Írott-kő – Kőszeg (First day of OKT hike)

The western endpoint of the National Blue Trail is located far from the villages on the summit of Írott-kő, so before starting the great hike, let's climb the OKT "section 0". Although there are several versions from Velem or Bozsok direction, perhaps the most beautiful path starts from Velem via the K+ marked trail. This route touches the Saint Vitus Chapel and the Blue Trail Memorial, while we conquer the 530 meters of elevation difference through varied, atmospheric forests. From Saint Vitus Chapel, on clear days, we can enjoy a beautiful panorama, and the building itself is also an atmospheric site. Near it, next to a resting place guarded by giant oak trees, we find the Blue Trail Memorial, a 1-meter tall badge-shaped statue reminding us that until the regime change in 1989, this spot was the western endpoint of the National Blue Trail.

If we stay on the K+ marked path, sooner or later we join the shared route of the Southern Transdanubian Blue Trail and the P-marked tourist trail coming from a bit south towards Írott-kő. Our ascent ends here, and we reach Írott-kő.

Írott-kő – Seven Springs

On Írott-kő there are two stamps, one on the post next to the observation tower, and the other 25 meters away on the wooden pavilion of the resting place. The mountain's height is indicated with various data, most commonly as 882 meters. Sometimes, however, 883 meters or even 884 meters appear due to an interesting reason: the Austrians measure relative to the Adriatic Sea, while we refer to the Baltic Sea as the sea level baseline; the difference between the two sea levels is 67.47 cm. In any case, Írott-kő is Hungary's 44th highest peak, the highest in Transdanubia, and also the highest point in Burgenland. The peak is named after the engraved rock on the Austrian side – the letters likely indicated the nearby Esterházy-Batthyány border.

The first lookout was built on Írott-kő in 1891 by the Kőszeg Tourist Association, and the current stone lookout was constructed in 1913. The Trianon border splits the tower; a border stone inside the building draws attention to this. The tower's entrance opens on the Austrian side, and since it was behind the Iron Curtain, visits were only allowed from Austria. The square in front of the lookout is part of Austria; here is a resting area with a container providing amenities including a fully equipped free bathroom and vending machines for food and drinks – even bike inner tubes can be purchased.

Inside the building, numerous information boards summarize the site's history; a narrowing iron staircase, then a spiral staircase lead up to the panoramic terrace providing an unobstructed 360-degree view. The plain of the Little Hungarian Plain, the forests of Burgenland, and in clear weather, the two-thousanders of the Vienna Alps and other Alpine peaks on the southern horizon can be seen.

Leaving the summit, we follow the border strip in varied forest – here the presence of birch is decisive, which was among the first to appear on the poor soil of the former logging corridor, preparing the soil with its deadwood for native associations. Eventually, we descend through a small pine forest to the Hörmann Spring.

This is the highest spring (at 713 meters) in the Kőszeg Mountains and, as the road winding here is also accessible by car, it serves as a starting point for many tours. The spring, protected with a wooden roof and stone frame, offers a plank for sitting – although the spot is atmospheric, it's not exactly ideal. The fountain is named after Mihály Hörmann, a soldier, about whom several conflicting legends survive; the common point is his heroic death. There used to be a tourist house here: in 1937 the Carpathian Association of Hungary's Írottkő Division built an alpine style building, but its operation ceased after World War II due to the proximity of the border, so it closed in 1949 and was later demolished.

After the refreshment, we continue descending towards Kőszeg. After leaving a path, we step onto the asphalt forest road and soon reach the Styrian Houses. The three houses built in the 1770s were occupied by Styrian foresters who introduced modern forest management following the proclamation of Maria Theresa's forest law. The site was inhabited until the mid-20th century, and in the last decades, the buildings operated as a guesthouse where foresters sold fresh milk from their cows, cheeses, salamis, and wine. Among the cozy houses is a bell tower built in 1902, which not only signaled working hours for forest workers but also guided lost tourists. One building now functions as accommodation (available with advance booking), and next to it an forestry museum has been established.

In the vicinity of the Styrian Houses, there was an experimental forestry nursery operating in the early 20th century, where special tree species were collected from all over the world. In the 1960s, due to the lowering of the Iron Curtain, the project became impossible to continue, and the "forgotten" alien trees have since grown huge. In spring 2025, an educational trail was developed in the Styrian House garden’s arboretum right next to the Blue Trail so that everyone can closely examine the mostly coniferous assortment covering the globe from Canada to China.

This time, we follow the asphalt road for a long stretch until the Red Cross. This part of the tour is less interesting, with barely any ascent, but the forest is beautiful, and from some points, through the cleared tree spots, we can also see a small slice of panorama. The Red Cross once marked the route leading from Kőszeg-area villages to the pilgrimage site of Rőtfalva, with a wooden hut in front and a resting space equipped with tables and benches in the shade of tall oak trees. Finally, at the saddle, we turn off the paved road and continue on a much more atmospheric path on the southeastern side of the Irány-hegy.

After just under one and a half kilometers, we arrive at another highlight of the tour – the Óház Lookout standing approximately 609 meters above sea level. The history of the site goes back to the 13th century, when the earliest fortification in the area, the Upper Castle (also called Old Castle or Old House), was built here. It served a strategic role for defense and surveillance of the surrounding area. Later, a better-situated Lower Castle was established in Kőszeg town, and the hilltop fortress gradually lost importance and became ruins. At the end of the 19th century, a lookout was built on the ruins, which collapsed 21 years later. Archaeological excavations began at the end of the 20th century, and in 1996, the current lookout was built on the foundations of the former residential tower. The building offers a beautiful view of Kőszeg and the surrounding landscape when open; on clear days, the witness hills of Transdanubia such as Somló and Ság, Schneeberg to the west, and even the castle of Bratislava to the north can be seen. The building is currently closed due to safety concerns (early 2026). In the meadow in front of Óház, there is a fire pit, several benches and tables, and a shelter from rain.

In the valley below Óház-tető, one of the main attractions of the tour is the Seven Springs. We reach the impressive spring along a steep path, constructed in 1896 during the millennium year to feature seven separate outlets – named after the seven chieftains of the conquest. The spring's crystal-clear water is around 10°C, historically used to supply the Old Castle above – hence its old name: Castle Well or Old Castle Well. Today, the area beside the Seven Springs features benches, resting places, fire pits, and rain shelters. The Blue Trail's stamp can be found on the column of the covered rain shelter. However, the idyllic environment is marred somewhat by the crumbling old border guard barracks nearby.

Seven Springs – Kőszeg

Near Seven Springs, the proximity to Kőszeg is already felt; there are many hikers nearby and while descending, we catch glimpses of parts of the town, with increasingly tall mountains rising behind us. Pintér Hill is the last mountain on the route; from its 502-meter summit, thanks to a clear cut, we can take another look at the Schneeberg massif.

From here, the path descends steeply all the way towards Kőszeg. At the Calvary Hill, a short detour on the K+ marked tourist trail allows us to see the Trianon Cross and enjoy a panorama towards the north, albeit from a lower elevation than previous viewpoints.

Next to the Baroque-style Calvary Church, built in the first half of the 18th century, stands the Saint Donatus Chapel from 1891, which is the final stop of the Calvary; there is also a small chapel built in 1715. In front of the church, a resting place is set up. At the foot of the atmospheric Calvary route, we arrive at the Crown-guard bunker and Saint Crown Memorial Park. In this bunker, a few days in March 1945, the Holy Crown was kept before it was smuggled abroad.

From the bunker, we walk along paved streets towards Kőszeg's downtown. Passing by the Jurisics Castle, we reach the historic town center, where exploring alone makes for a longer program. The 13th-century fortress is one of Hungary's most impressive architectural heritage sites; it consists of two main parts: the outer castle, where guards and attendants previously lived, and the inner castle, accessible via a brick bridge over a moat. The castle is historically significant for the successful defense led by Captain Miklós Jurisics against the Ottoman siege of 1532 – this victory lives on in the tradition of 11 o'clock bell ringing in town. Today the castle functions as a museum and cultural center, housing an armory, gallery, and historical exhibitions; it also serves as the venue for the Kőszeg Castle Theater.

The town square, Jurisics Square, is colorful with civic houses and cafés, and features the magnificent Lábasház, the Gothic structure of Saint James Church, and one of the square's most beautiful sights, the Plague Memorial, a Baroque Holy Trinity statue. A beautiful view of the downtown opens from the Heroes' Tower.

One stamp of the National Blue Trail can be found in the garden area of the Blue Hussar restaurant, and the other on the side of the Tourinform building in the town center.