Kakukkfű Porta – The Mecca of Medicinal Herbs
Magdolna Pohl Wágenhofer – mother of three, phytotherapist and naturopath – passes on her healing knowledge and experience, wrapped into bottles and unforgettable moments, to all those who wish to reconnect with nature.
Connecting with nature and using medicinal herbs is a way of life for her, shaped since childhood. She has been surrounded by the world of herbs from an early age and later complemented her practical knowledge with professional training.
In the early 2000s, she turned her focus more seriously toward herbs – consciously relearning everything she had instinctively absorbed as a child. She completed several courses, earning qualifications as a phytotherapist and naturopath.
Two Locations, One Mission
Kakukkfű Porta operates in two locations. The production site is in Karmacs, where herbs and fruits are grown in the garden, and processing also takes place here. The showroom and point of sale, however, are located in Gyenesdiás, at the Festetics Herbarium and Watermill. It is open during visiting hours, or you can take part in various workshops and programmes. At the Herbarium, you can enjoy a refreshing lemonade or a warming herbal tea, explore the demonstration herb garden and, of course, purchase products from Kakukkfű Porta.
From Nature to the Jar
The product selection includes herbal syrups, jams, vinegars and teas. All products are made from home-grown or wild-harvested ingredients, following the seasons, using traditional methods without additives or preservatives.
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Syrups: More than 13 types of herbal syrups are produced, including lavender, thyme, lemon balm and ribwort plantain – prepared by cold infusion to gently preserve active ingredients. Among the special flavours, rosehip and elderflower versions stand out.
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Jams & preserves: A wide variety of fruits are used, often combined with herbs. All jams are prepared traditionally, with little sugar and slow cooking to retain flavours and active compounds.
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Teas: The range includes therapeutic blends as well as single-herb teas, from home remedy use to daily wellbeing.
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Vinegars: The herb vinegars are made from apples using traditional methods, with apples sourced from the farm itself.
Experience Programmes & Herb Tourism
Kakukkfű Porta is also an idyllic experience venue. If you are interested in the world of herbs, you can take part in tastings, garden tours, children's activities and syrup & jam-making workshops. You can also learn about the history of the Diás Watermill and walk along the short educational trail starting from the St. John’s Spring.
Product Information
Treasure of Autumn Jam
“Treasure of Autumn” is a warming delicacy created from the harmony of three autumn fruits – apple, pear and quince. The jam is slowly cooked using traditional methods and flavoured only with a little sugar and spices (cinnamon, cloves), preserving the characteristic taste of the fruits.
Prepared free from additives, preservatives and flavour enhancers – just like in grandma’s kitchen.
The jam is not only delicious but also acts as a healing preserve: warming and soothing, perfect for autumn and winter mornings on toast or even spooned into pastries.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Kakukkfű Porta’s apple cider vinegar is traditionally matured, made exclusively from selected apples using natural fermentation. It contains no preservatives or artificial additives – only pure, living ingredients.
Apple cider vinegar is well-known for its health benefits: it aids digestion, suppresses appetite, lowers blood sugar, reduces inflammation and has a mild antiseptic effect.
Recommended for daily use: one spoon dissolved in lukewarm water on an empty stomach, or added to salads.
Kakukkfű Porta can be found at:
- Gyenesdiás, Festetics Herbarium and Watermill
- Google Maps
Further information and contact:
About 10,000 years ago, rapid climate warming triggered a cascade of natural responses: torrential floods, landslides, and intense rock weathering. The landscape we walk on today was not shaped over mere centuries, but by the dramatic forces of climate and water, working together. Did you know that the Zala Valley floor is made up of sediments deposited by a kind of "river of time"? Discover how the Earth’s surface became one of the most sensitive indicators of climate change. We often associate climate change with contemporary issues, but Earth’s climate has shifted many times throughout its history — sometimes quite rapidly. Within large-scale climatic cycles, alternating periods of warming and cooling have long been part of the planet’s natural rhythm. A change in climate sets off a chain reaction of environmental processes. It’s not just animals and plants that respond — so does the landscape itself. Around 10,000 years ago, as the climate warmed significantly, rainfall became more intense. More rain meant more erosion: stormwater began washing away sediment from hills and valleys into riverbeds. The rivers, now carrying more water and more sediment, flooded more often and spread these materials across the landscape. This had a major impact on topography: the land surface became more fragmented and dynamic. Warming temperatures also sped up chemical and physical weathering, breaking down bedrock and helping fertile soil layers to develop. Today, in many areas of the region, the lower slopes and valley edges are coated with sediment — debris washed down from higher ground, largely within the last 10,000–20,000 years. In the Zala Valley, for instance, these deposits have spread so far that they now reach the center of the valley floor. The original bedrock source of these sediments varies: in Zala, it’s typically Pannonian sand (Somló Formation), while in the Keszthely Hills, marine-origin carbonates dominate — mostly dolomite, with some limestone. These sediments now appear as fine gravel, pebbles, or coarse sand, quietly recording the environmental changes of the recent past.
Climate Change: Not Just a Modern Phenomenon
When Climate Changes, Everything Reacts
Shaping the Terrain
In short, natural geological processes that had long been underway suddenly accelerated — and reshaped the surface of the land.Young Sediments at the Base of the Slopes
