Hortobágy
Hungary · Northern Great Plain · 90 m
Description
Hortobágy is the largest continuous natural grassland in Europe and the oldest national park in Hungary, a UNESCO World Heritage Site listed for two thousand years of pastoral land use rather than for wilderness. Grey cattle, curly-horned racka sheep and water buffalo are still herded here by csikós horsemen in blue cloaks who perform the old riding tricks for visitors. The Nine-Arch Bridge carries the road across the plain. Autumn brings up to a hundred thousand common cranes to roost on the fishponds, one of the great bird spectacles of Europe. There is almost nothing built here, and the horizon is the whole point.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 3 days (optimal 2 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: May – June or September – October
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Crane migration on the fishponds (September - November)
- Csikós horsemen and the riding display
- Nine-Arch Bridge
- Grey cattle, racka sheep and water buffalo
- UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape
- Puszta narrow-gauge railway
- Herdsman museum and the old inn
- Mirage of the plain on hot days (June - August)
- Night sky over the grassland
- Hortobágy pancake and shepherd's cooking
Getting there
- Train stations:
- Hortobágy