Walking in Hungary

Overview Map

Introduction

The Highlands of Hungary

How the Guide is Organised

Getting to Hungary

Budapest

When to Go Walking

Clothing and Accessories

Rural Accommodation

Getting Around Hungary

Health

Waymarking

Maps

Forestry, Hunting, National Parks, Privatisation and Access

Village Facilities

Flora, Fungi and Fauna

History

Village Life

A History of Hungary’s Walking Movements

The National Blue Route

Walks in Northern Hungary

The Aggtelek

Walk 1 – Jósvafő-Aggtelek Circuit

Walk 2 – Jósvafő to Bódvaszilas

Walk 3 – Tornanádaska to Szögliget

The Börzsöny

Walk 4 – Királyrét and Csóványos

Walk 5 – Nagy-Mána Ridge

Walk 6 – Nagy-Hideg-hegy to Kemence

Walk 7 – Királyháza to Diósjenő

Walk 8 – Drégelypalánk to Diósjenő

The Bükk

Walk 9 – The High Bükk: Szilvásvárad to Répáshuta

Walk 10 – The High Bükk: Lillafüred to Répáshuta

Walk 11 – The Beehive Stones: Eger to Cserépváralja

The Mátra

Walk 12 – Mátraháza to Mátraszentistván

Walk 13 – Ágasvár and Csörgő-patak

Walk 14 – The Mátra ridge way (east section)

The Zemplén

Walk 15 – Nagy-Milic and Füzér Castle

Walk 16 – Hollóháza to Füzér

Walk 17 – Rostalló to Mogyoróska

Walk 18 – Telkibánya to Regéc

Walk 19 – Mogyoróska to Boldogkőváralja

Walks in Transdanubia

The Bakony

Walk 20 – Cuha Valley

Walk 21 – Ördög-árok

The Balaton Uplands

Walk 22 – Kuruc-körút

Walk 23 – Badacsony to Szigliget

Walk 24 – Gyulakeszi to Köveskál

The Buda Hills

The Mecsek

Walk 25 – Magyaregregy to Óbánya

Walk 26 – Óbánya Circuit (via Réka-vár)

Walk 27 – Kisújbánya to Váralja

Walk 28 – Jakab-hegy

The Pilis and Visegrád hills

Walk 29 – Dobogókő Circuit

Walk 30 – Pilisszántó Circuit

Walk 31 – Nagy-Kevély

Walk 32 – Szent László Valley and Visegrád Fortress

The Vértes

Walk 33 – Southern Vértes Escarpment

Walk 34 – Szárliget to Várgesztes

Appendix 1 The Hungarian Language and Notes on Pronunciation

Appendix 2 Glossary of Useful Words and Phrases

Appendix 3 Glossary of Hungarian Topographical Terms

Appendix 4 Useful Addresses and Telephone Numbers

The theory is that if you keep to one waymark colour you need only continue to the end of the route. In practice waymarks tend to be conspicuous when the track is obvious and absent at complicated junctions. Waymarking is improving, but many were painted a long time ago and are obscured by vegetation, weathered, or the trees they were on have been felled. Old green waymarks tend to turn blue with age and vice versa. Therefore the ability to read a map is important and also adds to the enjoyment of walking. The Hungarian company Cartographia publishes a series of excellent walking maps (turistatérkép) in 1:40 000 and other scales. Official walking routes are denoted on the maps as red lines and the different route colours are distinguished by a letter: K (kék=blue), P (piros=red), S (sárga=yellow) and Z (zöld= green). A selection of hotels, hostels, campsites, country restaurants, snack bars and even petrol stations are also marked on the maps. Understanding map references is useful for one or two walks in the guide, and an ability to use a compass is helpful at complicated forest trail junctions where visibility is restricted but not essential.

In Hungary Cartographia’s maps can be bought in most book shops in cities and towns, but the main stockist is their shop in Budapest (see Appendix 4). Apart from the most tourist-aware settlements small village shops do not usually stock walking maps, but try the post office, any large hotels in the area or the local museum. The relevant map name and number for a specific region is at the beginning of each route description.

Cartographia’s maps are fairly accurate and updated regularly, but be aware that even the most recent issue cannot keep up with all changes caused by privatisation. The following points are worth noting. With the exception of the Balaton map only a selection of the more common symbols are explained in Hungarian map keys. Refer to the glossary in Appendix 3 for a translation of the symbols and common topographical terms. The letter H within a square is a hotel and not a hospital. A hospital or doctor’s surgery is a cross within a circle. Hungarian maps are fragile and will soon fall apart. Map cases are fine but expensive, add bulk and weight, and are not indestructible. A strong clear plastic bag is adequate protection from rain or perspiring fingers and is inexpensive to replace. A common error is to assume that the red lines on the map (the official waymarked routes) will be very obvious on the ground. Unlike the faint dotted lines on the map denoting tracks, the red lines tend to stand out, but they might be less obvious on the ground. In a few examples the superimposition of the red lines on the map can be inaccurate enough to place the waymarked route on the wrong side of a stream or valley. It is not a common problem but the knack to not getting lost in the forest is to balance waymark awareness with good map reading. Military maps (katonai térkép) in the standard 1:50 000 and 1:25 000 scales are available in a few specialist shops in Budapest. There is really no need to buy these more expensive maps as the walks in this guide are covered by the Cartographia series, which is sufficiently accurate for following waymarked trails.

We do not yet have any updates available for this book

We are always grateful to readers for information about any discrepancies between a guidebook and the facts on the ground. If you would like to send some information to us then please use our contact form. They will be published here following review by the author(s).

(Outdoor Pursuits December 2002)