Nagykutas: Village History and Landscape
Three hills that remain clearly visible recall the former division of Nagykutas into three separate settlement areas. They are joined by a spring with a marshy surrounding area, a very old protected sweet chestnut tree, and traces of rural, religious and craft culture. Together, these features offer different ways to explore the village’s history and landscape.
Landscape and Former Settlement Pattern
Nagykutas once consisted of three separate parts. The three hills remain clearly visible because of the geographical features of the area, revealing the former settlement pattern in today’s landscape. Kalamár-kút is now known as a spring and marshy area. This description thus links distinctive landforms with a wetland natural environment.
An old sweet chestnut tree stands in the vineyard west of the village. It is estimated to be more than 500 years old and has been protected since 1974. The estimate remains an estimate; together, the tree’s age and protected status point to two distinct aspects: its presumed long history and its importance as protected natural heritage.
Buildings, Crafts and Everyday Culture
The parish church of Szent Jakab Apostol was built in 1740 and is located on Diósi utca. Another historical trace is the row of cellars on the slope west of the village. Its cellars date from the 18th and 19th centuries and once had wattle walls and straw roofs. These different forms and periods offer a way to explore Nagykutas’s architectural history.
A single protected press-house cellar at Pöröshegy 64 adds to the picture of the vineyards. It was built around 1870 and is no longer in use. The cellar row and this cellar are distinct traces: the former comprises cellars from the 18th and 19th centuries, while the latter is a single building with an approximate date.
Crafts and everyday life are also part of the village’s history. Kónya László set up his own blacksmith’s workshop in Nagykutas; all the tools belonging to an old village smithy are now there. From 2007, the ethnographic collection was housed in a freestanding former milk house. It included the complete furnishings of a room and a kitchen, reminiscent of old farmhouses.
Nagykutas’s religious heritage includes 15 crosses, a statue of the Virgin Mary and a statue of Saint Florian. They preserve the old tradition of popular Baroque devotion. Together with the church and the ethnographic and craft heritage, they offer different insights into religious life, rural everyday life and local history.
Zala as the Wider Setting
As a wider travel destination, Zala offers a regional perspective on viticulture and landscape through the Zalai BorvidĂ©k wine region. It developed on the slopes and plateaus of the Zalai-dombság and on the northwestern slopes of the Keszthelyi-hegysĂ©g, and comprises two wine-growing districts and 38 settlements. At the Kotsy-vĂzimalom in ZalaszántĂł, visitors can see a working 390-centimetre overshot waterwheel mechanism.
The Kápolnapuszta Bivalyrezervátum is another regional attraction in Zala. A 1.5-kilometre walking trail with rest areas and viewing points runs through the reserve. During opening hours, guests may pet the tame animals every day. The water buffalo festival takes place each year in May or June; for specific travel plans, it is advisable to check that year’s dates.
Discover more destinations: Lickóvadamos, Vaspör, Becsvölgye, Zalaháshágy, Kiskutas, Egervár, Dobronhegy, Vasboldogasszony
For the wider travel overview: Zalaegerszegi.
