Tapolca – Badacsonytördemic (OKT 13th day hike)

Our hike begins from the northern shore of Lake Balaton's railway junction, at Tapolca railway station, heading through Szent György Hill and Szigliget towards Badacsonytördemic-Szigliget railway station. The Tapolca locomotive shed was home to the iconic Nohab locomotive series in the second half of the 20th century, with a Nohab sculpture embedded in the water tower memorializing it. Locomotive M61 004 derailed and was fatally damaged near Badacsonylábdihegy on June 4, 1999 – the salvageable portion can be viewed as a statue locomotive in Tapolca.

The Blue Trail stamp can be found on the terrace of the Lokomotív buffet next to the railway station. From here, we approach the town center past the atmospheric cemetery park on a tourist route marked with four blue bands. The small-town atmosphere in Tapolca instantly changes when following the K marks to arrive at the Mill Lake.

The lake, which was made by damming a stream, has been inhabited for seven thousand years; the city's name means warm water, and a water mill operated here even in the Árpád era. The increasingly larger main square of Tapolca remained here later as well, and today the lake, bordered by medieval houses, turns the area into one of the country’s most special places. Leaving the terrace restaurants with Mediterranean atmospheres, we visit the current mill building constructed around the 13th-14th centuries, then exit the small town through a lovely park equipped with a stream and pedestrian bridges.

The blue-marked path on small streets now leads to the Southern bypass road, which we must cross. We travel along the main road towards Kisapáti and Nemesgulács for the next two kilometers of the section. The monotonous walk is uncomfortable due to traffic and the hot asphalt exposed to the sun, but striking witness hills surround us: on the left and ahead stand Csobáncs, Tóti Hill, and Gulács, while the gigantic block of Szent György Hill dominates the horizon. Along the way, we cross the railway line, then after about a kilometer, the road turns right.

The worse asphalt section of this part is over; we can relax as Szent György Hill’s foothills see much less vehicle traffic at a lower pace and quantity. The volcanic cone's flattening skirt has been taken over by vineyards; wherever the eye can see, rows of grapes spread. It's no coincidence that only here below, after the phylloxera plague and the lack of water needed for spraying, only the lower areas were replanted with vineyards. This area’s abundant grape varieties are idyllic because the Bakony Mountains to the north cut off the oceanic air masses coming through the Danube Valley; thus, the drier climate combines many hours of sunshine and the humid air due to Lake Balaton, and ideal soils formed on volcanic rocks.

The road becomes steeper, with an increasingly incomplete surface. Near the dried-up Bogdán well, we continue on stairs and soon arrive at the Kaán Károly Mountain Lodge, reopened in spring 2025 after renovation.

The lodge can be booked online, and around it is a renovated, large resting area for taking a break. The Blue Trail stamp is in the window, and about 100 meters next to the house, the hiking trails marked with all four blue bands meet again. Benches, tables, and fire pits serve the comfort of visitors. Originally a thatched, porch-style, panoramic building built by the Balaton Section of the Hungarian Carpathian Association in 1934, it was the first tourist house around the lake.

Kaán Károly Mountain Lodge – Szigliget

After stamping and resting, it’s time to tackle the ascent of the 415 m high Szent György Hill! We climb again on stairs, scaling along basalt organs – fortunately, there are handrails, because the steps are difficult to tread. The basalt columns, 10-30 m high and 1.5-2 m in diameter, formed during cooling of the lava accumulated in the volcanic "rock vessel" from earlier volcanic activity. While cooling, the volume of molten rock shrank, and perpendicular to the direction of cooling from edges to the center, it fractured. Of significance for today's landscape is the columnar separation typical of basalt. Cracks grow larger and deeper over time due to temperature fluctuations and frost, shaping distinct columns. Although basalt organ pipes are not rare, seen for example on Badacsony, Gulács, and Hegyes-tű slopes, those of Szent György Hill are perhaps the largest and most complete.

Climbing to the level of the tops of the basalt organs brings us to two excellent viewpoints. To reach the Kőkapu, turn right on the slightly marked P path for about 50 meters; the other is reached via an unmarked but well-trodden path in the opposite direction. From both points, you can look north and east; the main attraction is Gulács, and from Tapolca to Badacsony, the landscape spreads out. Below, vineyards roll, further off the trains of the Balaton railway line chug along, behind them witness hills appear, and between them, a peek into the Káli Basin is possible.

The Blue Trail does not reach the Szent György Hill summit, but with only a 300-meter detour, it’s worth making the pilgrimage! A smaller resting area is at the summit, and the panorama opens in new directions: now Szigliget, Lake Balaton, and the Keszthely Mountains are visible. After the detours, return to the K mark, which begins descending through forest on the hill’s south-southwest side. For a section, it merges with paths marked S and P, and where these separate, new detours become available.

At the T-junction, following the S and P marks, we promptly arrive at the Lion-Headed Well – water flows from the mouth of a lion carved in 1901. This is the only water source on the hike, so it’s advisable to take advantage of it. Locals come here for water too; it’s common to see cars lined up with a few empty plastic containers. Following the S and P signs further leads us to the beautifully maintained Polish Chapel.

Descending from the slopes of the witness hill, we arrive at the friendly village of Hegymagas. We walk almost to the edge of the village perpendicular to the main road, then turn left onto the bike path heading to Szigliget. The second asphalt section of the Blue Trail awaits us here, sunny but at least the bike path has relatively low traffic so cars won’t hit us. Szigliget’s castle looms larger ahead, and it’s worth looking back to view the southwest face of Szent György Hill. After uneventful 2.5 km, we come to main road 71 and later to Szigliget. By the main road is a great buffet where you can eat and drink, it’s hard not to stop for a sip after struggling along the straight, asphalt bike path.

A few minutes later, we’re in the historical center of Szigliget, where two stamps are found close together: one on the information board and the other opposite it, in the wine tavern. Although not part of the Blue Trail, visiting the castle is highly recommended (the third Szigliget stamp is at the ticket office)! Inside, there are fascinating exhibitions, but perhaps the best part is the complete panorama. To the south, Lake Balaton dominates the horizon, and in the distance, almost all of the larger witness hills of the Balaton Uplands can be seen. The flat terrain between contains fields, pastures, reed beds, and vineyards, making the landscape diverse, while to the east, the 437-meter Badacsony attracts the eye.

The Szigliget Castle was built during the wave of castle construction following the Tatar invasion in the 13th century and was continually expanded by its frequently changing owners. In the mid-16th century, Turkish armies besieged it several times but did not capture it. Afterwards, the castle’s importance gradually declined; in 1697, lightning caused an explosion in the gunpowder stored in the Benedictine Tower, resulting in huge damage. The burnt and collapsed castle was not rebuilt to prevent its use by Rákóczi’s soldiers. The ruined castle scattered by locals was renovated in several phases during the 20th century, with major works last done in 2013.

Szigliget – Badacsonytördemic-Szigliget

We continue towards the highest witness hill of the Balaton Uplands. First, we meander a little along Szigliget's streets and with a 50-meter detour along Réhelyi Street can visit the Avasi church ruins. This part of Szigliget was already inhabited in Roman times; the church, also known as the Broken Tower, may have been built in the 13th century.

Following the K marks, the settlement soon fades behind us, but we remain on asphalt roads. The low-traffic connecting road is joined from the north beyond Antal Hill by the Balaton bike circuit; from here we continue straight towards Badacsonytördemic. We cross above the densely reed-covered Eger Water and then cross road 71 and the railway. The section’s final stamp can be found to the left inside the railway station's waiting room. Railway workers were key members of hiking movements in the 20th century; many section boundaries still in force or popularly known reflect their logic. This Blue Trail section also ends at a railway station, whose façade facing the tracks has two metal plaques commemorating the railway community's role in Blue Trail hiking.