Hortobágy

Central Europe's largest natural grassland. At the Hortobágy World Heritage National Park, see horse shows by herdsmen, Hungarian Grey Cattle and Racka sheep, and in autumn, flocks of cranes pass through.

Hortobágy lies in the eastern Great Hungarian Plain, about 35 km west of Debrecen. It is the largest continuous natural grassland (puszta) in Central Europe. Hungary's first national park was established here in 1973, and in 1999 the "Hortobágy National Park – the Puszta" was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The area has preserved more than two thousand years of pastoral herding traditions. Across the saline grasslands are scattered well sweeps, herdsmen's huts and old post stations, where Hungarian Grey Cattle, water buffalo, Racka sheep and Mangalica pigs are raised.

The main sights are concentrated in the village of Hortobágy. The Nine-Arch Bridge, the Great Inn, the visitor centre, the Herdsmen Museum and the bird hospital are all within walking distance. North of the village, the Mata Stud Farm offers carriage rides across the grassland and horse shows by herdsmen. South of the village are a wildlife park and a grassland livestock park. Seven km west, the fishponds offer bird-watching by narrow-gauge train, and further west, the Egyek marshes are quiet and good for bird photography.

The best season is May to September, when the horse shows, carriage rides and narrow-gauge train run. Around August 20th, there is a market at the Nine-Arch Bridge. In October, tens of thousands of common cranes pass through, making it one of Europe's best places for crane watching. Most activities are suspended in winter.

Getting there: take a train from Debrecen for about 40 minutes to Hortobágy station, or drive along Route 33. The sights are spread far apart, so renting a car or bicycle is recommended. Most visitors can see the village sights and take a carriage ride in one day. Bird-watchers are advised to stay a night in a grassland farmstead or a village inn to watch the sunset and the stars; the area is also an International Dark Sky Reserve.

Top sights

• Hortobágy National Park – Central Europe's largest natural grassland, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where herding culture, native livestock and migratory birds creat…
• Hortobágy Wildlife Park – Observe Przewalski's horses, wolves, jackals and birds across semi-natural grassland and wetland, and tour the park by sightseeing vehicle.
• Hortobágy Bird Park & Hospital – Hungary's largest wild bird rescue centre, where you can see raptors, storks and cranes up close and learn how injured wild birds are treat…
• Hortobágy Shepherd Museum – A small museum in an old carriage shed beside the Nine-holed Bridge, showing the clothing, tools and way of life of grassland herders.
• Máta Stud Farm & Puszta Carriage Tour – Ride a horse-drawn carriage deep into the grassland to see grey cattle, curly-haired pigs and the horsemen's 'five-horse' display. It is Ho…
• Nine-holed Bridge – A nine-arched stone bridge completed in 1833, about 167 metres long. It is Hungary's longest stone road bridge and a symbol of the Hortobág…
• Hortobágy Great Inn (Nagycsárda) – A grassland coaching inn founded in 1699 at the end of the Nine-holed Bridge. It is Hungary's most famous csárda, known for its herdsmen's…
• Hortobágy Puszta Animal Park – A small farm park showcasing Hungary's native grassland livestock, where you can get close to grey cattle, curly-haired pigs, Racka sheep a…
• Hortobágy Fishponds & Narrow-gauge Railway – Hungary's largest fishpond wetland. A narrow-gauge train takes you deep into the reeds, where you can climb a birdwatching tower to see cor…
• Meggyes Inn Museum – A museum in an old coaching inn beside Route 33 in the western grassland, recreating an 18th- and 19th-century inn's wine cellar, stables a…
• Egyek-Pusztakócs Marshes – Marshland and saline meadows restored in the western part of the national park, with boardwalks and birdwatching towers. A quiet place for…

Where to eat

• Hortobágyi Csárda – A roughly 300-year-old inn by the Nine-Arch Bridge in Hortobágy, serving traditional herdsmen's dishes made with local…
• Patkós Csárda – An old inn on Route 33 beside the west gate of the national park, popular for oven-roasted Hungarian dishes and slambuc…
• Látóképi Csárda – A nearly 300-year-old inn on Route 33 between Debrecen and Hortobágy, serving generous traditional Hungarian dishes all…

Itineraries

• Eastern Wine Country & Grassland Loop – A self-drive loop connecting Hollókő, Eger, Tokaj, and Hortobágy, from historic villages to the great puszta.
• Hungary Grand Loop Self-Drive – A clockwise road trip around the country, connecting the capital, eastern wine regions, the Great Plain, historic south…