National Blue Tour

By January 2024, more than 9,000 people had already completed our country's emblematic blue-marked trek, the National Blue. The 1,183 km long route runs through the northern part of Hungary between Írottkő and Hollóháza, passing major mountain ranges, the capital and Lake Balaton. So wonderfully varied is this part of the country in its topography, atmosphere, geology and culture that every stage, every day spent on the Kék is an unforgettable experience.

Across the country

Completers can follow the route in any direction, but we will follow the route from west to east in the detailed descriptions, as indicated by the numbering of the sections. Our adventure starts from Írott-könen, the highest point of the Kőszeg Mountains and the whole of Transdanubia, and then we will cross the Kisalföld region to reach the shores of Lake Balaton. Passing by the most beautiful mountains and pools of the Balaton highlands, we reach the hills and mountains of the Bakony, covered with huge forests. Along the way, we will visit historic towns (Kőszeg, Sárvár, Sümeg), climb mountains with incredible panoramas (Szent György Hill, Badacsony), conquer castle ruins (Tátika, Rezi, Csobánc), but we will also have the opportunity to recharge our batteries and deepen our spirituality (Bakonybél, Zirci Abbey).

We cross the gentlest mountain range in Transdanubia, the Vértes, then we pass through Gerecs and the Pilis, which are rich in viewpoints, and reach the capital and the surrounding Buda Hills. If you start the Blue Tour here, you can already explore several well-known and popular hiking spots, such as the Nagy-Szénás, the Hűvösvölgy, the Árpád Lookout or the Hármashatár Hill.

Heading towards the Danube bend, at the junction of the Pilis and Visegrád Hills, you can also hike through one of the country's most beautiful gorges, the Kék (valley of the Dera stream), or the peak of Dobogókő, also considered the cradle of hiking.

We leave the west of the Danube with a view of the Visegrád Castle and the mountainous experience of the Börzsöny. We climb the viewpoints one after the other. A Cserhát szelíd lankáira térünk rá, ahol takaros palóc falvak kísérik utunkat, melyek közül is kiemelkedik egyik legszebb világörökségi helyszínünk, Hollókő.

We bid farewell to the hills and head for the popular Mátra, which boasts two of the highest points in Hungary. On the ridge of the mountain we reach the 964 m high Galyatetőt, where we can enjoy a memorable panorama from the beautifully restored lookout tower. Continuing along the ridge, we reach the highest point of the country, the Kékestetőt (Blue Lake) at 1014 metres. From the Kékestetőt to the hills connecting Mátra and Bükk, the most strenuous section of the OKT awaits us, the rugged terrain forcing us to climb up and down the smaller peaks on either side, but the numerous natural lookout points can compensate for this.

The highest altitude in the country and the highest average altitude mountain range. Undisturbed forests, sunny meadows and rocky peaks towering above the landscape make up the wild and romantic landscape of the Bükk, and we will experience its beauty on our hike. From time to time, it is worth making a small detour from the route to visit attractions such as the Cistercian Abbey Church of Bélapátfalva or the Petőfi Lookout, the highest viewpoint in the Bükk, at 956 metres above Bánkút.

Leaving the Bükk, we approach the country's northernmost karst, the Aggtelek Karst, through the Borsodi Hills. If you haven't been here before, don't miss the impressive Aggteleki Cave. The World Heritage-listed Baradla-Domica cave system, with its 25 km of total length, impressive stalactite formations and well-developed tourist infrastructure, is a fascinating insight into the karstic limestone core.

The Blue Route continues through the impoverished but rich in natural and architectural heritage of the Chernihiv. The Zemplén Hills are reached at the castle of Boldogkő, a very photogenic place for its age, with a minimal detour from the blue sign. This mountain range, which is perhaps the least known, is still characterised by the 'tent' or triangular-shaped high plateaus and the ruins of castles, such as Regéci Castle, which are also the name of the largest town in the region.

Heading north along the border, we also pass the highest point of Zemplén, the 895-metre-high Nagy-Milic, before arriving at Hollóháza, famous for its porcelain, where we find the monument marking the end or starting point of the National Blue Trail.

A brief history of the OKT

In 1930, the Hungarian Tourist Association decided on the direction of the Blue Route, which would cross the whole country, and designated its two end points. Originally, the route stretched from the Bükk to the Bakony, the aim being to create a route that would connect the main routes of the various mountain ranges and thus provide a route along which the tourist attractions of our country could be discovered. The marking out of the routes and the painting of the paths was slow, and the Second World War halted the work, although by 1938 four-fifths of the route was completed. It only reached its present extent after the fall of communism, when the previously inaccessible Írott Stone became the western terminus.

In 1938, a "National Trek" was organised on the blue-marked route, which had already been completed, and was named the St Stephen's Trek. Groups set off from the east and west, meeting at Dobogókő. This event is considered the inauguration of the Blue Route. Although it was planned to repeat the trek every 5 years, it did not become a tradition.

In the 1950s, a new trekking movement of the Lokomotiv Sports Club of Budapest combined the national blue route and the trek, divided the route into sections and awarded prizes. At first, only a small group of members of the railway sections could complete the National Blue, but then more and more hikers took advantage of the opportunity. Due to the great interest, the organisers handed over the task to the Hungarian Naturefriends Association (later Hungarian Naturefooting Association) in 1961, which has been the exclusive organiser and promoter of the National Blue Circle ever since.

Pál Rockenbauer's wonderful 1979 television series (One and a Half Million Steps in Hungary) made the cult of the main Hungarian hiking trail nationally famous, and the number of people completing the route has been on the rise ever since, breaking records in the 2010s.

• All the stamping sites shown on the map

• Download the official list of stamping sites (Last updated 09/10/2025, PDF)