Kékes

Viewpoint · Hungary

Autumn foliage at Kékes
Photo: Szilas / Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Hungary's highest point at 1,014 meters, a volcanic summit in the Mátra range reached by a paved road that climbs through beech and oak forest from Gyöngyös. A circular lookout terrace beneath the old TV tower gives a clear view over the colored slopes below.

Best for: a drive-up summit view over the Mátra forest

Don’t miss

  • Hungary's highest point at 1,014m
  • circular lookout terrace above the tree line
  • beech and oak forest on the drive up from Gyöngyös
Typical year

Peak: October 15–October 29

Climatological window from published records — the weather model’s elevation extrapolation isn’t reliable on this terrain, so this is the long-run normal rather than a season-specific forecast.

Source: https://medium.com/central-europe-travel/where-to-see-the-best-fall-foliage-in-hungary-our-wanders-613c4d224d05

Kékes on the map

More things to do in Hungary

Bükk National Park

National park

Typically October 15–October 29

Named for the beech (bükk) that covers its limestone karst, a 431-square-kilometer range of caves and karst springs above Miskolc. Trails from Szilvásvárad and Lillafüred climb through dense, often mossy beech woods that turn orange and gold through most of October.

Don’t miss: beech forest across limestone karst, the park's namesake tree · show caves and karst springs near Lillafüred · trails climbing from Szilvásvárad to the high plateau

Visegrád

Historic town

Typically October 15–October 29

A hilltop citadel built by King Béla IV above a hairpin of the Danube, briefly the seat of Hungary's kings under Charles Robert of Anjou in the 14th century. The ruined lower palace sits at river level while forested hills climb behind, framing the bend in color through mid-October.

Don’t miss: Fellegvár citadel overlooking the Danube's hairpin bend · ruined 14th-century royal palace at river level · forested Visegrád Hills framing the bend

See all things to do in Hungary →

Frequently asked

When does Kékes peak?
In a typical year, color peaks around October 15–October 29. The weather model's elevation extrapolation isn't reliable on this terrain, so this is a climatological window (source: https://medium.com/central-europe-travel/where-to-see-the-best-fall-foliage-in-hungary-our-wanders-613c4d224d05) rather than a season-specific forecast.
What is Kékes best for?
A drive-up summit view over the Mátra forest.
See it on the map

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