Following our first hike along the National Blue Trail in Hungary, which took us to beautiful places in the Bakony region (click here to read about our adventure), we knew we had another one coming soon.
The thing about the National Blue Trail is that it’s a really diverse hiking trail full of highlights, so even if you don’t have the time or energy to do it from start to finish in one go, you can just pick and choose a random subsection and still, you’ll come across something beautiful.
About the hike
That’s exactly what we did this time. It was a really hot day at lake Balaton, but we (well, mostly me) were really determined to do at least a short hike in the morning. The Szigliget-Badacsonytördemic trail is 3,4 kms long, but we hiked there and back, with a short detour to a wine bar, so altogether it was a bit more than 7 kms.
Tip: If you have your whole day free, plan for the entire Tapolca-Badacsonytördemic section, which is 17,2 kms long and includes Szent György-hegy, one of the incredible buttes above lake Balaton!
The trail starts just below Szigliget Castle, which you definitely shouldn’t miss, but I’d recommend visiting it after you get back from your hike, because it’s gonna feel like a real reward, trust me!
From the castle, the hike runs along Kisfaludy Street, Kossuth Street and Réhelyi Way in a long, straight line, all the way to Bakos Attila Kisvendéglője, a small family-owned restaurant that’s among the top 25 restaurants in Hungary. If you happen to get there around lunch or dinner time, and manage to score a table, you’re gonna be one happy camper!
Badacsonytördemic
Continue your way on Iharos Street, which is lined with giant trees (you’re true friends on a sunny day) on one side, and lush vineyards on the other. You can stop by for some wine tasting, if you’re in the mood, but we had other plans that day. We continued our way to Szigliget-Badacsonytördemic train station, where you’ll find the National Blue Trail stamping station inside the waiting hall.
We could have just turned around and walked straight back to Szigliget, but it was almost noon, and we spotted a sign pointing us to Skizo Wine Bar. We had it on our gastro bucket list for a while (and it’s also on the Lake Balaton Gastro Map), so we decided to have a quick fix and a spritzer. We really enjoyed their duck breast rilette, and got two bottles of wine to go (just two, because we only had our small backpacks with us, but still, it’s a real achievement to hike with wine on your back!)
The village itself is really charming with old-timey vibes, so if you wanna experience the Balaton region beyond the touristy parts, walk with your eyes wide open here.
Szigliget – Castle tour and more
After the hike back to Szigliget, finally comes the really scenic part: the castle!
Well, first thing’s first, some ice cream at the Szigligeti Várkávézó. They serve generious scoops, and the tejeskávé (caffe latte) and pisztácia (pistacchio) flavors are to die for! If you want to grab a table, just be ware that the cakes and drinks are a bit pricey.
Now on to the castle: They are open from 9 AM to 6 PM, admission is 1000 HUF (ca. 2.8 EUR) for adults and 500 HUF for children, but please note that it’s cash only! (We only had our cards with us, so had to climb up to the castle three times that day).
The castle, which dates back to the 13th century, is a real gem in the region, with a 360 degree panoramic view of Lake Balaton and the surrounding buttes. It has been constantly renovated in the past few decades to regain its original glow. You can get a glimpse of what castle life used to look like in the refurbished kitchen and sleeping chambers, and if you get tired from climbing all the steep stairs, you can cool down in the serene castle chapel.
