Size of protected area: Out of 43 934 hectrare protected area, 3104 hectares are protected to a gerater extent.
Location: The central area of the national park is surrounded by the settlements Szentgotthárd, Körmend, Zalalövő, Kerkafalva, Szentgyörgyvölgy and by the western boundary of the country.
Visiting: The majority of the area can be visited without restrictions, but it also has highly protected areas and parts which can only be visited with a permit (bog-moss meadows and raised bogs in the first place). More information is available in the vistors' centre of the national park.

Not because of its outlaw stories or dark canyons like the Bakony or Börzsöny but the Őrség is still a mysterious place even now. Though in terms of nature and history it is strongly tied to the external world, it still seems to be a closed, introverted world with a particular course of development, where nature and man is in a perfect harmony.
Besides its flora and fauna with often unique species, establishing the national park was justified by the invaluable qualities of the landscape: the plan of villages, characteristic architecture, the amazing, undisturbed landscape covered by pine forests.

Although the region is generally known as Őrség, – this is the name the national park was also given – the region comprises of three geographically very similar, though not absolutely alike areas: the eastern boundary of the Őrség is at Zalalövő, while it stretches to the west roughly as far as Orfalu, Apátistvánfalva. Further on to the west it is the area of the Vendvidék that begins there. The southern part, in the south of the river Kerka, the region is called the Hetés. All three areas are referred to under the name of Őrség in this description.

The area of Őrség, Vendvidék and Hetés has been formed by rivers going eastward for millions of years. The graveled, clayey bed-rock of the area was created by the Ancient Rába and Ancient Dráva. The area was formed later by the rivers coming from the Alps (the Ikva the Pinka etc.) and by the rivers that still run along here (Kerka, Rába, Szala – Zala). The basic formation of Őrség was created by the spread of alluvial deposit and alluvial cones. The characteristic undulating gentle countryside furrowed by watercourses emerged as a result of later erosive processes.
The climate of the area is well-balanced sub alpine-like – warm, but not too hot summer and rainy, snowy but not very cold winter. As a result of the climate joined by abundant rainfall, rich and abundant vegetation can develop – two thirds of the area is covered by forests. The clayey, brown forest soil on the graveled bed-rock is often eroded, deprived of its upper tilth layer, has a small capacity and is not suitable for considerable agricultural cultivation.

The characteristic feature of the Őrség landscape, is the sight of continuous (uninterrupted) woodland. The majority of the forests comprises of hornbeam-oaks, beeches, pine forests mixed with deciduous trees, Scotch fir forests. Spruce (Pieca) forests constitute large stretches of forests at several places, particularly in the Vendvidék.
The underwood of forests and meadows, clearings in forests is constituted by alpine flora, the species of Illyrian (Balkan) flora stretching out here from the south and the often quite rare species of the Pannon flora. All these result the development of valuable and unique associations.
The hart's-tongue fern (Polystichum aculeatum), the marsh fern (Thelypteris), the mezereon (Daphne mezerum), the lungwort (Pulmonara angosii-folix, the goat's beard (Arancus silvestris) and the herb Paris, the monkshood (Aconitum vulparia) are common in the underwood of characteristic Turkey oak-oak associations of the eastern, southern, south-eastern hill-sides.
The underwood of pine forests mixed with deciduous trees in the cooler areas is not of lesser value, since it comprises of species like the dog's tooth violet (Erythronium dens-canis), the gentian (Gentiana asclepiadia), the cyclamen (Ciclamen pupurascens) or the yellow day lily (Hemerocallis lilio-asphodelus).
The real specialty of the area is the extensive calciphobic common pine forests radiating an alpine atmosphere. The sight of pine forests clouded with mist at dawn is unforgettable. Pine forests thrive here, they are predominant here, because the eroded, poor quality soil cannot support deciduos associations of larger nutrient requirements. The heather (Calluna vulgaris), the cowberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea), the gentian and the lesser butterfly-orchid live at the fringes and at flimsy parts of pine forests. But all of the wintergreen (Pyrola) species of Hungary can be found here.
The spectacular herbaceous flora of sub-alpine larger and smaller hayfields hiding between forests is also valuable. Even at small areas, such rare, protected species can be found as the oxlip (Primula vulgaris), the maiden pink (Dianthus deltoides), the dwarf carline-thistle (Carlina acaulis) or the lady's-tresses (Spiranthes spiralis).

The Őrség is not only famous for its continuous ancient beeches and pine forests, since the wetland associations represent the same value.
There are marshes, marsh meadows wet hayfields in the vicinity of hundreds of springs and dozens of streams of different sizes. Their development is supported by the bed of clay running right under the soil stratum that prevents the rain from getting deep. As a result these areas are wet, with stagnant water, or covered by water all the year round.
The region is also rich in lakes. Lakes or lakelets can often be found among hills and in forests. Besides natural lakes, artificial ones were also created at several places by damming natural watercourses, such as the Vadása lake near Hegyhátszentjakab, the Vadása lake II, the Barkás lake, the Himfa lake and the Máriaújfalu lake.

The wild orchid species (fragrant orchid – Gymnadenia conopsea, the broad-leaved marsh-orchid, common spotted orchid – Dactylorhiza majalis and fuchsi, the burned orchid are the rare plants of watery, tall sedge marsh meadows, which are still in their natural state. The Siberian iris, the narcissus angustifoliate, the cottongrass (Eriophorum) and the yellow day lily are also among the local protected plants.
However, the most precious treasures are the bog-moss habitats, meadows and raised bogs. These small, sometimes just a few tens of a hectare associations are real wonders. Although we can find larger and smaller bog-moss areas along several watercourses, the most famous are the Szőce marsh meadow, and the boggy meadows along the watercourses Szala, Hársas and Gvajka. But the Fekete lake between Szalafő and Farkasfa are just as significant. The Fekete lake, inconsistent with its name, is not a lake any longer but a bog-moss raised bog.
The bog-moss associations consist of ten species (Sphagnum). Rare and valuable plants – partly remnant of the glacial period – live here like the marsh cinquefoil (Comarum palustre), the round-leaved sundew (Drosera rotundifolia), the bogbean (Menyanthes trifoliate) or the white beak rush (Rynchospora alba), which lives only here in Hungary. The bog-moss associations because of their small size and physical structure, are very prone to damages, therefore some of them are fenced. Fences are also there to protect visitors, because these bog-mosses under the easily breakable moss-layer can be as deep as five to ten meters and visitors who might get there accidentally, can find themselves in a life-threatening situation!

In accordance with the varied habitats and plant associations, the fauna of the Őrség is very rich. Owing to the clean and undisturbed environment, the low proportion of agricultural cultivation and the cleanness of superficial watercourses, the number of invertebrate animal species is rather high and extremely varied. The visitor will be captivated firstly by the rich dragonfly and butterfly fauna of the alpine hayfields and marsh meadows. More than 1500 species of butterflies have been listed by researchers, the majority of them feed on special plants which only or mainly grow here. The rarest of them are the marsh fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia), the Danube clouded yellow (Colias myrmidone) and several species of the hawk moths and eggars. It is similarly suggestive that larva of about a hundred watercress caddis fly species, which are generally known to be sensitive to pollution, live in the streams way up. The beetle fauna of extensive deciduous and pine forests where timbering was stopped decades ago is very rich and significantly spectacular. Several endemic species of big carnivorous beetles (Carabidae) can be seen by observant eyes, and the longhorn beetle- and the grasshopper fauna is also rich, again with several endemic species.

The brooks, artificial and natural lakes give a chance to survive for fish species which are sensitive to the cleannes of the environment. For example the brook trout can be found in the brooks way up, though their number has decreased, beacause the water was dammed up when storage-lakes were created on the brooks Hársas and Gvajka. But the minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus) thrives in most brooks, and the weather-fish is quite common in watery marshy areas.
In terms of fish, amphibian and reptile fauna, the most precious part of the national park is the river Rába, one of the few rivers which – at least partly – was not canalized. Due to this fact, it is still real living water. Especially way up the river (as far as Alsóújlak), the river forms its own bed by itslef, often with sharp breakings forming a crumbling bank. The main bed and the mortlakes are surrounded by gallery forests, wet hayfields and marsh meadows. Besides the already mentioned fish species the protected ruffle sp. (Gymnocephalus schratzer) and the German- and Hungarian zingel (Zingel zingel) live in these waters.
The yellow-bellied toad (Bombina variegata), the alpine newt (Triturius alpestris) and the spotted salamander are quite common in the wet marsh meadows – often fed by small local springs – between forests, in the wet associations of brooks and also along the Rába way up the river.

The most precious part of the immensely rich avifauna of the Őrség is constituted by mountain species, which live only at a couple of places in Hungary. Above all such are the crossbill (Loxia curvirostra), the tree-creeper (Certhia familiaris), but the coal tit (Parus ater), the dunnock (Prunella modularis), and the two smallest birds in Europe the goldcrest and fire crest (Regulus regulus, R. Ignicapillus) also belong here. Besides, the stock dove hatch in deciduous forests, the gray headed woodpecker (Picus canus) and the black woodpecker are also common here. Unfortunately the capercaillie, once common to hatch in pine forests, has disappeared from the Őrség, but the similarly sensitive, intolerant of disturbances, black stork living in forests, still nests at several places.
The little ringed plover and the common sandpiper (Tringa hypoleucos) can often be seen in the wet areas, on sandbanks lining the Rába. The corncrake lives in wet meadows.
Out of the the mammals living in the Őrség, it is worth mentioning a few members of the weasels (weasel, beech marten, pine-marten, stoat), the wild cat, the otter mainly living along watercourses and the valuable stock of red deer.

As it was already said in the introduction, the main reason why the Őrség is uniquely beautiful lies in the harmony between nature and man. It is an intersting though strange fact, that it has developed like this in spite of – or rather for that very reason – that the Őrség has been a frontier region from time immemorial. First Celts, the Romans settled here, later in the 10-11^th century it was the Magyars that arrived at this area. The people coming from the east, wanted to ensure that attacks from the West are warded off, therefore guards, watchmen were settled to the western border-land. The guards were obliged to defend the country from the western danger. In turn they were granted serious privileges and titles of nobility. They were subordinated directly to the king, they elected their own leaders and besides fulfilling their guarding service they did not pay taxes. This was the period that established the autonomic development of the region.
When planning their settlements special attention was paid that they could easily be defended. Therefore houses were built on the top of hills, bringing about settlements with a special plan called 'szer' or 'szeg', of which basic pattern has still survived.
Houses were built in a way that they could provide defense in case of an attack. This is the so called 'enclosed house' where the house and the farm-buildings enclose the yard like a little fortress. Little lakelets called 'tóka' were often made near the house which provide water for the people living on the top of hills.
These characteristic 'szer' were named after the owner of the place, and they form an integral part of the Őrség so much so, that one could almost say that they can be regarded as 'natural' formations. The most renowned is at Szalafő, functioning as an outdoor village museum called Pityerszer representing an invaluable asset. The 'szer' kind of settlemnt can also be found in Nagy- and Kisrákos, Szaknyér, Kercaszomor, Ispánk, Bajánsenye and in the center of the Őrség in Őriszentpéter.
Similarly belfries also belong the landscape of the Őrség. The most beautiful is perhaps the skirted belfry in Pankasz.

Because of the scarce agricultural potential of the region, natural resources have been used in many various ways: bee-keeping is widely popular, the clayey soil makes good basis for pottery (it was introduced by the Romans). However the majority of the people living here has been occupied with timbering, but not in the clear-felling system that devastates nature, but select-cutting that is sustainable on the long run. The characteristic forests – with multi-level foliage – developed like this are especially common around Szentgyörgyvölgy in the Hetés. Cultivating clearings made by burning is similarly characteristic of this area. In the course of that, the clearing of a burnt down forest is cultivated, then they move on when the poor soil gets exhausted. The abandoned clearing will be 'patched' gradually by the forest, which can still be observed in the pattern of forests of the Őrség and Vendvidék.

One of the most precious buildings of the Őrség is the 12^th century 'granary' church in Szentgotthárd. Roman or gothic Churches built in the 13-14^th century can be found in several villages: Szőce, Rábagyarmat, Felsőmarác. The famous church in Velemér is from this period, too.