National Blue Trail - Hungary, avagy az Országos Kéktúra (OKT)
Hiking in Hungary - túrázás Magyarországon
A healthy body is a happy body, and one of the best ways to stay healthy is to get plenty of exercise. Hiking is an economical way to increase your activity level, while offering a plethora of health benefits. Start slowly, especially if you are a bit out of shape. Invest in a sturdy pair of hiking boots and do your research first.
Nowadays in Hungary there has been a new tendency in hiking. More and more nature-lover starts to explore our country on foot. The longest and most popular trail is the National Blue Trail (in Hungarian: Országos Kéktúra, Kéktúra or simply OKT). It is part of the European Long Distance Walking Route E4. The route starts at Irottkő Mountain (884 m) on the Austrian-Hungarian border then cuts across Hungary, ending 1,164 km later at the village of Hollóháza by the Hungarian-Slovakian border. Blue is a reference to the marking of the path itself: it is a horizontal blue stripe between two white stripes. The trail is free to the public; no fees have to be paid.
According to KÉKTÚRA.HU It is a 1,164 km long trail, divided into 27 sections. There are 151 checkpoints where we can find a stamp to validate our official Kéktúra booklet. If you want to be among the very few hikers who have officially completed this trail, you need to stamp into this booklet. During the last six decades only 6,115 people obtained the precious badge for finishing the journey.
It is said that you only need a good pair of boots and a reliable tent to get it started. You can really make it on a shoestring-budget. Hiking can ward off depression and you can easily get your daily dose of vitamin D, so start it today!
If you don't want to start it alone, you might find company here: Public group of OKT (in Hungarian).
| Vocabulary | Szókincs |
|---|---|
| Hiking | túrázás |
| to get plenty of exercise | sokat tornázni |
| economical way to increase your activity level | gazdaságos mód az aktivitási szint növelésére |
| plethora of | rengeteg |
| to be out of shape | nincs formában (edzettség) |
| a sturdy pair of hiking boots | egy pár erős túrabakancs |
| do a research | kutatni |
| nowadays | napjainkban |
| nature-lover | természetbarát |
| horizontal blue stripe | vízszintes kék csík |
| no fees have to be paid | nem kell díjat fizetni |
| according to | valami szerint |
| checkpoints | ellenőrzőpontok |
| precious badge | értékes jelvény |
| reliable tent | megbízható sátor |
| shoestring-budget | alacsony költségvetés |
| ward off depression | megszűntetni a depressziót |
| in advance | előre |