Halápi csárda – Nyírbátor (AK-11)

Itinerary:

During the route, we must follow the K sign all the way.

• From the Halápi csárda we quickly reach the route of the Zsuzsi Forest Railway, where it is worth making a detour to the Hármashegy lookout tower.
• From the terminus of the narrow-gauge railway, we initially follow the embankment, then along a winding trail to reach the Petőrész Lookout.
• With a sharp turn to the south, we reach the first settlement (area) on our way, Buzita, via a winding, long route.
• We arrive at Nyíracsád on an asphalt road, then between sand dunes.
• From here, on a country road, then again among sand hills, we reach the Gút forest, and from there Nyírlugos.
• After a long straight section, we reach a wooded area that ends at Istvántanya (along the way we can make a detour to the highest point of the Great Hungarian Plain).
• We arrive at the endpoint of our hike, Nyírbátor, winding between forests and arable lands. 

Detailed description: 

From the Halápi csárda to the Hármas-hegy lookout tower

We start from the crumbling building of the once thriving Halápi csárda, located on the country road between Debrecen and Vámospércs, heading towards the softly swaying wooded sand ridges. The stamp can be found on the post of the nature reserve sign next to the tavern building, well hidden behind the hoopoe emblem. We immediately turn left onto a sandy bulldozer road bordered by forest, which initially leads past holiday homes, then we take a sharp right turn onto the road to Hármas-hegy.

Akasia stands around us; this undemanding and fast-growing tree species was ideal for afforestation and utilization of the poor soil area. However, due to its poor undergrowth, nature conservation principles now explicitly oppose the planting of this non-native acacia, although it has always been declared a hungaricum thanks to its liquid, fragrant flower honey. Mixed with acacia, we can also find poplars and occasionally oaks within the nature reserve boundaries.

After some wandering, we reach the popular Zsuzsi Forest Railway route at the Hármas-hegy stop, from where we also climb the somewhat generously named mountain, although it is distinctly elevated from the landscape. Black pine, planted extensively on the sand ridges due to its low water requirements, creates an atmospheric, resin-scented grove here on Hármas-hegy. Along the path leading to the top of the sand ridge, the impressive Hármashegyi Lookout Tower rises above the pine and acacia foliage and is one of the best observation points in the area.

Standing 25 meters above the treetops, we can climb to the top of the wooden structure, from where we can see the wider surroundings. The distinctive view includes the mixed forest spreading far around us: like on a canopy trail, we can admire the crowns of the large trees from above and gain insight into the strategies of those who won the struggle for light. The forest cover is only broken to the east by a meadow, behind which a corner of the Hármas-hegyi Lake gleams, its water artificially replenished from a well drilled in the lowest water catchment basin between the sand ridges. If we arrive in good weather, we can spot the towers of Debrecen on the western horizon, including the TV tower, housing estates, and the Great Church.

In the atmospheric grove around the lookout, there is a resting place where it is worth refreshing yourself with the comfort of benches and tables. From here, the path follows the line of the sand ridge, winding through interesting, intricate shapes before turning off at the northern end of the hill to the current terminus of the small railway below us. The railway, originally built without a track base on logs laid on compacted sand from Debrecen's timber yard to Nyírmártonfalva in 1882, was established for the logging of the city's Gút forest. Its first steam locomotive was named Zsuzsi, from which the forest railway also took its popular name. In the early 20th century, the main line was continuously expanded and rebuilt. Passenger transport started in the 1920s alongside freight, and in addition to the residents of the settlements and farms concerned, the urban population also liked to use it for excursions. In the early '60s, the unique 950 mm gauge used here was rebuilt to the more common 760 mm gauge for more economical operation, but in the next decade, at the end of the summer of 1977, most of the railway, considered outdated, was dismantled, sealing the fate of the farm villages. Only the route to the foot of Hármas-hegy, Hármashegyalja, was retained, which is still popular as a recreational area.

According to its popularity, there is a pleasant park, resting places, and a playground at this spot. With a short detour, we can visit the exhibition at the terminus, the forest school, where we can closely examine the taxidermy representatives of local animals and plants, view the photo exhibition, and learn about the life of wooded plains. Next to the forest school building stands a new lookout tower, but it does not offer a particularly new experience after Hármas-hegy.

In the silence of Erdőspuszta

At the current terminus of the small railway, we join its former route, walking on a modest embankment where the rails are gone. Leaving behind the noise of the popular tourist park, the shade-giving oak forest encloses us again with the silence of Erdőspuszta. We leave the embankment shortly, so we must carefully follow the well-marked but winding route. We cross a canal, then, after passing numerous forest patches and arable lands of various atmospheres, we reach the wooden Petőrész Lookout.

This observation point was erected on the meadow next to a former lake, now framed by reeds and shrubs as a spacious pasture, dotted with storks and herds searching for food. The old farm building and corral are also visible from here. If we are sufficiently curious, hidden in the bushes around the lookout we can find several information boards arranged along a puzzling trail of educational paths. A resting place has also been set up next to the lookout, which holds the stamp box, where we can relax a bit after stamping before the next big march.

At the lookout, we make a sharp turn back to the south and circle around Nyírmártonfalva through the sand hills on a winding path. We walk in a wide arc around a farm near the Répalaposi Lookout, from whose top we can look around the surrounding acacia forest. We don't see any particular attractions here, but in the distance, we can spot a few rooftops of Nyírmártonfalva. After leaving the farm, we cross the country road and climb up a sandy ridge through old houses. We wind between forests and fields; along a long, turning bulldozer road we finally reach the first settlement on our way, Buzita – essentially a privately owned "castle," the Vécsey manor, along with some residential houses. From the part of the settlement belonging to Nyíracsád, an asphalt road leads into the village, but the Alföld Blue Trail K sign turns into the sand dunes a few hundred meters later to give us an extra detour before entering the village.

Árpád Era church and the highest point of the Great Hungarian Plain

Upon arriving at Nyíracsád, it is worth stopping at the Árpád Era church standing in the village center, and if possible, taking a look inside, as original medieval frescoes were uncovered during interior restoration. The church was built in the 13th century in late Romanesque and early Gothic style featuring robust walls. An early record states that in the 1700s it stood without a roof, but the strengthening faith community covered it with reeds. During restoration carried out at the beginning of the 20th century, it was found that three layers of medieval fresco fragments lay hidden under the plaster on the whitewashed walls by the Reformed community. The currently visible wooden bell tower was built during the last renovation in the 1990s in a characteristic Upper Tisza region style. Next to it stands a Greek Catholic church used by the congregation consisting mainly of villagers originally of Ruthenian origin. Simple accommodation can be booked at the parish, and the stamp is hidden on an information board in front of the pharmacy not far from the Árpád Era church.

We can recharge in the village center, for which the confectionery opposite the church and the store on the other side of the road offer excellent opportunities. This is advisable because the road leading from here to Nyírlugos is quite monotonous: we travel on the country road for a while, then the marking navigates us again among sand hills for variety. After some winding, we cross the country road again and, following a long hollow between sand ridges, we turn onto the road leading to the Gút forest at an apple orchard, later passing by the forest ranger's house. Shortly after the bulldozer road, we turn perpendicular onto a narrower forest trail; at the fork, on the post of the Blue Trail direction sign, we find the stamp box.

After some winding, we arrive almost directly at the border of Nyírlugos, where the sandy road also becomes asphalted. Passing through the town touching a shop and bakery, circling both churches – the stamp can be found on the information board at the second one. Leaving the settlement behind at the cemetery, we continue our journey again in the soft sand. After overcoming a long straight section, we return to the wooded area, climbing the sandy ridge that also carries the highest point of the Great Hungarian Plain. However, we shouldn’t imagine a climb ahead: the landscape rises almost imperceptibly, and in addition to reaching Hoportyó at an altitude of 183 m above sea level, we must also turn off from the blue trail to the K▲ sign. If we find it interesting that we are walking on the top of the Great Hungarian Plain, we can make this small detour, but we shouldn’t expect a dizzying panorama—the summit is marked only by a one-meter-high concrete triangulation point. From here, we can just overlook the advancing acacia coppice if we are willing to cut through the almost impassable overgrown path.

Forest moods until the historical center of Nyírbátor

Continuing on the K marking, we cross mixed forest stands; the atmosphere of acacia, black pine, poplar, and oak forests differs markedly. In the latter, we find the diversity that originally characterized the forests of the Great Hungarian Plain. Although the pine and acacia forests have poor, sparse undergrowth, hiking benefits greatly from the continuous forest cover, which provides cool shade in summer but also brings variety to the monotonous landscape.

At Istvántanya, we leave the forest section that lasts for nearly 10 kilometers. We quickly cross the part of the settlement of Nyírbogát, which counts only a few dozen houses, although one of the last buildings, with its shady terrace and the stamp box placed here, invites us to stop at the Fapados buffet. We leave the asphalt road leading to Nyírbogát to continue our journey again on a cart track. We sharply bypass a wedge-shaped forest section where it is easy to quit the hike, as we are only a few hundred meters from the Nyírbogát station on the Debrecen-Mátészalka railway line.

If we stay on the blue trail, winding between forests and fields, we continue our hike in the direction of Nyírbátor, one of the centers of the Nyírség. For a short section, the Maria Way pilgrim path also joins us, connecting Máriapócs, Mariazell (Austria), and Csíksomlyó.

The last section leading to Nyírbátor is done in a forest environment, arriving at the historical center of the area, known as the resting place of Prince István Báthory of Transylvania and recognized as a medieval center. We cross the square in front of the town hall but make a small detour to see the attractions of Nyírbátor, the Church of Our Lady of the Angels, the Báthori István Museum, and the historical promenade, which also leads to the impressive Reformed church. The section ends at the stamp box located at the museum, but it is still worth walking along the K marking to the Reformed church, then approaching the railway station via Kossuth Lajos street or Madách Imre and Dózsa György streets, where we also find a stamp box.