Via Sancti Martin

More details about the route:

In the morning, you should visit the St. John of Nepomuk Church in Mosonmagyaróvár, which is located in the city centre. The building of the church is attributed to Maria Theresia.

LEGEND

According to the legend, the queen was on her way from Vienna to Buda when her carriage sank in the marshy Moson soil, and she was only able to continue her trip with the help of the citizens. Maria Theresia promised to build a church in the same place as a thanking gesture if the area gets filled in and a solid foundation is created to make the construction of the church possible. The hardworking citizens of Moson completed the work the queen had asked. The queen kept her promise and the church, whose patron saint is St. John of Nepomuk, was built with her financial support.

Who was Saint John of Nepomuk? 

Mosonmagyaróvár
Spiritual provision

On this day, we can taste the flavours of Szigetköz. In the small, local shops or on the cheese platters of the restaurants in the area, you can find the top products of the local traditional dairy industry, the "Óvár" cheeses, the most popular classic cheese varieties, flavoured, smoked cheeses and cheese specialities such as Provolone or Kashkaval.

By getting on our bikes and leaving the city, we can ride through small settlements all the way to Győr. Leaving Móvár - as the locals call it - we cross the Mosoni-Danube bridge and arrive in Halászi. On a hot summer day, you can refresh yourself in the quiet, cooling water of the Danube at Halászi Beach. On the main square of the village, next to the baroque cottages that have been preserved in their original state, we can find the church of St. Martin.

Halászi
Spiritual provision

Martin absconded from home even at the age of ten. He didn't go to have fun, but went to church, registered as a religious student (catechumen), and wanted to be baptized. At the age of twelve, he dreamed of becoming a hermit, devoting his life to God in pure silence. At the age of fifteen, his pagan father tied him up and forced him to take the military oath and thus become a soldier. At the age of eighteen, Martin shared his cloak with the trembling beggar. That night he had a dream. He saw the heavenly world, the angels and Christ himself. Christ, who had half his military cloak on his shoulders, said: "I received this cloak from Martin the catechumen." Martin woke up from his sleep, he was extremely happy. Soon after, he was baptized, and from this, all his desire was to be only a soldier of Christ, his messenger and servant. Life-turning moments in a human life. Moments when the sky opens, when we see the veil of things behind, when we perceive the true depth of our existence, the ultimate perspective. What have the poignant, fate-changing moments of my life been? Let me thank for them, recall them! Can I live in the light of these moments, worthy of them? Or have I let them turn grey and fade?

Saint Martin Church

Turning right after the church, following the Szigetköz cycle path, we are greeted by the typical Kisalföld countryside. If you get hungry during the day, it's worth trying the famous Szigetköz pickled fish, which is prepared in several restaurants along the route.

You can discover historical memories on flat terrain, cycling comfortably through charming villages. At the resting place on the border of Darnózseli, you can not only regain your strength, also the locals await passers-by with a novel stored there, for those who want to read an interesting book.

Our journey continues through one of the most romantic settlements of the Szigetköz, where a count's castle with streams and tranquillity awaits those who come to Hédervár. The settlement has been interwoven with several stories, starting from the time of the conquest (900s). We can also meet the oldest "witness" of the life of the village, this huge old bog oak, the Árpád Tree, which sprawls in front of the Church of Our Lady. Local folklore links this to a legendary event, according to which the conquering leader Árpád tied his horse to it on his way to the battle near Bratislava in 907. The tree can actually be 7-800 years old.

The next stop on our journey is Ásványráró, where we can take a close look at the rich wildlife of the Danube tributary system. At the border of the village, on the way to Győr, on the left side, on the bank of the Danube, you will find the Calvary. Here we get our second spiritual guide. The hundred-year-old poplar tree is at the angle of the earliest triangular building in Hungary, which surrounds the Calvary. In terms of the decoration of the Calvary, we find three of everything here.

Ásványráró
Spiritual provision

A huge, ancient black poplar tree and wooden crosses. The Creator planted a beautiful order and harmony in nature. His beauty shines through the Sun, the Moon, the stars, the blooming flowers, the faces of children. The same beauty, the same light shone in Christ, in his life and death on the cross. The aspen tree and the wooden crosses proclaim the same divine beauty and love. Martin was a man of prayer. Sulpicius Severus, Martin's great admirer and biographer, wrote about it: "Just as blacksmiths have the habit of striking the anvil during work as a way of resting, so Martin always prayed, even when he was apparently doing something else." Look at the two trees in amazement! Feel the presence and radiance of the same divine beauty and divine light in them! Prayer is nothing more than opening our souls to this light. Let it flow into you to fill you up! Keep your soul in the Sun!

Calvary

After the rich natural environment and spectacular forests, we arrive in the largest city of Szigetköz; Győr. In the district of Győr-Újváros (Győr-Newcity), a church of five European religions can be found next to each other within 700 metres, which is unique in Europe.