The Hungarian mountain ranges
Slowly we are exploring our new home country. If you look at a relief map of Hungary, it’s clear: in the north there are mountain ranges adjoining the high mountains in Czechia and Austria. To the southeast there is mostly an endless plain.
Hungarians and foreigners like to go on hiking vacations to the two highest mountain ranges: the Mátra and the Bükk mountains. Nicely halfway between the two is a lovely touristic town, Eger, which is a great base for both ranges.
We took 4 days to get to know the region; after all, it’s past Budapest, about 2h30 drive from us. With Eger as the starting point: a pretty cosy town where you can/should taste the local wine (Egri Bikavér or “Bull’s Blood of Eger”). All (?) wineries have a sales/tasting point in the same location: the “Valley of the Beautiful Women.” Well, if you taste all that wine, every woman is beautiful I think… Nearby there is also a small campsite, so we got the roof tent out again.
Next time we also want to try the wellness‑hotel next to the salt cliffs and hot water springs (in Egerszalók).
After the town of Eger we headed into the Bükk mountains. Although it doesn’t have Hungary’s highest peak, the average altitude is quite high and the slopes pretty steep. In this chain you thus really get a “mountain” feeling. But with peaks < 1000 m you don’t get above the tree line, let alone the snow line: so expect no alpine views. But beautiful dense forests, rock walls, and very many caves. We chose Lillafüred as our destination: there we could see both the highest waterfall and some beautiful viewpoints & caves. The little place is indeed very pretty; you can row on the lake and hike endlessly. Only that highest waterfall … in summer they divert water “for the tourists” so it doesn’t dry up, and in winter there is enough water. But in September … there is no waterfall.
The Mátra does have Hungary’s highest mountain: the Kékes, 1014 m. Again well below the tree line: views are limited to where there are ski slopes. As a Belgian I’m not used to nature that has just stayed nature: some lookout towers and otherwise only wonderful green, dense woods. On the Kékes mostly beech forest, which is a bit darker, on the lower ridges there are also many oak trees. Our hike passed the grave of “Gabi” according to legend a woodcutter whose horse tripped and who fell from the mountainside and was buried on the spot.
We placed our car‑with‑roof‑tent in one of the few campsites: Matra kemping. On the website a lively campsite with lots of eateries, a little shop, … But in September already completely deserted. Super quiet then: we let Mazy run free around.
Finally, we live just beyond the “lowest” of the mountain ranges: the Bakony (up to about 600 m, like the Belgian Ardennes then). From 10 km from our doorstep you can already start the (steep) climb, and we’ve already done many beautiful hikes in the area — you can readthe story of our uphill bike ride here.
