The Galya Lookout Tower, one of Hungary’s highest and most beautiful panoramic towers, was renamed in honor of Lajos Thuróczy in the Mátra Mountains. On the 100th anniversary of the birth of the legendary nature lover and one of the founders of the National Blue Trail, a memorial plaque was unveiled and the lookout tower was ceremoniously renamed.
The commemoration on August 28 was held at Thuróczy’s grave, followed by the centenary program in Galyatető: the tower, formerly known as the Galya Lookout Tower, will now appear on tourist maps and signposts as the Lajos Thuróczy Lookout Tower.
The 17-meter-high lookout tower was built in 1934, then renovated and raised in 2015. During the modernization, steel stairs were added, as well as a “bivouac room” suitable for three nights’ accommodation. From the terrace, at an altitude of nearly 1,000 meters, you can see the Mátra (northern Hungary), Kékes, Bükk plateau, and even the peaks of the High Tatras on a clear day.
Lajos Thuróczy played a key role in Hungarian nature tourism during his lifetime: in the early 1950s, he became the founder of the National Blue Trail, a member of the MTSZ (Hungarian Tourist Association) board, then served as its honorary president, and even helped renovate the lookout tower. In 2009, he was awarded the Golden Cross of Merit of the Republic of Hungary for his work.
Via vg.hu; Featured photo: Facebook/MTSZ
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