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  COUNTRYWIDE BLUE TOUR - HUNGARY


The Countrywide Blue Tour  is a part of the Hungarian section of the European Long
Distance Walking Route E4. The route starts atop the Irottko Mountain (884 m) on the
Austrian-Hungarian border then cuts across Hungary eventually ending 1'128 km
later at the village of Hollóháza by the Hungarian-Slovakian boundary. The name of
the kektura (Blue Tour) is a reference to the marking of the path itself: it is a
horizontal blue stripe between two white stripes.

During its course the Blue Tour visits arguably the most beautiful natural and man-
made sights of Hungary, e.g. more than a dozen forts and castles, lookout towers,
three World Heritage Sites of Hungary (the panorama of Budapest from the hills, the
old village of Hollóko and the Stalactite Cave of Aggtelek), Lake Balaton, the Danube
Bend, and the spent volcanoes of the Basin of Tapolca, etc.

According to the latest survey conducted in 2007 utilizing the Global Positioning
System its total length was measured to be 1128.2 km and the total elevation
change (climb) was found to be 30'213 metres in a Western-Eastern direction over
the whole route.

The Countrywide Blue Tour (simply Blue Tour, or Tour) was the first long distance
walking route not only in Hungary but in the whole Europe. Its path was signed first
time in year 1938, its length was 910 km in that time. A lot of Hungarian hikers began
the completion of the Tour after the World War II., so the Nature Rambler Section of
the Lokomotív Sport Club of Budapest announced the countrywide walk on the "blue"
hiking path in 1952.

The Nature Rambler Section's Committee of Railway Employee's Union developed
this issue on national level in 1953, and published the first brochure, which showed
the whole route in map sketches.

Later the organising and controlling of the Countrywide Blue Tour movement was
taken over by the Hungarian Rambler's Association "Friends of Nature" (MTSZ) in
1961.

But the Blue Tour was known only among the hikers until the beginning of the ’80s,
when the Hungarian TV broadcast a series about the route of the Tour. The
organiser and editor of this series was Pál Rockenbauer, that time he worked in the
editorial office named “Natura” of the Hungarian TV.
Pál Rockenbauer organised a small team and they completed the Countrywide Blue
Tour during 76 days in eastern-western direction. They carried everything (cameras,
films, other equipment, etc.) in their backpacks and had done the whole work without
any external help.

Their work was very successful, the series drew the people’s attention to the
Countrywide Blue Tour. Everybody got to know the Tour in Hungary and many people
began the completion of it. A lot of hikers have the series on video or DVD at home.

Pál Rockenbauer died in year 1987 during a tour on the paths of the Blue Tour close
to village Katalinpuszta at the foot of the Naszály Mountain. A wooden headboard
column cherishes his memory on that place beside the path of the Countrywide Blue
Tour.


                            ROUTE

The route of the Blue Tour begins on the top of the Irottko Mountain (884 m) at the
feet of the lookout tower exactly on the Austrian-Hungarian boundary and leads
among the mountains of the Köszegi-hegység (Mountains of Köszeg) until town
Koszeg. It touches the Hétvezér-forrás (Spring of the Seven Leaders), the lookout
tower of Óház-teto and the Calvary Church of Koszeg. After town Koszeg the Blue
Tour reaches the wide plain of Rába River. The route of the Tour crosses the Little
Hungarian Plain in northwest-southeastern direction via town Sárvár – here the route
crosses the Rába River – until town Sümeg. The total climb on the 120 km long plain
section is only 460 metres!

At town Sümeg the Blue Tour get to the edge of the plain and the route goes on
among the 200-300 metres tall hills of the Highland of Balaton. The path visits the
ruins of Castle of Tátika and the Buddhist Stupa at village Zalaszántó. Later the path
reaches the old, spent volcanoes at the coast of Lake Balaton. Among others the
route visits the Szent György-hegy (415 m), the Badacsony (437 m), Gulács (393 m)
and the Csobánc (376 m). The tops of the spent volcanoes are in 250 – 300 metres
height above the Basin of Tapolca. After the basin the Blue Tour goes among the
hills of the highland until village Nagyvázsony.

After village Nagyvázsony the route reaches the Bakony (Bakony Mountains), which is
the first member in the long row of medium mountains in Hungary. First the Blue
Tour climbes the top of Kab-hegy (599 m) and descendes in the valley to the railway
station of Városlod-Kislod. After village Bakonybél the Tour visits the tallest peak of
Bakony, the Koris-hegy (700 m). After town Zirc the route of the Blue tour leads
among the hills of Eastern Bakony. This area is the oldest Hungarian medium
mountains, it has only mild hills and valleys.

The route of the Blue Tour goes through the forest of the about 400 metres high
volcanic plateau of the Vértes and reaches the wide Hilly Country of Gerecse. From
the tops of the last hills of this county opens a very good view towards the Danube
and Slovakia.

The Pilis Mountains lies in the big bend of the Danube, where it turns towards
southern direction from the earlier western-eastern direction. The route of the Blue
Tour is similar to a big, inverse "O" letter here, first the Tour goes in southern
direction until the area of Budapest, but it only touches the forests of the capital
(Mountains of Buda), later the path goes back to the Pilis Mountains, and reaches
the Danube at the Danube Bend at village Visegrád. One of the biggest Hungarian
touristic spectacles are the Danube Bend and the Castle of Visegrád.

The Blue Tour goes further on the other coast of the Danube and climes the peaks of
the Börzsöny (Nagy-Hideg-hegy: 864 m and Csóványos: 938 m) and after the peak of
Naszály (652 m) it reaches the wide Hilly Country of Cserehát. Village Hollóko – it is
a World Heritage Site – lies among the hills. After the peak of Tepke (566 m) the
route get to the Mátra Mountains.

Mátra Mountains - It is the highest mountains in Hungary, the Blue Tour
climbes the two highest peaks: the Galyateto (964 m) and the Kékesteto (1014 m) –
it is the tallest peak of Hungary. After the peaks the Tour descendes on the long
eastern ridge of the mountains until village Sirok and village Szarvasko

The path climbes the 800-900 metres high plateau of the Bükk Mountains,
afterwards descendes into the Valley of Sajó River. Later the Countrywide Blue Tour
visits the stalactite cave of Aggtelek in the Hilly Coutry of Aggtelek – it is a World
Heritage Site, as well – and reaches the Valley of Bódva River.

The route of the Blue Tour crosses the Hilly Country of Cserehát and reaches the
last member of the Northern Medium Mountains: the Zemplén. The path climbes the
highest peak of the mountains: the Nagy-Milic (895 m) which stands on the
Hungarian-Slovakian boundary. Finally it descendes to village Hollóháza. The final
point of the Countrywide Blue Tour, which is signed with a small monument, is
located in that settlement.