E4 European long distance path


The E4 European long distance path or E4 path is one of the European long-distance paths. Starting at Tarifa Andalusia, located at the southernmost end of the Iberian Peninsula, across the Strait of Gibraltar facing Morocco, it continues through Spain, France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Greece to end in Cyprus. It also visits the Greek island of Crete.
It is more than long, but the route through Romania and part of Bulgaria is not yet completely defined. An alternative route through Serbia, instead of Romania, has been defined.

Spain (2267 km)

Follows the Jura ridgeway through the north of the country ending at village Dielsdorf.
From Dielsdorf, the E4 continues along the southern shores of Lake Constance via the following settlements to the village of Rheineck on the German border :
Niederglatt – Bülach – Freienstein-Teufen – Irchel – Buch am Irchel – Dorf – Andelfingen – Truttikon – Oberstammheim – Stein am Rhein – Mammern – Steckborn – Berlingen – Mannebach – Ermatingen – Gottlieben – Kreuzlingen – Münsterlingen – Güttingen – Uttwil – Romanshorn – Egnach – Arbon – Steinach – Tübach – Goldach – Rorschacherberg – Buchberg – Rheineck

Germany/Austria

Alternative 1:

On the route of Nordalpine Weitwanderweg 01 are exposed stretches - for experienced mountain walkers only
1. Western section of the route – 495 km

through Bregenzer Wald, Lechquellengebirge, Lechtaler Alps, Wetterstein-gebirge, Karwendelgebirge and Rofangebirge:
Bregenz – Lustenauer Hut – 22 km, moderately difficult

Lustenauer Hut – Damüls – 33 km, difficult

Damüls – Biberacher Hut – 18 km, very difficult

Biberacher Hut – Göppinger Hut – 16 km, difficult

Göppinger Hut – Ravensburger Hut – 31 km, very difficult

Ravensburger Hut – Stuttgarter Hut – 20 km, difficult

Stuttgarter Hut – Ansbacher Hut – 28 km, very difficult

Ansbacher Hut – Memminger Hut, 25 km, very difficult

Memminger Hut – Steinsee Hut – 20 km, very difficult

Steinsee Hut – Anhalter Hut – 25 km, difficult

Anhalter Hut – Fernpass – 35 km, difficult

Fernpass – Ehrwald – 20 km, moderately difficult

Ehrwald – Meiler Hut – 39 km, difficult

Meiler Hut – Scharnitz – 30 km, moderately difficult

Scharnitz – Falken Hut – 30 km, moderately difficult

Falken Hut – Maurach am Achensee – 35 km, moderately difficult

Maurach am Achsensee – Steinberg am Rofan – 25 km, difficult

Steinberg am Rofan – Kufstein – 43 km, easy
2. Middle section of the route – 441 km

through Kaisergebirge, Chiemgau Alps, Loferer Steingebirge, Hochkönig and Steinernes Meer, Tennengebirge, Dachstein Mountains and Totes Gebirge:
Kufstein – Stripsenjoch Haus – 19 km, moderately difficult

Stripsenjoch Haus – Straubinger Haus – 35 km, moderately difficult

Straubinger Haus – Schmidt-Zabierow Hut – 39 km, difficult

Schmidt-Zabierow Hut – Lofer – 16 km, moderately difficult

Lofer – Ingolstatter Haus – 31 km, moderately difficult

Ingolstatter Haus – Riemann Haus – 8 km, moderately difficult

Riemann Haus – Franz-Eduard-Matras Haus – 25 km, very difficult, on glacier

Franz-Eduard-Matras Haus – Werfen – 27 km, difficult, on glacier

Werfen – Lungötz – 33 km, moderately difficult

Lungötz – Adamek Hut – 29 km, very difficult

Adamek Hut – Simony Hut – 12 km, very difficult, on glacier

Simony Hut – Bad Goisern – 32 km, moderately difficult

Bad Goisern – Loser Hut – 34 km, moderately difficult

Loser Hut – Pühringer Hut – 25 km, moderately difficult

Pühringer Hut – Priel Refuge Hut – 20 km, difficult

Priel Refuge Hut – Vorderstoder – 18 km, moderately difficult

Vorderstoder – Spital am Pyhrn – 38 km, moderately difficult
3. Eastern section of the route – 478 km

Through Rax, Semmeringgebiet, Bucklige Welt and Rosaliengebirge
Spital am Pyhrn – Admont – 24 km, moderately difficult

Admont – Hess Hut – 35 km, moderately difficult

Hess Hut – Radmer an der Stube – 20 km, difficult

Radmer an der Stube – Eisenerz – 20 km, moderately difficult

Eisenerz – Sonnschien Hut – 25 km, moderately difficult

Sonnschien Hut – Voisthaler Hut – 17 km, moderately difficult

Voisthaler Hut – Turnaueralm – 25 km, moderately difficult

Turnaueralm – Neuberg, Krampen im Mürztal – 31 km, moderately difficult

Neuberg, Krampen im Mürztal – Schneealpen Haus – 31 km, moderately difficult

Schneealpen Haus – Karl-Ludwig Haus – 21 km, difficult

Karl-Ludwig Haus – Waxriegel Haus – 12 km, moderately difficult

Waxriegel Haus – Maria Schutz – 30 km, moderately difficult

Maria Schutz – Hochwolkersdorf – 48 km, easy

Hochwolkersdorf – Mattersburg – 17 km, easy
After town Mattersburg the route of the E4 leaves the Nordalpine Weitwanderweg 01, and goes on other paths further.
Mattersburg – Rust – 32 km, easy

Rust – Drassburg – 20 km, easy

Drassburg – Kobersdorf – 28 km, easy

Kobersdorf – Hochstrass – 25 km, easy

Hochstrass – Köszeg – 17 km, easy
Remark:

Generally there are detours on the route of E4 to avoid the very difficult sections.

You can find map sketches and description about the whole route in the book „Vom Neusiedler See zum Bodensee – Nordalpiner Weitwanderweg 01” in German.
Continue 2:


Subalpine route

to: Salzburg

Through Allgäu and Upper Bavaria via Neuschwanstein, Unterammergau, Bavarian Lakes
550 km

to: Wienerwald

via Salzkammergut

550 km

to: Hainburg an der Donau

E Austrian border path

150 km

Hungary

On the route of the Országos Kéktúra – 1118 km

Through the Little Hungarian Plain and along the Transdanubian Mountains and the North Hungarian Mountains.
Town Kőszeg – peak of Irottkő – town Sárvár through the Mountains of Kőszeg and the Little Hungarian Plain – 70 km

Town Sárvár – town Sümeg through the Little Hungarian Plain – 70 km

Town Sümeg – town Keszthely and Lake Balaton through the Highland of Balaton – 47 km

Town Keszthely – town Tapolca – village Nagyvázsony through the Basin of Tapolca and the Highland of Balaton. On the basin the path climbs almost every spent volcano: Badacsony, Gulács, Csobánc and Szent György Mountain – 83 km

Village Nagyvázsony – village Városlőd – town Zirc – village Bodajk through the Bakony Mountains – 118 km

Village Bodajk – village Szárliget through the Vértes Mountains – 48 km

Village Szárliget – town Dorog through the Hilly Country of Gerecse – 67 km

Town Dorog – Budapest through the Pilis Mountains and Mountains of Buda – 40 km

Budapest – peak of Dobogókö – village Visegrád, Danube Bend through the Buda and Pilis Mountains – 61 km

Village Visegrád – village Nagymaros – with ferry across the Danube

Village Nagymaros – peak of Hegyes-kö – village Kóspallag – peak of Csóványos – village Nógrád through the Börzsöny Mountains – 38 km

Village Nógrád – village Becske – village Hollókő, it is a World Heritage Site – village Mátraverebély through the Hilly Country of Cserhát – 119 km

Village Mátraverebély – peak of Galyatetö – peak of Kékestető, 1014 m, the highest point of Hungary – village Sirok – village Szarvaskő through the Mátra Mountains – 65 km

Village Szarvaskő – village Bélapátfalva – village Bánkút – village Putnok – through the Bükk Mountains – 55 km

Village Putnok – village Aggtelek, its stalactite cave is a World Heritage Site – village Bódvaszilas through the Hilly Country of Aggtelek – 62 km

Village Bódvaszilas – village Boldogkőváralja through the Hilly Country of Cserehát – 65 km

Village Boldogkőváralja – town Sátoraljaújhely through the Zemplén Mountains – 55 km
In Sátoraljaújhely the route of the E4 leaves the path of the National Blue Trail and goes further on the route of Blue Tour of the Plain
On the route of Alföldi Kéktúra – 262 km

Through the Great Hungarian Plain
Town Sátoraljaujhely – town Kisvárda – 63 km

Town Kisvárda – town Nyirbátor – 46 km

Town Nyirbátor – town Bánk – 75 km

Town Bánk – village Nagykereki – 78 km
After village Nagykereki the E4 leaves the path of Alföldi Kéktúra and goes to village Ártánd – appr. 6 km
Remark:

You can find detailed hiker maps and travelogues about the section of the Országos Kéktúra in Hungarian in the following books:

Az Országos Kéktúra Írottkötöl Budapest, Hüvösvölgyig

Az Országos Kéktúra Budapest, Hüvösvölgytöl Hollóházáig
There are websites of Hungarian hikers about the completion of the Országos Kéktúra:
  • – in English with travelogues and more than 1000 photos