Let's plan the future together in Vasvár

At the initiative of the Vasvár Folk High School, Vasvár city leaders, civil organizations, representatives of the Szombathely Forestry Co., Ltd. and the Vas County Association of Sport Fishing Associations gathered at the Ezredes Café on September 2, 2025 at 8:30 a.m. The purpose of the meeting was to coordinate the future developments of the city's recreational area - the bath, the camping, the Szentkút and the fishing lakes.

The discussion was opened by Balázs Tóth, Mayor of Vasvár . He emphasized that in recent years, the majority of the areas belonging to the zone have been taken into municipal ownership, so now there is an opportunity to implement complex, coordinated developments - of course, depending on financial resources.
The plans include, among other things, partially covering the farmers' market, paving the parking lot, and building a two-pool training pool with state funding. The People's College Center may be built on the site of the old campsite, offering 80-room accommodation and a 300-person community space for the area.

Following the mayor's welcome speech , Norbert Puskás, the executive chairman of the Vas County Association of Sport Fishing Associations , gave a presentation in which he presented in detail the development of the county organization with nearly 12,000 fishing members and the main results of the past ten years.
He said that in the recent period, the waterfront environment and infrastructure have been renovated at 13 locations in Vas County, using a total of nearly 247 million forints in tourism support, for which the Vas County Assembly is to be thanked. Several of these investments were implemented in the Vasvár–Körmend region, where nearly two thousand anglers live.

In the case of the Vasvár fishing lake, developments worth a gross 33 million forints were carried out within the framework of the second TOP project: the roads around the lake were renewed, a disabled fishing spot, resting points and bacon-frying areas were established, and a sloping shore was created in place of the overgrown vegetation along the coast. Thus, by the spring of 2022, a location was created in Vasvár that provides relaxation not only for anglers, but also for all visitors.

The managing director also presented future plans. The development of the II. fishing pond is expected to start in 2026, the estimated value of the investment is 31.5 million forints. The project includes, among others:

• Community elements: 6 benches with backrests, 3 bench sets, covered bench set, fireplace, bicycle storage
• playground developments: climbing castle, spring toys, sandbox covered with sun sail, climbing frame
• infrastructure works: road repair, bush clearance, creation of fishing spots, improvement of the shoreline
• greening, landscaping: planting trees and shrubs, spreading pine bark, 4000 m² of grass

The goal of the investment is to make the lakeside a fishing-friendly, family-friendly, and nature-friendly community space that is organically connected to previous developments.

At the end of the presentation, Norbert Puskás also addressed the lake expansion and protective embankment plans awaiting future financial resources. He requested the support of the municipality in preparing the 2026 plans, and in accordance with the tender specifications, in extending the fish farming lease agreement and the ownership declaration until 2035, but if possible until 2040.
He highlighted that the association, together with the two projects, has already brought more than 60 million forints worth of welfare development to the area around the Vasvár lakes. The Vasvári Petőfi Fishing Association, which will be 80 years old next year – led by President László Laki – and the county association together provide the guarantee for long-term, predictable cooperation in the next 10–15 years.

Following the fishing developments , Tamás Ruborics, ecotourism technical manager representing Szombathely Forestry Co., presented the park forest maintenance work, including tree care, the renovation of the steps and retaining walls, and future ecotourism plans.

During the site visit, the participants also visited the spa, where Ákos Zágorhidi-Czigány presented the plans for the new, year-round spa building. During the tour of the lakes , Eszter Steier-Hegedüs, landscape architect and engineer at MargaRét Garden Design, presented the design ideas for the fishing lake environment, while László Laki, president of the Vasvári Petőfi HE, presented the future plans for dredging and the construction of a protective embankment on the shore of Lake II.

At the end of the day , István Kovács, the professional head of the People's College, highlighted in his closing remarks:
"Let harmony be the guiding principle, and let us look forward to all developments in this spirit - together, strengthening each other."

After the professional part of the event, as a closing chord of the tour, the participants recalled the tradition of the Vasvár Holy Well, led by the SVD parish priest Julius Klau . The local veneration of Mary symbolically strengthens the community even today: when looking into the water of the spring, pilgrims saw Mary, and the miraculous stories associated with the healing water have shaped the identity of the place across generations. This sacred heritage was a worthy conclusion to the meeting, confirming: the future of Vasvár is built on the unity of the community, the love of nature and the respect for tradition.

The message of the event is clear: with the cooperation of the city, the fishing community, forestry and civil organizations, the Vasvár recreational area can become a livable, orderly and community-building environment in the long term.

Thank you for the invitation, and let's continue to develop the green heart of Vasvár together!

The photos taken by László Laki at the event can be viewed by clicking here.