Hodoš brings together natural scenery and a vivid account of local history. The Vidrin paradiž nature trail runs around Lake Hodoško; from the Hodoš watchtower, views open out over the Velika Krka Valley. The Evangelical Church and a historic Pannonian well add the history of faith and former water supplies to these landscape themes. You can get to know the place through its specific sites and their different stories.

Nature around Lake Hodoško

The Vidrin paradiž nature trail runs around Lake Hodoško. The lake is an important habitat for Eurasian otters; sightings are seasonal and cannot be treated as a reliably planned activity. The nature trail, established in 2005, includes information boards, a rest area and a spring with healthy drinking water. The boards give the route an educational character, while the rest area and spring are other specific features along the way. The circular route itself is therefore a nature attraction, even though otters cannot be seen at every time of year.

Views from the Hodoš watchtower

The Hodoš watchtower is an iron structure about 15 metres high, near the Slovenian-Hungarian border. Stairs lead to a platform with a covered observation shelter. From the shelter, you can look out over the Velika Krka Valley; visibility may depend on the weather. In contrast to the circular route, the watchtower’s main draw is its elevated lookout and valley views, while the lake’s focus is its habitat and trail.

Evangelical Church and organ

The Evangelical congregation of Hodoš is the only one in Slovenia whose members continued to hold fast to their faith after 1732. The present-day Hodoš Evangelical Church was completed in 1843. It houses a mechanical organ dating from 1905, with two manuals and eleven stops. The two manuals are two keyboards; the stops can be used to shape the sound. The dates mark different aspects: 1732 belongs to the congregation’s history of faith, 1843 to the present-day church building, and 1905 to the instrument.

A Pannonian well by the road

A Pannonian well about 150 years old stands by the road from Hodoš to Dolenci, at the turn-off to Szalafő. It is six metres deep, built of brick and wood, and was restored in 2007. Before the public water supply was built, villagers and border guards from a nearby border post used the well’s water. Its position at the road junction, its building materials and its former use bring different aspects into focus: wayfinding, construction and water supply before the public network. The well thus reveals another side of local history than the church: alongside religious life, it shows how water was supplied in the past.

Two perspectives on nature

The nature attractions also differ in their conditions: possible otter sightings at Lake Hodoško are seasonal, while views over the Velika Krka Valley from the watchtower depend on the weather. If you are choosing between wildlife watching and a viewpoint, the lake and the tower offer different experiences.

Discover more destinations: Gornji Petrovci, Grad, Puconci, Murska Sobota, Beltinci, Križevci, Martjanci, Moravske-Toplice

Back to the main travel overview: Murska Sobota.