The Dobogoko region is in northern Hungary near a bend of the Danube River.Credit:iStock
Hungary is known for many things – paprika,goulash,birthplace of the Rubik's Cube. To followers of the Taltos faith it is also known as one of the heart shakras of the earth,a sacred place where energy lines or"ley"converge.
"Dobogoko means beating stone,"says our local guide Gyorgy Kovalik,leading us along a steep section of the Thirring-Korut loop in Hungary's mountainous Dobogoko region.
"You can hear the heartbeat of the earth if you put your ear to the rocks."
Regardless of your religious or spiritual beliefs there's common ground from being immersed in nature.Credit:Alamy
For now,all I can hear is my own heart hammering in my head. After a gentle descent we begin to climb upwards;through groves of silver birch trees,their naked arms thrust to the sky;under a rocky overhang,where plaques hang in memory of those long passed;and alongside boulders engraved with symbols from the Old Hungarian runic language.
"Coming to Dobogoko is a pilgrimage for most Hungarians,"says Kovalik."It is believed that when we spend time here the energy in our bodies aligns with the shakra energy of the earth."
When we pause on a plateau to admire the view Kovalik tells us the story about the turil bird,a mythical bird of prey,which first appeared in the 9th-century and is said to have led the early Hungarians out of Asia westward to a new motherland. Whether by chance or design,a contour map of our route shows a clear outline of a falcon,its wings soaring across the landscape."In Taltosism,nothing happens by chance,"says Kovalik."We are all connected to the earth."
And that's the real strength of a tour like this,regardless of your religious or spiritual beliefs there's common ground from being immersed in nature.
It's day four of a five-day cruise along the Danube River from Vienna,Austria to Budapest,Hungary aboard Avalon Waterways'newly-christened Avalon View and I've forgone a winery tour in favour of an active hike.