Sümeg – Keszthely (OKT-03)

The stamp can be found on the roof supporting column of the Sümeg station building. The K markings lead towards the small town center, where you can visit the central ornament of the surrounding flatland sections, the castle. The significance of the eagle's nest built after the Tatar invasion increased in the mid-16th century, when the bishopric of Veszprém fled to Sümeg after the fall of Veszprém, and used the settlement as a seat for about two hundred years. The panorama from above and the serpentine is excellent.

From the castle, passing the Bishop's Palace, the People's Garden, and the Franciscan church, we return to the K marking on the main road. We leave the town on grassy steppe; next to the road, we find the prehistoric flint mine geological exhibition site. Inside, a nature trail presents the history of the area and the rocks of the surroundings. At the Flint Visitor Center, you can see a collection of thousands of artifacts.

Looking back, the castle remains a defining sight but gradually recedes; then, next to a stone cross and resting place, we reach the foot of the mountains and enter the forest. Next to the straight asphalt road stands the Sarvalyi Forester's House, where the stamp is located.

Sarvalyi Forester's House – Zalaszántó

The stamp shows the Sarvaly spring in classical style, made of sandstone, which can be visited with a short detour by turning right on the path. Unfortunately, the once water-abundant spring does not always provide water today (and if it does, it is not potable), but next to it, a large resting area has been established. Under the old beeches and linden trees stands a rain shelter suitable for bivouacking. (Behind the fence, southeast of the spring, near the P marking, was once the 16th-century Sarvaly village.)

In the next section, we meander quite long on forest roads, with a few right-angle turns breaking the monotony. At the fork near Ágota well, we finally reach a wilder route and begin climbing on a scenic path through the Tátika primeval beech forest. We are in the core area of the Tátika Forest Reserve, where 180–210-year-old trees can be seen – this is one of the best conditions in our country, nearly a primeval beech forest. It lacks the “column hall” typical for managed, planted forests; the size and age of the trees vary, and the natural conditions are thanks also to the forest block being protected since 1953.

We pass by the waterless marsh of Black Lake, which often dries out by summer. Soon we reach the Tátika fork, where turning right and following the KL markings with a short detour, we can visit Tátika castle, standing at 413 m elevation. Only the massive walls remain from the former castle, but it is still a spectacular place, not to mention the view! Zalaszántó is visible, with the stupa beside it, opposite is Rezi castle, and around us are the sloping plains of fields, pastures, and forests. The castle, built in the 13th century and named after its first owners, was destroyed by the Turks and has been in decline ever since, but the old stable room still exists.

On a nice forest trail, we lose altitude on the western side of the hill, then crossing the Sümeg–Keszthely main road, we proceed along meadows and forest strips towards the Kovácsi hill, home also to the Peace Stupa. We pass two resting places, one of which has a rain shelter. Near the Tátikahidegkút farm (on the site of an old medieval village), in the depths of nettles, we can find the Hideg spring, but the spring has dried up.

The last memorable climb of the section is the steep, gravel-covered road leading to the Peace Stupa, accessible by car. Although it is surrounded by beautiful forest, the beech trees cast little shade on the road. Next to a rest place, we find one of the Zalaszántó stamps (the other is in the window of the Tátika press in the village). Here, we can also make a very short detour to the Peace Stupa, built in 1992, one of the largest stupas in Europe. It was created based on the idea of Bop Jon, a South Korean Buddhist monk, who decided to find a place for the sanctuary in one of the post-communist countries. The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, consecrated it on June 17, 1993. The 30 m high and 24 m diameter building houses relics of Buddha, a tree of life, and a gift shop next to the stupa sells bottled refreshments and snacks; there is also a (paid) toilet.

We descend through the vineyards of the Zalaszántó hillside to the village, passing the Kotsy watermill built on the Kovácsi stream. The historic mill, equipped with authentic working tools, is usually open in the morning, so it is best to incorporate the visit into tours starting from Zalaszántó. Although the current mill building was constructed in the early 20th century, a watermill has operated here since the Turkish era.

The section ends with the impression of the stamp placed in the window of the Tátika press.

Zalaszántó – Rezi

Leaving the village, we briefly follow the main road, then cross fields to enter the forest below Rezi castle. Over the next 2 kilometers, we overcome nearly 200 m of elevation in a dense beech forest, which is memorable for several reasons: the path is not only very steep but also very wild, dense, shady, and quiet.

At the end of the climb, we ascend via the KL markings to Rezi castle, whose atmosphere and phenomenal panorama make it worth extending the hike. In clear weather, behind the opposite Tátika castle, the Sümeg castle looms – the three structures almost line up in a row. From the southern wall, neighboring forested heights and nearby villages can be seen, while towards the east, watch-like hills appear. Rezi castle was built at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries and was reinforced after the Battle of Mohács. Its decline is veiled in mystery, but the Turks did not capture it. The square in front has a resting place with an old oak shade, a grilling area, and a toilet.

Once you have enjoyed the view, return along the same route to the Blue Trail, where you started! At the end of the forested section, the perfectly straight, unshaded dirt road leads through farmland to the village, where the National Blue Trail has two stamp stations. One is located on an information board in the village center, and the other is placed in a neighboring pub.

Rezi – Gyöngyösi Csárda

After leaving the village, we leave the road, and the path turns abruptly into a shady, dense forest; we walk along the dried bed of a creek on the wildest section of our hike. At the bottom of the slope, we reach an asphalt road again, where we soon find the stamp station of Gyöngyösi csárda. The stamp is on the MTSZ information board on the left side of the road, but it is also worth looking to the right, as another attraction hides under the tall weeping willows.

The Gyöngyösi bandit inn was built in 1729 and has operated continuously as an inn or pub with occasional interruptions. It is currently a protected historic restaurant. Merchants arriving from the west to the Keszthely market rested and lodged here. The inn was also a popular place for Bakony and Zala bandits. Kökes Pista and Vak Illés were among them: the initially active robbers in the Győr, Sopron, and Veszprém counties had to flee from Bakony and continued their activities in Zala. Eventually, the police defeated the two bandits; their grave, surrounded by stones and marked by a wooden cross and a stone plaque, is preserved under the willows.

Gyöngyösi Csárda – Hévíz

After stamping, we turn right onto the public road and proceed for 1 kilometer to a dirt intersection also marked by a stone cross. The classic Passion cross is notable for the missing heads of its figures, the Virgin Mary and Saint John the Apostle.

The National Blue Trail route turns sharply left off the highway, then runs almost parallel southwards. Alongside the bandit graves, there is a Jewish cemetery, whose entrance shaded by tall trees features a rain shelter and resting place. Jews settled in the nearby village of Karmacs in 1750 but were deported during World War II. Only three survived the death camp, but they did not return to Karmacs.

From a sunny gravel road, we turn into warm forest, soon catching sight of the 14th-century Saint Magdalene Church tower of Egregy, now merged with Hévíz. From here, we mainly walk through inhabited areas on asphalt. We pass restaurants and vineyards, as well as some nice viewpoints offering views of the Cserszegtomaj hills before visiting the small town bazaar. The next stamp is on an information board next to the main entrance gate of the lakeside bath.

The Hévíz Lake is one of the world's largest thermal lakes suitable for bathing, fed by cold and warm springs from a nearly 40 m deep spring cave. The water temperature is about 35 °C in summer and 24 °C in winter. Water turnover is extremely high; the lake's water changes every three days. The originally marshy area was drained by György Festetics at the end of the 18th century, and the first bath building was erected in 1910. At that time, non-native water lilies were also planted.

Hévíz – Keszthely

Bypassing the lake, we turn onto the cycling path leading to Keszthely, the Festetics alley. The first section of the road passes through a forest of bald cypresses. This tree species from North America looks quite foreign here, and in autumn, unlike other conifers, it loses its yellowed leaves. Similarly striking are the droplet-like aerial roots emerging from the wet soil. Before the Festetics drained the area, it was a swamp stretching from Lake Balaton to the Hévíz Lake basin. Along the steadily ascending promenade towards Keszthely, several resting places are built, featuring wooden shelters, benches, and tables. The bridge over the Gyöngyös stream is not very wide, so cross carefully as faster cyclists or scooter riders often come from the opposite direction.

The bike path leads to the main road 71, which we also cross. Upon reaching Keszthely, we turn to the Festetics Palace, whose park is worth a short walk, and the castle itself is worth entering. Kristóf Festetics purchased land in Keszthely in 1739 and began building the Baroque-style palace in the mid-18th century. In the mid-19th century, the building was expanded with additional wings and a neo-Baroque tower; currently, it has 101 rooms. The exhibition showcases the life of the aristocracy in 20 rooms; the park also has Chinese dawn redwoods planted during György Festetics's time – the oldest tree is a 400-year-old pedunculate oak.

Crossing the town, we reach the railway crossing from under the plane trees of Helikon Park. From there, turning right to the blue stamp marking, we reach the stamp placed on the railway station building, the endpoint of the section.