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Long Distance Hiking
· Lake Balaton
South Balaton Castles Badge-Earning Hiking Movement
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Fehérkő CastlePhoto: Farkas Péter
The South Balaton Castles (DBV) hiking movement started in autumn 2021 as a walking route-following movement. The distance between verification points can be covered in arbitrary sections, in any direction, without time limits, by collecting date-stamped proofs. When touching verification points — even if these fall at a route break — it is not necessary to verify a point twice.
The verification points of the movement are mostly accessible via tourist markings, but there is no mandatory path. The recommended route contains unmarked paths as well, but you can choose another if you wish, as long as it touches the given verification points.
Proof of completion:
- Proof is done on the verification sheet downloadable and printable from the DBV website (verification sheet), by recording codes found on site and taking verification photos at certain points. Verification points have two-digit codes (blue numbers on white backgrounds); each point has two codes within a 20 m radius, close to each other for safety (except Somogyvár, where they are further apart). These must be entered in the correct fields of the sheet and dated. Codes might not be visible from approach paths but can be easily found by walking around a bit.
- Where photos are required, the verification image must show both a recognizable location and the participant, so it is strongly recommended to visit these when external conditions (e.g., fog or night) do not obstruct capturing the scene.
- After completion, the scanned (or photographed) verification sheet and verification photos must be sent to the hiking movement's email address.
Rewards:
- Successful finishers receive the movement's badge, featuring the reconstructed former Kereki Castle rising above the South Balaton panorama.
- Fee: 1000 HUF
Registration:
- Registration is not required for completion. Organizers keep records of successful finishers on the movement's website.
Information:
- Organizers: Margit Soós, L. Gábor Csernus, Lajos Soós
- Website: www.dbv.hu
- Email: dbv@dbv.hu
- Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/dbvturamozgalom/
Author’s recommendation
- You can record your completion of the route on the heyjoe.hu website, where you can also use the planning interface for your DBV routes.
- For planning sections and field navigation, we recommend the Természetjáró application.
Derived from the technical difficulty and the stamina requirements.
Track types
Roadbook
Itinerary:
Somogyvár – Hács – Béndek – Gyugy – Gérihegy – Szőlőskislak – Kis-hegyi lookout – Diós Hill – Látrány – Rádpuszta – Bóbita Spring – Teleki – Nezde – Kereki Castle – Kereki – Gyugy-back – Iron Cross – Kishorog – Balatonendréd – Tóközpuszta – Cinege Spring – Ali Meadow – Böre Castle – Flóra Hill – Kási Castle – Bújó-lik – Ságvár
About the route:
The South Balaton Castles (DBV) badge-earning hiking movement winds more than 100 km through Outer Somogy, thematically focusing primarily on the medieval heritage and natural sights of the region. When establishing the movement, the idea and foundations of the now defunct badge-earning movement from Fejérkő to Tündérvölgy were reused, rethought, and complemented by the organizers.
The route starts at Somogyvár, at the historic memorial site, then visits medieval churches, disappeared villages, stone and earthen castles, and after a wild cave visit, arrives at the destination, Ságvár. A significant part of the route follows marked paths, but there are challenging unmarked sections easily found with map or track.
Along the way, many hills are climbed, including Somogy's highest point, and many lookout points are visited. Endless forest sections provide spiritual refreshment, but to a small extent, walking on asphalt is necessary. A unique feature of the movement is that it does not pass through any settlement on the lakeshore, but the route passes through some of the finest and most valuable vineyards of the South Balaton wine region, where several wineries with open doors are found.
It is important that much of the route passes through hunting grounds managed by SEFAG Plc. Szántód Forest District, where significant hunts take place. It is advisable to inform yourself about this when planning your hikes. https://sefag.hu/
Verification points:
- Somogyvár – Kupa Leader Street (near the entrance of the Benedictine abbey ruins) [46.59379, 17.63853] or at the Visitor Center parking lot [46.59666, 17.64272]
- Béndek, chapel [46.66114, 17.71319]
- Gérihegy, junction [46.70674, 17.69823]
- Rácfa [46.75384, 17.68248]
- Kis-hegyi lookout [46.74678, 17.70698]
- Diós Hill, hilltop (PHOTO: panorama of witness hills) [46.74818, 17.72428]
- Rádpuszta, Árpád-era ruin church [46.77049, 17.75901]
- Bóbita Spring [46.77290, 17.79312]
- Teleki, Árpád-era church [46.76628, 17.82856]
- Nezde (PHOTO: Székely gate [46.78319, 17.87726] or forest chapel [46.78381, 17.88120])
- Kereki Castle [46.78253, 17.90282]
- Gyugy-back side (PHOTO: Kőröshegy viaduct) [46.80593, 17.92151]
- Iron Cross [46.85576, 17.94438]
- Kishorog, sunken road (PHOTO: sunken road) [46.83661, 17.96762]
- Cinege Spring [46.84403, 18.01931]
- Böre Castle [46.81545, 18.04365]
- Kási Castle [46.79192, 18.07553]
- Bújó-lik (PHOTO: Bújó-lik) [46.82746, 18.08554]
- Ságvár, Reformed Church, ruins garden [46.83487, 18.10448]
Public transport
- As everyone plans their own sections, we cannot recommend a single approach. However, the route often touches main roads or smaller settlements that can be easily reached from the southern shore of Lake Balaton by public transport.
Get Timetable to destination
Coordinates
Localization
Derived from the technical difficulty and the stamina requirements.
User Questions