Sierra Club Outings | From Budapest to Krakow: Hiking the Amber Trail; Hungary, Slovak Republic and Poland

From Budapest to Krakow: Hiking the Amber Trail; Hungary, Slovak Republic and Poland
June 7-19, 2008

Highlights:

Day hike in Hungary, the Slovak Republic, and Poland
Visit Low Tatras National Park and five World Heritage Sites
Explore Central Europe’s architectural heritage and biodiversity

Includes:

Accommodations in small hotels
All breakfasts, two lunches and 10 dinners
Support van, guest speakers, private guided tours, all entrance fees, and tips

As Hungary, the Slovak Republic, and Poland emerge into the 21st century, their people have joined in an international effort to re-create the historic trading routes. Linking natural and cultural treasures in a modern-day, Central European heritage trail, the Amber Trail Greenway will take us up the Danube River Valley to explore the historic towns of the Danube Bend and enjoy ridgeline views of the second longest river in Europe. Once in the Slovak Republic, we hike in the Fatra and Tatra Mountains which are part of the great Carpathian Range. Our trip ends in the northern European plain, in Krakow, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the spiritual capital of Poland.

We hike in remote natural areas protected for their biodiversity, and we visit unique villages, churches, and museums that evoke the cultural and architectural richness of Central Europe. Our hikes are moderate, 6-9 miles in length, and we try to make ridgeline hiking relatively easy by taking chairlifts to the top when possible. In the evenings, we dine in traditional restaurants and enjoy the comforts of our small hotels.

Day 1: Budapest. Arrive in Budapest and transfer on your own to our hotel. We have an orientation meeting at 4 p.m. at the hotel and start our trip with a welcome dinner.

Overnight in Budapest (D).

Day 2: Budapest – Szentendre. We depart Budapest by private bus for the historic Danube Bend region where the mighty river changes course from east to south. Our first stop is Szentendre (St. Andrew), a pretty village with twisting streets and Austrian baroque houses. Renowned as an artist colony, Szentendre is a bit touristy, but delightful when you get off the main thoroughfare and into the back streets. We tour the town, visit the museum of famed potter Margit Kovacz, and view traditional Hungarian architecture at the Open Air Ethnographical Museum.

Overnight in Szentendre (B, D).

Day 3: Szentendre – Esztergom. We begin our day with a walk through Visegrad (High Castle), home to the Early Renaissance summer palace of King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary. A half-mile ascent takes us to Visegrad Castle with its medieval exhibits and eye-filling views of the Danube bend. We then hike over fairly level ground through the meadows and deep forests of the Pilis Mountains to the village of Pilisszentlaszlo. After a stop at the local pub, we board our bus for a visit to Esztergom Basilica, the largest church in Hungary.

Day 4: Esztergom – Banska Stiavnica. We leave the Danube Bend and Hungary to begin our day’s hike from the southern Slovak village of Kamenica nad Hronom. After a fairly steep ascent in the first 20 minutes, this easy-going trail takes us through the Burda Mountains, over a panoramic ridge above the Slovak-Hungarian border and the Danube River, through an area of high biodiversity rarely visited by hikers. This protected area is home to oak forests, roe deer, moufflon (wild sheep), and rare plants. After the hike ends in the peaceful village of Chlaba, we drive 90 minutes to Banksa Stiavnica, stopping along the way to see the rock dwellings carved into the volcanic cliffs of Brhlovce.

Day 5: Banska Stiavnica. The medieval mining region of Banska Stiavnica was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its historic mining and metallurgical activity. We tour the town and visit the Outdoor Museum of Mining where we get a chance to go underground. Our hike this day starts in the Cervena Studna Pass. We walk over rolling terrain, through meadows, along old water channels, past lakes that were part of an ingenious reservoir system, and into the forest where many remnants of the mining activity can be seen.

Day 6: Free day. You are free to explore Banska Stiavnica on your own today or visit the Sklene Teplice Spa where one can swim in a steaming pool of healing water that seeps out of the thermal hot spring inside of the cave.

Overnight in Banska Stiavnika (B, D).

Day 7: Banska Stiavnica – Ruzomberok. A ridge hike with spectacular views awaits us today as we move into higher mountains -- the Great Fatras, which rise to over 5,000 feet. We drive to Donovaly Pass, a well-known winter resort with many ski slopes, and take a chairlift to the ridge to avoid a steep ascent. The rolling ridge trail runs though mountain meadows and primeval forests before crossing the Velky Harmanec Pass and descending to the village of Liptovske Revuce to meet our bus.

Day 8: Ruzomberok – Liptovsky Mikulas. Ruzomberok is a small city wedged between three mountain chains, the Low Tatras, High Fatras and Chocsky Hills. Our hike today begins in the center of Ruzomberok and continues through meadows and forests to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Vlkolinec, a remarkably intact, occupied settlement of 45 buildings representing the best-preserved traditional log houses in the entire Carpathian region. After hiking back to Ruzomberok, we drive to Liptovsky Mikulas, at the foot of the High Tatras, and stop en route to visit the 15th century wooden church of Svaty Kriz with its stunning vaulted ceiling. We also visit the Museum of Janko Kral, a folk hero and famed local highwayman.

Overnight in Liptovsky Mikulas (B, D). Hiking: Eight miles.

Day 9: Liptovsky Mikulas. We drive to the village of Prosiek to begin our hike through two scenic valleys. The rocky trail through the Prosieka Valley is relatively easy, but it crosses the creek several times, and we encounter some ladders and chains to help us over several rock steps where the valley ends in a narrow, but scenic canyon. Once out of the canyon, we stop for lunch at the village of Velke Borove, then hike up past the waterfall to the Oblazy wooden water mills. After touring the mills, our trail leads us above the Kvacianska valley to Kvacany where we meet our bus. If time permits, we will visit the open-air museum of folk architecture in Zuberec.

Day 10: Liptovsky Mikulas. Today we hike in the Low Tatras National Park on one of the most popular ridge trails in the Slovak Republic. We take a chairlift from Demanovska Valley almost to the top of Chopok Mountain and walk along the ridge to Dumbier Mountain, the highest peak (nearly 7,000 feet) in the Low Tatras. The rolling trail is interesting in itself—it was paved with big flat stones by socialist youth brigades. After taking in the spectacular views of mountainous Slovakia, we walk back to the chairlift. We may also get a chance to visit Demanovska Cave down in the valley.

Overnight in Liptovsky Mikulas (B). Hiking: Seven miles.

Day 11: Liptovsky Mikulas – Krakow. On our two-hour drive to Poland, we stop to visit Oravsky Castle, a massive 13th century gothic fortress towering high above Orava River. After entering Poland, we begin our hike in the traditional town of Lanckorona, originally established in the 12th century and now an artists’ colony and vacation spot for Krakow residents. We visit the local museum, and pass the ruins of Lanckorona Castle before arriving at Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, a UNESCO World Heritage Site noted for its Mannerist architecture and its 17th century sanctuary for Polish pilgrims. Our hike ends in the village of Stronie, and we drive an hour to Krakow.

Day 12: Krakow/Wieliczka. Krakow has been called the Boston of Poland for its rich history as the former capital of Poland and its bustling student life. It has also been called “the next Prague,” because it has the charm without the hordes of tourists—yet. There is no doubt that Krakow is the cultural and intellectual capital of Poland, and we get a chance to explore it on our walking tour of the historic center. We also visit the Wieliczka Salt Mines, a UNESCO World Heritage Site 10 miles outside Krakow. As we follow the subterranean paths down three levels through the mining chambers, we wander past artistic salt carvings and the 17th century solid salt St. Anthony chapel. We end the day, and our travels, with our Farewell Dinner back in Krakow.

Overnight in Krakow (B, D).

Day 13: Departure. Depart Krakow on our own. If you would like to stay an extra night or two, we can assist you with those arrangements.

Since the trip begins in Budapest and ends in Krakow, be sure to make your transportation plans accordingly. We will meet at 4 p.m. on Day One at our Budapest hotel for an orientation meeting and a welcome dinner. We will be departing Budapest the next morning, so you might plan to arrive a couple of days early to explore Budapest on your own. We will be happy to help you make reservations for extra, pre-trip nights at our Budapest hotel.

Breakfast is included with each hotel night. Ten dinners are included, but we’ve given you two free nights, one in Banska Stiavnica and one in Liptovsky Mikulas, to try those special places you’ve had your eye on. For one special, included dinner, we hope to make arrangements to have the group dine with Slovak families. Only two lunches are included, but we will point you in the direction of the local market and bakery so you can prepare your picnic lunch for the next day’s hike.

Hungarian food is spicy, heavily seasoned with paprika, tomatoes, and peppers. Fat is used quite a bit in cooking, so the Hungarian cuisine can be very rich and filling. Slovak cuisine uses lots of starches and gravy, as well as pork and cabbage, spiced with paprika. Polish food is hearty and tasty and based on potatoes and bread. A common theme in all three countries is that the diet is heavy on meat, starches and fats, and pretty sparse on fruits and vegetables. Vegetarians and vegans will have difficulty.

This trip is moderately difficult. We hike 6-9 miles most days, not including the extra walking we get while exploring villages and museums. The trails will vary from paved town and country roads to dirt tracks to rocky ridgelines. We have creeks to cross, and, on one occasion, a little bit of rock climbing. There will be a couple of steep elevation gains for 20-30 minutes, but most of the time, we have figured out how to avoid the steeper trails and enjoy more of the rolling trails through the mountains.

We have an opportunity to explore several conservation issues that arise as increased modernization and tourism affect this former Soviet-bloc area. In Hungary, we see the Gabcikovo-Nagymaros dam on the Danube River which has become a source of conflict between Hungary and Slovakia and is having surprising effects on nature preservation. In the Slovak Republic, we visit Low Tatras National Park and witness the conflicts between tourism activity and nature preservation. In Poland, we visit Lanckrona, where a local society is bent on preserving tradition and (local) heritage.

Included: All lodging, ground transportation, breakfasts, two lunches, 10 dinners, all activities except optional activities on day six, guides, entrance fees, and tips.

Not included: Transportation to Budapest and from Krakow, airport transfers, airport taxes, optional activities on day six, passport and/or visa fees, traveler’s insurance, some meals as described above, drinks, laundry, and tips for not-included meals.

This trip requires a $200 per-person deposit. An additional payment of $300 per person is due six months prior to trip departure. International trip prices are subject to change and are based on double-occupancy or group accommodations as described above. Single rooms may not be available or may cost more than the listed price. If you have any questions regarding double occupancy, please contact the trip leader.

The payment of a deposit does not confirm you as a member on the trip. Participants must be approved by the trip leader. After signing up for this trip, you will be sent a confirmation packet containing approval materials (Participant Approval Questionnaire, Medical Form, Liability Release Form). Each applicant (including those on the waitlist) must fill out these forms and promptly mail them to the trip leader. The leader will review the approval materials and notify you of your acceptance in a timely manner.

Barbara Kamm led the Hiking the Czech Greenways trip in 2005 and 2007. She was born and raised overseas and has traveled extensively through over 50 countries and most of the United States. Barbara was a banker for many years before retiring early to teach business at Santa Clara University and consult to early-stage technology companies in the Silicon Valley. She loves the outdoors and is an active camper, hiker, kayaker, and scuba diver.

E-mail: bbkamm@sbcglobal.net