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Eastern Hungary

The wildlife-rich wetlands and grasslands of the Hortobágy and Bükk Hills

Hungary is a small country nestling in the Carpathian Basin between Austria and Romania. Though often considered to be in Eastern Europe, the Magyars like to think of their country as being very much in Central Europe.

Wherever one places it, Hungary is blessed with some fine wildlife habitats and species. An impressive 10 per cent of Hungary is under some form of protection and in some areas the land outside reserves and parks is farmed at a low-intensity and is thus wildlife friendly.

The Bükk Hills are, in effect, foothills of the Carpathians. A National Park, established in 1976, protects the area’s wildlife and also geological, archaeological and historical sites. The hills rise from some 300m to a maximum 960m and most of our time here will be spent in the lower woods and valleys, so there will be no hard uphill climbs! Habitats include mixed beech-hornbeam-oak forests, oak-dotted pastures, rocky limestone slopes and crags, meadows, scrub-steppe and clear-cuts. These support nine species of woodpeckers, including black. Besides wildlife, the Bükk Hills are noted for cave systems and viniculture: grapes for the full-bodied, red Bulls Blood are grown.

It is no exaggeration to state that the Hortobágy is one of Europe’s great wildlife areas. Most of the area is now a National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising 80,000 hectares. Around two-thirds of this is grassland, one-third wetland, the latter mostly large fishpond systems. Wetland birds include pygmy cormorant, great white egret, purple heron, spoonbill, white-tailed eagle and penduline and bearded tits. The grasslands here, the flat puszta, have stone-curlew, great bustard, crested lark, corn bunting and little owl. This is also very good raptor terrain with long-legged buzzard, marsh harrier and saker.

Our family-run accommodation is located in Nosvaj on the edge of the Bükk Hills and serves authentic Magyar cuisine.

Great bustards