Route
E7 leads mostly on the tracks of the Pál Rockenbauer South-Transdanubian Blue Trail and the Great Plain Blue Trail in Hungary. Hiking on Blue Trails gives great opportunities for hikers, lone explorers, families, and nature-lovers to visit and discover new places and experience the world around us. The charm of hiking on Blue Trails is in recognizing the natural and cultural values of the country, but also in developing self-knowledge. If we set off alone, we get more time to pay attention inward, and if we go in company, we can acquire great community experience.
South-Transdanubian Blue Trail presents such natural sights as the hills of Zselic or the Mecsek Mountains. The hilly landscape of Southern Transdanubia easily captures our hearts. The gentle countryside located between the Danube, the Drava and Lake Balaton remains the longest sunny and warm in autumn thanks to the influence of the Mediterranean climate. Here we can enjoy the evenings with a glass of local red wine and watch the scenery as time goes by.
Great Plain Blue Trail has wonderful unique values of National Parks and Landscape Protection Areas. Its beauty has inspired many literary, musical and fine art works. The endless lowlands with wheat and sunflower fields waving in the light, summer breeze is the typical scene of this landscape. Hikers can experience the richness of authentic folk culture which is still existing and vivid today.
Starting Point
Bajánsenye, at the Slovenian border (town in Slovenia: Hodoš), coordinates: 46.821997, 16.343789.
From Slovenia, the blue cross
drives you on 2 km until you reach the South-Transdanubian Blue Trail with its blue horizontal stripe
in Bajánsenye.
End Point
Ásotthalom, at the Serbian border (town in Serbia: Bački Vinogradi), coordinates: 46.14332, 19.844111. From Ásotthalom, the red horizontal stripe
goes to the border on 12 km long.
Which cities and towns does the E-path pass through
Bajánsenye – Kercaszomor – Magyarszombatfa – Velemér – Szentgyörgyvölgy – Felsőszenterzsébet – Alsószenterzsébet – Kerkakutas – Csöde – Zalalövő – Kustánszeg – Becsvölgye – Petrikeresztúr – Zalatárnok – Szentkozmadombja – Gutorfölde – Szentpéterfölde – Lasztonya – Lispeszentadorján – Bázakerettye – Kistolmács – Borsfa – Valkonya – Homokkomárom – Hosszúvölgy – Nagykanizsa – Nagybakónak – Zalakaros – Galambok – Zalakomár – Somogysimonyi – Nemesvid – Nagyszakácsi – Mesztegnyő – Újvárfalva – Somogysárd – Kaposfő – Kaposmérő – Szenna – Patca – Szilvásszentmárton – Zselickisfalud – Simonfa – Gálosfa – Csebény – Abaliget – Pécs – Komló – Hosszúhetény – Óbánya – Mecseknádasd – Bátaapáti – Mórágy – Szálka – Grábóc – Szekszárd – Baja – Sükösd – Érsekhalma – Császártöltés – Kéleshalom – Kunfehértó – Ásotthalom.
Length
Total length of the E7 path in Hungary is 610 km. Please note, that the length can be varied, always look for the actual track on the links below.
Ground path of the E-path
At the beginning, from Bajánsenye a 2-km section with
leads to the South-Transdanubian Blue Trail
. The path continues on this Blue Trail (419 km) and in Szekszárd, this changes to the Great Plain Blue Trail with the same marking. When you approach Ásotthalom – after 175 km – turn on the blue cross
to Ásotthalom (3 km) and change to the red
until you reach the border (11 km).
The route has very different surfaces: asphalt is typical in towns, outside settlements dirt road is dominant.
Responsible organization(s)
Hungarian Hikers’ Association (Magyar Természetjáró Szövetség, short name MTSZ in Hungarian). MTSZ is responsible for the 3 long-distance Blue Trails in Hungary, while has received the right to keep a record of the standard waymarked-system in forestlands in Hungary. Therefore, the South-Transdanubian Blue Trail and the Great Plain Blue Trail are officially managed by the association. These are the official pages, they are available only in Hungarian:
Official page of the Hungarian Hikers’ Association (MTSZ)
Official page of South-Transdanubian Blue Trail and the Great Plain Blue Trail (managed by MTSZ)
Further information about Blue Trails (managed by MTSZ)
Publications
Booklet of the South-Transdanubian Blue Trail is available which covers the most part of the E7 in Hungary (only in Hungarian). There is a booklet for the Great Plain Blue Trail, too (all only in Hungarian).
Maps
Official track of the South-Transdanubian Blue Trail: RPDDK-03 to RPDDK -11 covers this E-path. You can download GPX files (only track, only stamping locations, or both) and details of stamping locations in English in pdf format).
Official track of the Great Plain Blue Trail: AK-01 to AK-04 covers this E-path. You can download GPX files (only track, only stamping locations, or both) and details of stamping locations in English in pdf format).
The 3 Blue Trails together add up the National Blue Circle, which you can check here.
Public collection of hiking routes, the entire E7 path in Hungary is here or here. Some sections may be missing, but the waymarks can be followed and all tracks can be found here.
Marking system
While travelling through the E7 path follow these in Hungary:
(2 km) –
(594 km) –
(3 km) –
(11 km).
There is a specific, color- and shape-based standard waymark-system in Hungary managed by MTSZ and local organizations.
Blue Trails have its own signpost system which you can see when you hike on a Blue Trail in Hungary. Yellow and blue signposts give you details about your location and sights along the route.
Another specialty is stamping locations along the Blue Trails. The Great Plain Blue Trail is a hiking movement with its ca. 870 km length, while the South-Transdanubian Blue Trail is ca. 540 km. You can achieve them by following the track and collecting the unique stamps in the field into a booklet (it includes maps of the track and stamping places, you can order it from the links above, it is available only in Hungarian).
Crossing other E-paths
E7 does not cross any other E-path in Hungary.
Practical
Accommodation
Since you travel through the countryside in rural areas, you pass a lot of tiny villages and towns. There is limited chance to book an accommodation online, but you can always find some on the spot; local people are very friendly and welcoming.
Food
There are little shops and local groceries in every town. Large cities have a lot of supermarkets and restaurants with local, traditional food.
In the summer some water management might be necessary. Here is a map that might come handy: https://www.kozkutak.hu/ And in case of need, just ask the locals! They will most probably not speak your language, but will help you out the best they can.
Travel
Official page of local transportation (bus and train).
Keep in mind that there are small towns and buses are rare in periods of the year, so planning the trips in advance is recommended.
Gear
You don’t need any specific gear for this route. Hiking boots and trekking poles may be useful. Some sections of the E7 path in Hungary crosses the Great Hungarian Plain, where the terrain is extremely flat (mostly 100-120 m.a.s.l.).
Links
For weather forecast, other pages can be reliable, the official Hungarian site is here.