Bükk Blue Trail, 1st section: Eger–Pazsagi tourist house

Itinerary

• Throughout the route, from Egervár station to the Pazsagi tourist house, follow the K trail marker.

Detailed description of the route

From Egervár station to the Saint Donát column

Looking around Egervár railway station, there is little to suggest that here begins a multi-day hiking trail crossing the adjacent Carpathian mountain range, allowing for a "wild immersion". The K markers lead on the opposite side of the road, up a small ascending street out of Eger, among the surrounding vineyards. The first quarter of the day will be spent along the border of vineyards and forests, and the first checkpoint is also linked to the Saint Donát column standing next to the road. The hill itself is named after the patron saint of winemakers, and its surface is mostly covered by rhyolite tuff – this rock was deposited here by volcanic eruptions and provides good soil nourishment for the vineyards; it is also easy to carve, making it suitable for making cellars.

Afterwards, we walk a long stretch between extensive vineyards. Winemaking was primarily introduced in the town to meet the liturgical needs of the bishopric of Eger; later, Walloons settled after the Tatar invasion and Serbs fleeing the Turks also brought their grape varieties and techniques. The climate is favorable for viticulture due to the proximity of the Great Plain and the south-facing slopes of the hills, and the Turks did not stop it, as it was a significant source of commercial revenue for them.

From the Saint Donát column to the Tiba well

The surrounding mountains, such as the towering Nagy-Eged on our right, understandably attract hikers from here, but it is definitely worth walking this section, as few places offer such a wide, comprehensive view of the edge rocks of the Bükk plateau. Looking back, the huge mass of Kékes rises above the hills. Heading towards the Bükk mountains, we leave the asphalt and continue on a rough road beside bushes and holiday homes. We ascend alongside the skirts of Vár hill and the Nagy-Eged range, and before entering the forest, it is worth taking a last farewell to the full ridge of the Mátra and the Great Plain, as these will no longer be seen on the Bükk Blue Trail.

We enter an oak forest and turn beside a valley ditch to the Tiba well, which is the next checkpoint. The small stone shelter was made by the Hungarian Carpathian Association in 1902 and named after a captain who repelled the Turkish army nearby. By the spring, there is a simple resting place with benches and a table – unfortunately, the water dries up during drought periods.

From the Tiba well to the Kis-Lambóth swamp

The K marker turns back on the other side of the ditch and follows the foothill in the forest with gentle undulations. We pass a spot where the Nature Friends Hiking Association’s shelter stood from the late 1920s (for a certain period). Sometimes, we can access the forest edge, which is recommended as the now shrubby meadows offer a great view of the plateau.

We arrive in Felsőtárkány near what is probably the country’s most beautifully situated football field; here in the center, there is a shop and a restaurant, and since there are no other villages on this day, this is the place to eat, drink, and restock supplies. We also pass by the narrow-gauge railway terminus, and if we arrive during operating hours, it is worth considering a ride to the other terminal at the Stimecz House, so we do not miss anything and will see the prettier side of the stream valley than what the trail shows us.

From the village, we walk out along the tracks initially following the street, then the forest road. The original line connected Felnémeti Nagyvasúti station through Felsőtárkány to the Bükk woods, serving wood and stone transportation purposes, but the locals disliked the loaded carts rolling through the street, which once even hit a few cows – in anger, they tore up the tracks overnight. The new line bypassed the village, but in the 1960s, due to road freight transport, most valley tracks were removed, leaving only the current track from the formerly extensive network. At the edge of Felsőtárkány, a huge meadow spreads out, which is worth visiting: here you can "look into the face of the Bükk plateau," as before you are the cliffs from Őr-kő to Tar-kő. Pes-kő’s huge, slanting rock wall is also most spectacular from here.

We reach Varróház on asphalt, where there is a large covered resting place and a game park presenting hoofed forest animals in a large cage. Crossing the Vörös-kő stream, we walk on a wide gravel road along the valley side, with the narrow-gauge railway running below among the trees. (Toldi well is also down by the stream bank and used to be a checkpoint of the tour, but the new K marker rerouted in 2025 no longer passes there.) Thus, we reach the end of the line at the Stimecz House, which has a rain shelter sized for groups, a forest playground, and a key lodge. The building was once a wood loading station and is named after the timber purchaser, whose photo can also be seen on the historical board of the veranda.

Due to the fire pits, meadows, covered facilities, and seating areas, Stimecz House is an excellent campsite; those starting the Bükk Blue Trail with a tent should consider setting up their first evening shelter here. The K marker continues along a smaller stream branch, following the route of the former railway line in the Kós valley. Here we are noticeably higher than near Eger; in the forest, beech and hornbeam trees appear, and the slopes are steep. After a long curve, we reach the clearing of the Samassa or Lambóth House – the verandah building operates as a key lodge managed by the Hungarian Carpathian Association. Next to the old archbishop’s hunting lodge, a hand pump operates; there is no mobile signal, and metal stoves provide warmth in the rooms.

The path narrows to a trail behind the building, climbing out of the valley on a straight line, crossing fallen trees. We turn away from the plateau and skirt the ridges before its foot. At the end of the steep ascent, at the fork of the ridge, the sign marks an checkpoint, and after leaving it, we immediately start descending.

From Kis-Lambóth swamp to Pazsagi tourist house

Through a small, steep side valley, we enter the Lök valley, whose bottom is rich with vegetation thanks to the brook’s small floodplain. It is worth a short detour uphill because Imó-kő is only a 10-minute detour upwards: the white rock face rises like a barrier in the valley, and it is striking on its own, but at its base, after rainy and snowmelt periods, a whole stream springs forth. (The name Lök valley also refers to the water’s bursting out.) It emerges from a cave fissure, sometimes flowing more quietly, tumbling down small waterfalls. The spring is active when the karst reservoirs of the plateau fill with water.

The K marker turns down into the valley, then shortly it leads out into a side valley turning left. At the lush hornbeam-beech forest bottom, the smaller, simpler Black Flax spring springs forth, a companion to the Imó; here too, rock strata force the water to the surface, which is fed by the high karst water level. The hiking trail exits onto the Eger (and Répáshuta) main road, opposite which the Thomas well springs from a natural stone wall; its water is reliable and drinkable, and behind it stands a key lodge among the trees.

The marker leads through the trees, followed by a short but tiring and unpleasant section: we cut through a small clearing, then must overcome a steep ascent through a young tunnel of vegetation – in some parts, the plants touch, and fallen trees hinder progress. At the top, we reach a paved road, and above the tree trunks, the Tar-kő rock appears high above us. From here, we reach the Pazsagi tourist house on a closed forest road with broken pavement, beside which is a forester’s house. (The name means a deserted place, referring to a former mountain farm.) The terraced building is surrounded by small, shady meadows, and next to it are fire pits and resting places, but overnight stays are only allowed by prior arrangement. It accommodates forty people (partially with mat dormitories) and has been operating in its current form since 2018.