Tell us a bit about yourself…
My name is Richard “Richie” Sallai. I’m a 45-year-old Hungarian man who moved to Bristol in 2015. I created the Walk In Bristol website as a hobby to explore my new home. I try to help people discover and get to know this amazing and vibrant city and its hidden gems through my website and social media accounts. I share my amateur photos and a lot of talented (amateur, professional and artistic) photographers’ photos from Bristol, as well as local news and events.
Tell us about your preferred Bristol walking route and why you love it so much. How long have you been walking there?
To be honest, I don’t have a favourite route, but I really like the riverside and lakeside walks. I like to walk on the picturesque Harbourside in the city centre, and I enjoy the beautiful and peaceful nature walks on all sides of the River Avon, the River Trym and the River Frome. Each of these areas has long and amazing trails, fantastic parks and nature reserves that are full of flowers.
How long have you been walking there and when did you first discover it?
If I remember well, my first riverside walk was in June 2015, when I walked to the city centre’s Harbourside, and I followed the River Avon to the zig zag path. That first time, I walked to the Clifton Suspension Bridge because I wanted to show the view to my friends in Hungary, and I made a short video about it. I remember the video’s quality was terrible and I was a little bit afraid to use the bridge, but the view and the walk were fantastic, and it is still fantastic everytime I do it.
Who normally accompanies you on your walks?
I like to walk alone, primarily because it’s not easy to keep up with me! Sometimes I feel like rushing, and sometimes when I see something which stirs my imagination, I stop and take a photo of it. I like to enjoy the beauty of nature and the peace it gives to me.
How do you feel when you’re out for a walk? Does it change your state of mind?
The Hungarians have a phrase: “Megyek és kiszellőztetem a fejemet”, in a word-for-word translation it reads, “I’m going to ventilate my head!”, but what it really means to me is “I’m going to clear my mind” – and it works on every walk…
Have you experienced any health benefits from walking?
Each walk (depending on its length and terrain) can improve your endurance, it has a mentally calming effect, and it can enrich you with thoughts and ideas – I can only recommend it.
Do you have any particular kit you take with you when you’re walking? If so, what do you take and why?
If I go for a short walk, I only take a small bottle of water, tissues, some money, and my smartphone to take photos with. On a longer walk, I also take my lightweight waterproof backpack with a power bank for my phone (because if I visit a part of Bristol which I don’t know well, I might need to use Google Maps), a waterproof coat, baseball cap and sunglasses (depending on the British weather!), a few sandwiches, and a soft drink which contains sugar for energy replenishment and hydration.
Sadly, some parks and nature reserves don’t have many bins so I often carry my rubbish in my backpack until I can find one; I think this is another good reason to take a backpack when you go for a walk.
What tips would you give to anyone thinking about getting into walking?
Don’t think too much about getting into walking – just make a plan for your walk (the Bristol Walk Fest website and their walking app partner, Go Jauntly, can help to make a plan) and DO IT!
If you don’t like to walk alone, there are a lot of walking tours in the city too – historical, artistic, nature and more, and you can easily find walking groups on social media too. Good luck!