Felsőszenterzsébet, Külsősárd, Baglad, and one of the most beautiful "skirted belfries" of Hungary in Nemesnép. Szentgyörgyvölgy is the microregional centre of the Reformed Church. Its beautiful church with wooden coffered ceiling attracts a lot of visitors.
Several well-qualified masters keep on practising and demonstrating activities connected to peasants’ life, such as basket-weaving, weaving typical "Hetési" fabric, pottery. Their products are available on the spot.
The population of the region has a good relationship with the Slovenian Hungarian minority. There are several border crossings between the settlements of the old administrative unit (Nemesnép, Rédics), facilitating the organisation of joint programmes, cross-border developments in economics and tourism.
The settlements and their surroundings are ideal for visitors and newcomers seeking a quiet area. There are several protected areas in the region, Magyarföld and Szentgyörgyvölgy belong to the Őrségi National Park. A few families run guesthouses (Kerkafalva, Felsőszenterzsébet, Pórszombat, Szilvágy, Nemesnép, Márokföld), and there are high standard tourist cottages on some settlements (Rédics, Zalaszombatfa, Bödeháza).
Economic improvements have accelerated in the recent years, due to the increasing number of grants accessible for both enterprises and settlements, and the opening of the borders.
Residents of the area are discovering new aspects of tourism, some settlements (Lendvadedes, Szentgyörgyvölgy, Zalabaksa) are planning to invest in eco-tourism, open-air schools, establishing riders', hiking and cycle route networks, etc. There are several recreation parks in the area, providing various activities - riding, cycling and other sports. The most significant recreation parks are: Cseszt-Regélő in Csesztreg, Abbázia Klub in Nemesnép and GÓ-NA in Szentgyörgyvölgy.
There is a nursing home being built in Kerkafalva, which will provide a high standard of comfort for lonely old age pensioners. The plans for the nursing home are complete, and now the operating board is being formed.
It could mean a good opportunity for local farmers to find a market for their products, as they produce pumpkinseed-oil, brandy, honey, and artifacts of high quality. It might be possible in the long run to establish processing plants based on the certain products, and thus to further widen the original choice.
Csesztreg is one of the region’s important economic centres. The two Austrian engineering companies employ the majority of the local residents. Apart from this village the other larger settlements (Rédics, Zalabaksa, Szentgyörgyvölgy) also offer several good potentials for enterprises ready to invest in the area.


South-eastern part of the Lenti Microregion

Lovászi, Tormafölde, Kerkateskánd, Szécsisziget, Tornyiszentmiklós, Dobri.

The economy of the six villages has been determined for decades by oil-mining, machine and timber industry and wine production. In the latest years, however, development of tourism has been started in some settlements.
Lovászi had its golden age after 1940s, when oil mining was in full swing in the area, resulting in a major development of the village, various mining-related engineering plants were established. In the 1990s after the closedown of oil mining the timber industrial plants became independent, the relics of oil industry became potential destinations of thematic tours, together with the world war air-raid shelter. A further industrial development took place in the settlement, timber-, garment trade, and engineering indurtrial plants have been established.
Tornyiszentmiklós and Dobri have larger areas suitable for new industrial establishments in the region. Tornyosszentmiklós has the benefit of the accessibility of the border crossing and the dual carriageway.
The area has significant Architectural and Natural Heritage, here you can find the forest reservation – protected on a national level, the ancient beech forest in Vétyem- one of the most beautiful and most precious part of the microregion. There is a marked hiking route under the huge beech trees leading into the forest. The road leading to the beech forest is also rich in beautiful sights. The "Kerka-mente" natural park, with a centre in Szécsisziget has valuable fauna and flora, offering good potentials for the development of eco-tourism.
Further improvements in tourism are to be carried out in Szécsisziget. In the recently reconstructed Andrássy-Szapáry castle several interesting programmes are being organised, and visitors also find accommodation here, and it is also suitable for encampments. There is a watermill near the castle, which is now under reconstruction. Here another traditional craft can be introduced to the public in the future.
The two baroque churches (in Tornyosszentmiklós and Szécsisziget) are beautiful and unipue representatives of the era in this area.


North-eastern part of the Lenti Microregion

Páka, Kányavár, Pördefölde, Ortaháza, Gutorfölde, Csertalakos, Szentpéterfölde, Barlahida, Mikekarácsonyfa, Nova, Csömödér, Iklódbördőce, Kissziget, Zebecke, Hernyék

Various natural and architectural beauties are there in the region, wildlife management and sylviculture have a long tradition here.
Apart from Lenti most non-governmental organisations operate in Páka, thus visitors can choose from various cultural programmes every year. The hills surrounding the village are rich in vineyards, orchards and forests. It is exciting to explore the neighbourhood on foot using the marked hiking routes in the woods. Háromszenteki Chapel is one of the best known of places of pilgrimage in the area and receives a lot of visitors. Öveges József, a professor of physics was born in this village, his memoires and belongings are exhibited in the local school. The vast area of forests provides raw material for timber industry.
Hungary’s longest narrow gauge railway track leads from Lenti to Kistolmács, where tourists can angle or bathe in the pond. A thematic route connected to the Forest Railway would make the area better known and would also accelerate its development. Values of nature could attract tourist from various branches of tourism. Fans of riding (Rádiháza), hunting (Szentpéterfölde, Barlahida, Pördefölde) and hiking can find the best recreation opportunities here. Horses of Kabala Stud in Rádiháza are known all over the country, and are one of the greatest tourist attractions of the region.
Clay is an important raw material for CREATION Hungary Ltd. based in Lenti, but the soil of the area is also rich in thermal water. The first Central European geothermal power station is being built near Iklódbördőce, its first experimental plant is to be executed in autumn 2006. There are several alternatives of utilising the heat, which can be the most important opportunity for the village and its surroundings – to produce electricity, heating buildings in the village or greenhouses, etc. Several settlements of the area are ready to accept new enterprises. Agricultural and forestry companies have been long established in the larger villages (Gutorfölde, Nova, Páka). Industrial plants based on processing local products (Gutorfölde, Nova) could be a good potential for new enterprises. MURÁNIA region, which is based on an Austrian, Slovenian, Croatian cross-border agreement provides an even larger perspective of development..