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13-452: It is not a single territory, but comprises seven disjoint units, scattered throughout the area. One of these is the Kiskunság's Puszta where annual events are held reviving the old pastoral life and cattle breeding customs. Another is Lake Kolon near the town of Izsák . It is famous for its marsh tortoises , herons , expanses of untouched reeds and nine species of orchids which grow in

26-687: A part of the Alföld (Great Plain), was designated as a national park in 1973 (the first in Hungary), and elected among the World Heritage Sites in 1999. The Hortobágy is Hungary's largest protected area, and the largest semi-natural grassland in Europe. Until recently it was believed that this alkaline steppe was formed by the clear cutting of huge forests in the Middle Ages , followed by measures to control

39-469: A sandy soil and is sunny; the city of Szeged is often called City of Sunshine ( Napfény városa ). In addition to cattle, sheep, and pigs, the region also produces poultry and foie gras . Three hundred species of birds are found here. Hortob%C3%A1gy National Park Hortobágy ( Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈhortobaːɟ] ) is an 800 km national park in eastern Hungary , rich with folklore and cultural history . The park,

52-484: Is also a UNESCO biosphere reserve . Lake Szelid near Kalocsa , Lake Vadkert by Soltvadkert , Lake fehér and Lake Sós at Kiskunhalas are ideal spots for bathing and camping. There are many tourist trails, study trails and lookouts, within the national park; all contributing to a unique experience of the Kiskunság. The main visitor center of the Kiskunság National Park, called the 'House of Nature',

65-521: Is situated in Kecskemét . 46°53′N 19°24′E  /  46.883°N 19.400°E  / 46.883; 19.400 This Hungarian geography article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Puszta The Hungarian puszta ( Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈpustɒ] ) is a temperate grassland biome of the Great Hungarian Plain . It is an exclave of

78-581: The Hortobágy National Park , established in 1972 in eastern Hungary and centred on the village of Hortobágy in Hajdú-Bihar County . The climate is continental. Landscape is widely cultivated, the original Puszta landscape now being found only in a few places, for example in Hortobágy National Park . Most of Hungary's vegetable and grain crops are grown on the Great Plain. The region has

91-595: The Pannonian Steppe , and lies mainly around the River Tisza in the eastern part of Hungary, as well as in the western part of the country and in the Burgenland of Austria. It covers a total area of about 50,000 km (19,000 sq mi). The characteristic landscape is composed of treeless plains, saline steppes and salt lakes , and includes scattered sand dunes, low, wet forests and freshwater marshes along

104-620: The Ice Age , followed by domesticated animals. The site was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999 because of its long cultural history (stretching back more than four millennia), its scenery, and its testimony to traditional methods of pastoralism . One of its most iconic sites is the Nine-holed Bridge . Traditional T-shaped sweep wells dot the landscape, as well as the occasional mirage of trees shimmering in

117-574: The course of the Tisza River, allegedly resulting in the soil's current structure and pH . However, Hortobágy is much older, with alkalinization estimated to have started ten thousand years ago, when the Tisza first found its way through the Great Hungarian Plain , cutting off many streams from their sources in the Northern Mountains. The formation was finished by grazing animals and wild horses during

130-745: The floodplains of the ancient rivers. It is strongly associated with traditional Hungarian breeds of domestic animal including the Hungarian Grey breed of cattle, the Mangalitsa breed of woolly pig, the Nonius breed of horse and the Racka breed of horned sheep, and also with the traditions of the csikós mounted herdsmen. The adjective puszta has meanings including 'abandoned', 'bare', 'bleak', 'deserted' and 'uninhabited'. A large, mostly treeless, grassy plain which can only be used for grazing livestock, as

143-485: The poor quality of the soil makes it unsuitable for crop production. From the late Pleistocene era the landscape of the Alföld or Great Hungarian Plain consisted in large part of arid alkaline grasslands devoid of trees – the puszta. The extent of the puszta over much of the Alföld was drastically reduced by the extensive drainage and irrigation works carried out during the nineteenth century, and it survives principally in

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156-563: The reflected heat of the puszta (steppe). Part of the national park is a dark sky preserve . Hortobágy has also had more negative connotations, as a site of forced labor under the communist regime . Hortobágy is a steppe , a grassy plain with Hungarian Grey cattle , racka , water buffalo , and horses tended by mounted herdsmen called Csikós . It provides habitat for various species including 342 species of birds. The red-footed falcon , stone curlew , great bustard and European roller are represented by breeding populations. The area

169-534: The vicinity. An interesting natural phenomenon is the sand dunes in the vicinity of Fülöpháza . They are said to move under favourable wind conditions. The alkali lakes of the Little Cumania are found near Fülöpszállás and Szabadszállás . Their unique flora and fauna are of special value. Avocets , geese and black-winged stilts nest in the area. The lakes provide a temporary home for tens of thousands of migratory birds . This ornithologist paradise

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