Hortobagy the Puszta

Hortobagy is the Hungarian steppe. This area is now an extensive plain important both as a physical feature and a memorable sight. It is the land of hot summers and bitter winters, the land of shimmering mirages. The region is cut by river Tisza, the 2nd largest river and river Tisza makes a large man made lake the Lake Tisza. Lake Tisza is the heaven for all kind of water sports, fishing and bird watching.

Small villages with thatched-roofed houses and storks nesting on chimneys again dot the Hortobagy. About 40% of the steppe was preserved as grassland and is now treasured as Hortobagy National Park. We can find here much of the wildlife that used to roam the steppe.

9-arcs Bridge The 520 sq km Hortobgy National Park offers some of the best bird-watching in Europe: over 310 species have been spotted here in the past 20 years. Among the fragile wetlands, marshes and saline grasslands are many types of herons, egrets, spoonbills, storks, warblers and eagles. The park is also home to the great bustard, one of the world's largest birds, which stands a metre high and weighs in at 20 kg.

Once you are in Hungary, hortobagy is a not to miss place, to see the traditional tourist sights as puszta program, with wild horse riders, long horn hungarian cows, eat an unique hungarian gulash or fish soup and have hungarian music in your ears.

Herdmen's land

One of the oldest and most ancient style of living on the Hungarian Great Plain is that of the Hortobagy herdsmen's.

On the exterior pastures of the Hortobagy, extensive animal keeping gained place, where the animal produced almost only its offspring. By the end of the 18th century the first grazing regulations were drafted and in the following century the grazed animal population in the Hortobagy reached its highest number together with flourishing herdsmen's life. The herdsman dynasties that still exist originated and started to branch out at that time. The Hortobagy herdsmen's life that laid on ancient basis and then developed through centuries had an effect on the whole region over the Tisza.

Nowadays, more than 200 shepherds herd 9000 cattle, 50 000 sheep and 350 horses in the area of the Hortobagy National Park.

What to see and do in Hortobagy

Animal Park, displaying local animals, like donkeys, grey cattle, mangalica pig.
Open daily, admission is only 400HUF

Mata Stud, The stud of Hortobagy was established 300 years ago by the imperial free city of Debrecen. Today it is one of the symbols of the puszta. See the magnificent Nonius breed.



Nine arch bridge, iconic bridge of Hortobagy, built in the 19th century to help moving animals to bigger markets.



Great Csarda, Csarda is kinda inn of the puszta. Great Csarda is fully refurbished, just next to the Nine Arch Bridge

Museum of Herdmen, check out how these men lived in the past. Museum is opposite of Great Csarda, open from 9 - 17 daily, admission is 600HUF



Fishpond and narrow gauge train, one of the biggest fish pond system in central europe. The 2000 acre territory is home of many birds and other species. Easy to discover by narrow gauge train, at the stops you can go and check out birds from lookout towers. Cost 1200HUF a return.

Birdwatching
Butterflies

How to get to Hortobagy

By car, you have to go to Nyiregyhaza direction on M3 highway, take exit at Fuzesabony.
By train, you can take Intercity to Miskolc direction and change at Fuzesabony to Debrecen. There's a stop at Hortobagy.