Let me welcome everyone in the world of Hungarian National Parks!

EDIT 2007.11.10.:
have put together all files from this thread.
Only this glossary's folder enabled at start.
check subfolders one by one!



Download the file, follow the thread & have a nice trip!

• The Hortobágy National Park
  
• Duna-Dráva National Park
  
• Fertő-Hanság National Park
  
• Duna-Ipoly National Park
  
• Aggtelek National Park
  
• Balaton Uplands National Park
  
• Bükk National Park
  
• Kiskunság National Park
  
• Körös-Maros National Park

related from GEC:
Giant trees of Hungary
Caves of Hungary

Everything about hungarian NPs and all subareas at foek.hu pages

gratis links (hungarian):
http://www.ecolinst.hu/
http://geo.kvvm.hu/tir/viewer.htm

most pictures hosted by imageshack.us

linkback to magyar trendi klub (hungarian):
http://www.mtklub.hu/gec

g

Great post
My dream is go to any national park in world due time I just visit Everglades National park & Yellowstone..
Our dream is visit any of them
here this a list national Park in Hungary
National Parks
The Hortob�gy National Park (founded in 1972) - 80,549 hectares (of which 1285 hectares are under increased protection), representing the largest continuous alkaline plain of the Great Plain in the Tisz�nt�l. Since 1 December 1999 it has been part of the World Heritage. The most important sights include the famous cold-raised Hungarian grey cattle, racka (long-wool) sheep, Hungarian horses and buffalo, reminders of life on the puszta in ancient times.
Kiskuns�g National Park (1975) - 56,761 hectares (of which 12,457 hectares are under increased protection), consisting of various landscapes between the rivers Danube and Tisza. Its main claim to fame is the unique flora and fauna of the alkaline pusztas (plain) and sand dunes.
B�kk National Park (founded in 1976) - 43,130 hectares (of which 3774 hectares are under increased protection). It is the largest national park of the country with mountains and forests, situated in the Northern mountains, between Szilv�sv�rad and Lillaf�red. The most important sighs include the various karst formations of the limestone mountains: caves that used to be inhabited by pre-historic men, swallow-holes, ravines.
Aggtelek National Park (1985) - 19,892 hectares (of which 3922 hectares are under increased protection), situated in North Hungary, in the Aggtelek karst region. It has been part of the World Heritage since 1995. The largest stalactite cave of Europe is situated in this area: the Baradla cave (26 km long, of which 8 km is in Slovakia, known under the name of Domica).
Fertő-Hans�g National Park (founded in 1991) - 23,588 hectares (of which 7492 hectares are under increased protection), in West Hungary, alongside the Austrian border. It is famous for the unique plants, animals and cultural assets remaining from the one-time world of bogs and marshland.
Danube-Dr�va National Park (founded in 1996) - 49,473 hectares (of which 14,123 hectares are under increased protection), situated in Southern Transdanubia on a long stretch alongside the Rivers Dr�va and Danube. The most important sights are the natural resources related to rivers, including the game reserve in Gemenc forest.
K�r�s-Maros National Park (founded in 1997) - 50,134 hectares (of which 6411 hectares are under increased protection). Situated in the South-eastern part of the country, covering the water systems of the rivers K�r�s and Maros and stretching all the way to the Tisza. Notable features include the unique animal and plant species only found here in Hungary, such as the bustard, its largest European population located in D�vav�nya (B�k�s County).
Upper Balaton National Park (founded in 1997) - 56,998 hectares (of which 11,134 hectares are under increased protection), situated in Transdanubia, covering the region on the northern shore of Lake Balaton, together with the natural preservation district of the Small Balaton, and unique geological features and landscapes.
Danube-Ipoly National Park (founded in 1997) - 60,314 hectares (of which 16,119 hectares are under increased protection), to the north of Budapest, covering the majority of the Pilis and B�rzs�ny mountains, between the Rivers Danube and Ipoly. The national park contains the picturesque Danube bend and the Szentendre island.
The tenth and eleventh national parks of the country will be opened in 2002, in in the Őrs�g in West Hungary, covering 30-40,000 hectares, and in the Ny�rs�g (Szabolcs-Szatm�r-Bereg County) on approximately 100,000 hectares.

as part of the Kiskunsági National Park let me introduce Mártély, the pearl of river Tisza.



http://www.martely.hu

Mártély Landscape Protection Area
Territory of the protected area: 2 232 hectares.
Location: The landscape protection area is situated in line with Hódmezővásárhely on the left bank of the Tisza.
Visitors: Freely accessible for visitors except for the communities of herons.
Management: Directorate of the Kiskunság National Park
The landscape near Mártély is one of the most beautiful parts on the southern section of the Tisza: dead channels, mortlakes, wet meadows, genistas, marshy areas alternate on the broadening river flats.
The about ten kilometre long and sometimes as much as four kilometre wide flood area between the dams was formed during the river control at the end of the 19th century when hundreds of navies erected the dams with hard physical work while the large bends were cut off. During the work the required earth was extracted from masses of pits and over the decades these pits completely grew into the wet marshy landscape, thus the landscape of the river flat closely connected to social history was born.

The protected area consists of three parts greatly differing from each other. The northern part including the dead channel at Mártély embracing the Ányás island is the noisiest part of the area. Though the dead channel itself and the gallery forest on the island are captivatingly beautiful, there are restaurants, a beach, weekend cottages and rest homes built next to each other, and, especially at weekends and in summer the population is quite dense. But with a rented boat places recalling the water world of the former river even here can be found.
South of the dead channel the Kutyafenék (dog-buttock), then the Körtvélyes dead channel (with the Körtvélyes island) and finally the Barci meadow follows. While Kutyafenék is still reached by large numbers of visitors, only the lovers of nature, the landscape and silence go any farther.
Already the groves in the river flat at Kutyafenék are wonderful: brooms, groups of poplars and willows, with occasional patches of oak, foxtail marshy meadows. The river flat at Mártély is often completely covered with water during the spring and early summer floods and for a long time after the recess of the flood unfordable marshes dominate the territory. By mid-summer the majority of meadows are only slightly wet, the former conditions are only preserved in the lower lying places and the pits. The communities and plants of the Barci meadow situated on the south are mostly identical with the previous ones, but its fauna is much richer thanks to their undisturbed life.

The Körtvélyes dead channel is more diverse that the Mártély one from botanical aspects as well. Though originally both similar habitats are characterized by the same communities and species, here the visitor is enchanted by the captivating beauty and richness of the backwater. The picturesque dead channel is hidden by rich communities of gallery woods of soft wood, (no sylviculture has been conducted in the gallery woods of the protected area for a long time, so the fallen dead trees and the rich undergrowth of the regularly flooded areas create an impassable jungle reminiscent of rainforests). The water is inhabited by communities and plants characteristic of dead channels: water-chestnut, floating watermoss, frogbit, pondweed, common duckweed, duckweed, arrowhead (Sagittaria sagittifolia).

Weather-fish, European mud-minnow, several species of frogs live in waters and marshes with little oxygen content and several hundreds of bird species nest in the territory of the protected area, mainly in the heron communities and gallery woods of the southern part night heron, little egret and great white heron, squacco heron, common heron and purple heron. Sandpipers, gulls, ducks feed on the wet meadows, drying up marshes. The white-tailed eagle can be found among the most protected nesting birds but black kites and tawny owls also nest here.
Visitors can meet these species day by day but a similarly great experience is to sit and watch a wooded marshy meadow at a summer dawn. The world reverberates: warblers (Phylloscopus sp.), warblers (Sylvia), nightingales, reed songbirds and dozens of other songbirds perform. The most undisturbed parts of the Mártély river flats are habitats for wild cats and otters.
all quoted from foek.hu pages

related from GEC:
Hmvhely by the River
Hmvhely, the town of pubs

This is the graphic i have made there in artists-camp! Thanks for Mártély's misterious atmosphere.

Sz.G.: Landscape with skull and faces - Sinister dusk (2002. summer)

(file attached to OP. check proper subfolder!)

folder includes detailed maps of the National Park and pics of subareas with huge piles of informations.
check marks without overlays & overlays one by one!
Editing finished.

Körös-Maros Nemzeti Park
Size of protected area: 6411 hectares are highly protected out of the 50.134 hectare protected area.
Location: The national park comprises of thirteen separate areas, their location is explained in their detailed description.
Visiting: Different regulations apply to each area. Most areas can be visited feely, but there are parts which can only be visited with a permit and /or a guide. More information is available in the center of the national park (Szarvas, Anna-liget).


Túzok (Otis tarda)

The central part of the Carpathian basin, especially the eastern parts of the Alföld sinking continuously since the Pleistocene have been periodically flooded, therefore they have been wet, marshy areas from time immemorial. The water courses starting from the submountain regions of the cool, wet Carpathians, expanded into rivers on the way and coming to the flat lands of the Alföld they slowed down and spread the deposits they had collected through the several hundred kilometers. Meandering like this in the raising and falling relief, the rivers slowly went through the area, and a good deal of the immense wooded steppes were flooded and they were transformed into marshes with groves. Each of the national parks in Hungary located in the Alföld (Hortobágy, Kiskunság, and the Körös-Maros national parks) stresses the importance of preserving the remnants of the former water lands and the features of their landscape. Nevertheless, the landscape formed by the river-system of the Körösök and the Maros is in a special position. The south-tiszántúl area is surrounded by three rivers the Tisza, the Körösök and the Maros. The value of this area, besides its captivating landscape- and historical features, is owing to the fact that while it is closed on the west, it is open to the east towards Transylvania. In addition, the invigorating water of the rivers also facilitates this connection. Therefore certain eastern, Transylvanian species of flora and fauna have their westernmost habitats here in the Körös-Maros valley and in the Alföld scenery surrounded by the two rivers. In addition these species occur in associations very different from that of their original habitat. In this way this 'multicultural' organization is regarded as unique. The national park is also valuable in terms of agriculture, therefore they preserve the last small areas of natural habitats of intensive cultivation from vanishing.
text credit and description of the subareas

pics from KMNP homepage

g

(file attached to OP. check proper subfolder!)

folder includes detailed maps of the National Park and pics of subareas with huge piles of informations.
check marks & overlays one by one!
Gratis: KNP overlay. Editing finished.

Kiskunsági Nemzeti Park
Size of protected area: Out of 56.761 hectare protected area, 12.457 hectares are protected to a greater extent.
Location: The national park comprises of nine separate areas, their location is expalined in the detailed description.
Visiting: Different regulations apply to each area, but only a few can be visited without restrictions. Generally there are built educational paths, dirt roads at visitors' disposal, and for the rest one needs a permit or/and a guide. There are a few places which -especially in hatching periods- cannot be visited. More information about restrictions is available in the centre of the national park. (Kecskemét, Liszt F. u. 19.) -web page-

The Southern Great Hungarian Plain's diverse and peaceful landscape, it's special flora and fauna is not only the secret world of scientists, amateur botanists and ornithologists but also represents a preferred touring area for nature-lovers. This region having a regulated and well organised ecotourism provides plenty of possibilities for the visitors.
The romantic gallery forests along the Southern Danube and in the valleys of the Tisza and Maros rivers, the last remnants of botanical rarities of once widespread loess plains, juniper forests and dry grasslands of sandy areas are all very typical habitats for this diverse landscape. Heronries of vast reedbeds, shorebirds of sodic lakes, which are real rarities in rest of Europe, the migration of Cranes in misty November and the strongest population of Great Bustard in Hungary are all parts of the natural richness, that are worth becoming acquainted with.

Orgoványi rétek
pic credit, KNP homepage

Tourists visiting the Southern Great Plain may explore it's genuine natural features in three National Parks and attaching Lanscape Protection and Nature Conservation Areas.

This national park that encompasses diverse geographical and historical dimensions is located on the plain between the Danube and the Tisza rivers. Its mosaic structure was created as a result of extensive land utilisation. The national park was established in 1975 and has an area of almost 500 km2 . Owing to its Quaternary surface morphology, the nine regional units cover vast stretches of alkali soil, waved sand dunes, closed drainage marshes and bogs, wet meadows and the diverse land of the Back waters along the river Tisza.

pic credit

The different adjoining types of land have rich habitat characteristics. Most of the area of the national park is a Biosphere Reservation, which is regarded as a wet habitat of international significance according to the Ramsar Convention. Besides the natural treasures, ethnographic and culture history traditions are a determinant part of the image of the national park. The farm - like settlement structure, extensive animal husbandry, arable lands, vineyards and orchards are still characteristic of this area.

The dual principle of presentation and conservation are realised in the activity of the nationalpark. According to the principles of sustainable development, environment friendly land utilisation is carried out in order to preserve the original ecological conditions.
text credit

g

(file attached to OP. check proper subfolder!)

folder includes detailed maps of the National Park and pics of it's Nature conservation areas with huge piles of informations.
Editing finished.

Bükk National Park

Size of protected area: 43.130 ha, out of this 3774 ha are protected to a greater extent.
Location: The territory of the Bükk mountains is approximately enclosed by the towns Eger, Szilvásvárad, Tardona, Diósgyőr and Cserépváralja.
Visiting: The national park, with the exception of a few highly protected areas, can be visited without restrictions. The highly protected areas are indicated by signboards.

The Bükk National Park is the only national park in Hungary formed in one block. It is situated in the east of the Nothern Mountains, enclosed by the Tarna- and Sajó valleys and by the Alföld in the south. Its purpose is to protect the unrivalled geological, natural and social, historical relics of this area from the evil minded intentions of humans.
The Bükk mountains, rising above the surroundings approximately by 800-1000 meters, are a unique gem in the Carpathian Basin. The history of the limestone range can be traced as long as the palaeozoic era, when the edge of today's Carpathian Basin sank in and there it was covered by sea for about 70 million years (from the carboniferous period till the Permian). All sorts of limestone sediments, dolomite and clay deposited onto the seabed. Rock formation was followed by heavy volcanic activities in the Triassic and several times again in later periods. As a result clay-slate was formed from the clay and basalt, rhyolite-tuff and other rocks of volcanic origin appeared. The Bükk rose above surroundings about 15 million years ago, then as a result of continuous weathering, erosion, it has received its present, characteristic form preserving traits of the history of the area. It is owing to this, that the geologic and geomorphologic picture of the mountains is so colourful and of complicated pattern.
Besides the karst formations of enchanting beauty - sink-holes, water-holes, dolinas - the the Bükk plateau (the largest karst plateau in Hungary) is lined by huge snow-white stones or 'horsts', from where one can have a view of the total geographic environment of the mountains (Tar-kő, Istállós-kő, Pes-kő, Őr-kő, Örvény-kő etc.). At the outer side of the foot of the horsts, cold, dark canyons provide habitat for invaluable wildlife.

Foltos szalamandra (Salamandra salamandra)

There are hundreds of caves hiding under the ground. So far 800 caves have been explored in the inside of the mountains, where waters in the depth flow like in a vast sponge. Out of the caves in the Bükk forty-five are protected to a greater extent. The caves of the prehistoric man are of international reputation (will be discussed later), and the deepest cave in Hungary called István-lápai (with depth of 250 meters, and length of 4,5 kms) is also located here. The most popular cave with tourists are situated at the eastern side of the mountains in Lillafüred. The István cave is located 500 meters from Palota Hotel, where lots of 'limestone creatures' live in its Portico and Dome. The entrance of the other cave is next to the hotel with amazing, even internationally unique formations, because they were shaped in limestone-tufa and not in limestone.
The limestone mountains have much less superficial waters. Except for two bigger springs on the karst plateau, there is hardly any water there, however at the side of the mountains there are smaller and bigger brooks running to the foot of the mountain. On the west side the most renowned is the Szalajka, on the north-east the Garadna and the nowadays only seasonal Szinva. The artificial lake Hámori was created on the Garadna brook at Lillafüred. In the picturesque Szalajka valley with an alpine atmosphere, the gauzy-like waterfall goes down on a limestone flight of steps with a 17 meter difference in level.
The climate of the mountains is very varied, positively extreme at some places. The climate of the plateau is rainy, humid and relatively well-balanced, with a yearly average temperature of 6°C, yet freezing is neither uncommon at the bottom of some sink-holes in the summer. The climate at the southern foot of the mountains is warm and dry, while it is typically humid and cool in the canyons even in the summer. This abounding diversity of landscape and climate generated an unparalleled richness of flora and fauna, which has been formed further on by man living here for thousands of years

Fátyol vízesés (Veil waterfall) Panorama pic & description

The development of plant associations was influenced by two basic factors in the Bükk Mountains: having zones according to north-south direction and height, and the great number of micro environments. In the south, south-east side of the mountains rising to almost 1000 meters from the Alföld, still thermophilous oak forests mixed with hornbeam groves, while higher up oak forests mixed with Austrian oak grow. Going further up they are substituted first by sub mountain- and then on the mountain top by mountain beeches (pine-woods are entirely artificial plantations without exception). There are spots – on the side of Sár mountain – where forestry was stopped more than a hundred years ago and visitors can walk around in a forest of some hundred year old giant trees. Some rare plant species of extremely high value hide in the forests.
The rare Carpathian monkshood (Aconitum moldavicum) thrives in the mountain beeches. Typical endangered species are the Carpathian ragwort (Senecio), the whorled Solomon's-seal (Polygonatum verticillatum and the rattlesnake-root (Prenanthes). The oxlip (Primula elatior) and the alpine rose (Rosa pendulina) are also typical alpine plants. It is beeches again that prevail in the vast 'plate' of the mountain top, on the plateau, but there are large unwooded areas as well. The most valuable, highly protected part of these areas are the Nagymező (Great meadow) and the Zsidórét (Jewish meadow). The broad-leaved grape-fern (Botrychium), which is rare in the whole of Europe, grow in mat-grass associations in sink-holes. One can come across dwarf carline-thistle (Carlina acaulis), gentians (Gentianella austriaca) and (Gentianella livonica), oranfe lily (Lilium bulbiferum) in the clearings of the beeches on the mountaintop and mountain sides, reminiscent of alpine atmosphere.

mountain top plateau

Ashes, hornbeams appear at the lower parts of beech forests and the underwood changes characteristically, as well: it consists of woodruff (Asperula odorata), ground-elder (Aegopodium podagraria), sedge (Carex pilosa), and stitchwort (Stellaria nemorum). A rocky beech plant association is predominant in the steeper, rocky areas, providing habitat for quite a few plant rarities and native plants living exclusively here, under the farinaceous sorb-apple shrub stratum: yellow melancholy-thistle (Cirsium erisithales), Balkan blue-grass (Sesleria), long-rooted onion (Allium victorialis). We might also miraculously come across the lady's slipper orchid (Cypripedium calceolus), which is in extreme danger of extinction. The rare and valuable lime-ash and lime-mountain ash rocky forests are predominant on the southern warmer rocky, rubbly side of the Bükk. The gems of the underwood here are the sedge sp. (Carex brevicollis) and the dame's violet (Hesperis matronalis) with an exquisite bloom.
The morose plant associations of canyon forests in the deep cold canyons running from the mountain top to the foot of the mountain are rich in highland species. Typical species are the chervil (Anthriscus sylvestris) the hard shield-fern (Phyllitis scolopendrium) and the satin-flower or lunaria (Lunaria rediviva), while the yellow wood-violet (Viola biflora) blooms on the rubbly sides only here in Hungary.
There is a lot to see in the underwood of the Turkey/Austrian oak and hornbeam oak forests, too. The purple corydalis (Corydalis cava), the alpine squill are quite common here, as well as the hellebore (Helleborus). While in the acidic soil, the meadow-grass (Poa) and the wood-rush (Luzula) are typical. As a result of the earlier mentioned colourful types of rock and soil, rich varieties of arborescent plant associations can be found in the oak zone: acidophilous / basiphilous and calciphobic oak forests, mahaleb cherry, white oak forests, meadow-grass scrub forest, smoke tree karst forest and the list could be extended for long. Each is like an independent world of its own with characteristic forms, colours and scents. Beside the scrub forests, where the soil is unsuitable for arborescent plant associations, open and enclosed rocky lawns, sloping steppe meadows take over. Just a few species out of these: Pasque flower (Pulsatilla grandis), broom (Cytisus ciliatus), rusty cliff fern (Woodsia ilvensis), hare's tail grass, meadow-rue (Thalictrum foetidum), the species of maidenhair spleenwort, rustyback fern (Ceterach jávorkaeanum), garland flower (Daphne cneorum), out of orchids the fly-orchid and the fragrant orchid (Gymnadenia conopea) etc.

The fauna of the Bükk is just as rich as its flora. The number of species of animals is estimated to be about 22 000. Beyond the insect, mammal and bird species typical of mountains of medium height, there are several rare and valuable species as well. Insect species characteristic of dead trees, still exist in the large, old beech forests withdrawn from cultivation. Such as the already rare stag beetle and longhorn beetles and the nicest of the longhorn beetle species, the alpine longhorn beetle also live in the Bükk. The keeled slug sp. is at home in the canyon forests, and we can come across the endemic green spring snail in the water of karst springs. Watercress caddis flys, long-tailed mayflies, stone flies and dragonflies live in the still clean water of larger and smaller mountain brooks. One can also see alpine newt (Triturus alpestris) here. Great many species of butterflies live on the fringe of the forests, in hayfields and rocky lawns, and the precious gem of the sunny rocks is the pannonian lizard (Ablepharus Kitaibelli). The most renowned members of the avifauna in the Bükk are the predators. The saker falcon (Falco cherrug) nesting on the steepest cliffs, was once at the brink of extinction. As a result of active protection it is breeding well and can be caught sight of from time to time. The stock of eagle/stock owl (Bubo bubo) is increasing likewise. The honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus), the short-toed eagle (Circaetus gallicus) nest regularly. The colourful rock thrush (Monticola axatilis) lives in rocky areas and in uncultivated stone-quarries, and the dipper (Cinclus cinclus) is still around along brooks. The only species of grouses nesting in Hungary, the hazel-grouse protected to a greater extent nests in out-of-the-way valleys. The caves in the Bükk provide habitat for colonies of thousands of bats, including several rare species or for ones which are extinct at other places. Finally, the famous Lipica herd of horses should be mentioned, which is one of the characteristic features of the Bükk.

Lipicai ménes (Lipica herd)

The historic and social historical significance of the Bükk is matched by its unique natural resources. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was Ottokár Kadic that started exploring the caves of the mountains and the Szeleta cave in the vicinity of the village Hámor, bringing about results of worldwide interest. During excavation thousands of palaeolithic and neolithic stone implements, chalcedony spear-heads, polished, or linear pattern flint implements, bits and pieces of earthenware were found. The shortly later explored cave, the Balla cave brought about sensation again: the bones of an about one and a half year old Stone Age child were found in the sediment of the cave. During the excavation of Istállóskő Cave, a Stone Age fireplace, as well as various implements made of bones, were found. More than two hundred broken and scorched human bones were found around the fireplace, which drove researchers to the conclusion that this ancestor of ours must have been cannibal. Similar prehistoric relics were found in all of the caves in the Bükk that were suitable for human residence. According to researchers they all belong to the same cultural community, which is referred to as 'szeleta' civilization in the international professional literature.
In terms of age, the next relic in line is the one from Stone Age on the top of the Odor mountain, which might be the remains of an ancient watch-post. Remains of a prehistoric settlement – vestiges of wooden frame buildings and those of an earthwork – were found on the Várhegy (Castle hill) near the village of Felsőtárkány. The forests might still hide earthworks from the Avar era , remains of strongholds at several places.
However, the origins of the beehive-stones or stone idols, at the southern foot of the mountain still remains unexplained. Niches size 60x30x25 cms were carved into the 3 to 10 meter tall rhyolite tufa cones by some people, in the past. Between Kács and Eger more than a hundred stones like these can be seen. Some people believe they are the beehives of some beekeeping tribes from the early middle ages, while others date them to a much earlier time and consider them to be the requisites of some cultic ritual.
Cistercians settled down in Bélapátfalva in the Bükk mountains as early as 1232, though only the ruins of their monastery can be seen, they still have their church. On the Kis-fennsík (Small plateau) near Szentlélek a monastery was built in 1240, while Cartesian monks lived in the Barát-rét (Monk- meadow).
The origins of industry in the mountains go back as long as the 18th century. First manufacturing of glass and iron was started in the Szalajka valley, then later it expanded to the vicinity of Bükkszentketeszt, Répáshuta on the eastern side of the mountains. It was in Répáshuta where manufacturing of iron was established by the Fazola family, by Henrik Fazola and son Frigyes. Henrik Fazola built an ancient iron furnace in Ómassa, and a wrought-iron workshop in the village of Hámor (one of the nicest industrial historic monument in Hungary is the iron furnace in Ómassa)

Őskohó (Ancient furnace) + pic credit and further images

The artificial lake called Hámori-lake was also created so as to provide enough water that is necessary for the manufacturing of iron. At the same time manufacturing of glass was also started. The vast amount of wood necessary for the two industries was provided by Slovakian woodcutters immigrated from the Felvidék (Highlands). It was the continuous wood cutting that shaped the bare open spaces of the plateau. In the Bükk the burning of potash (pearl-ash) indispensable in manufacturing of glass, was begun together with making glass, but it has come to en end by now. Whereas lime-burning starting in the middle ages still goes on. While walking in the forests one can see traces of lime burning or charcoal burners' smoking charcoal kilns reminiscent of ancient times. Out of the once existed narrow-gauge explorer railways, the Lillafüred, Szilvásvárad, Felsőtárkány branch-lines still run, as lovely and useful industrial historical monuments.
Unfortunately the one-time industry has changed into vast industrial plants. This is how the industrial zone extending between Kazincbarcika and Miskolc came into being. The effects of destroying the environment are affecting the Bükk, too. One can see a similarly awful wound of landscape in the already mentioned Bélapátfalva, where stone quarrying has practically demolished the nine hundred meter tall Sasbérc. Fortunately there are only two roads leading into the interior of the mountains and a permit must be obtained from the National Park for all kinds of industrial activities. Nowadays the biggest problem is caused by irresponsible tourists damaging the environment.
The Metallurgical Museum in Hámor, The Hermann Ottó Museum in Lillafüred, and the open air Forest Museum in Szalajka Valley all assist in getting to know the National Park.
all quoted from HERE

g

(file attached to OP. check proper subfolder!)

KMZ includes detailed maps of the National Park's regions with huge piles of informations & touring advices.
you may have to wait few seconds for the map overlays to download.
Editing finished.

Balaton Uplands National Park

Size of protected area: 57.020 hectares, out of this 11.134 hectares are protected to a greater extent.
Location: The National Park comprises a number of separate areas. Their location is described at the detailed survey of each area.
Visiting: Different regulations apply to each area, most of them can be visited without restrictions, but there are parts that can only be visited with a permit or only guided tours are available. For further information apply to the centre of the National Park (Veszprém, Vár u. 31.), and also signboards inform visitors at the boundaries of each area.

Things seen and experienced on a daily basis are often known the least, such as classical music turned to background music, or a neoclassic facade of a building along the road one passes every day. Famous, well-known regions can be like this. That is also the case with the Lake Balaton. The ordinary tourist's clich's about Hungary don't go any further than Balaton or Budapest, beaches, ice-cream, beer or clubbing.
Yet how many people know the real face - still recognisable - of Balaton under the imposed mask? How many of them know the dozens of legends and myths about the lake, or the origins of the tectonic masses of mountains in the northern part? The rich flora and fauna of the uniquely varied scenes of the lake and surroundings.The relics, the still surviving traditions and culture of people living around the lake for thousands of years. This rich historical and natural heritage of these unparalelled landscapes is preserved and attended by the National Park.

PannonRemark

The protected area comprises the northern shore of the approximately 80 km long lake, the territory of Kis-Balaton (Small-Balaton), the 20-25 km wide belt called Balaton-felvidék (Balaton Uplands) in the north of the lake, the environs of South-Bakony mountains together with the Tapolca Basin.
The well-known volcanic circumdenudated mountains (remnant hill) on the northern shore are remnants of volcanoes, which were active four-five million years ago. The area was once covered by the Pannon sea, then later the ancestor of the Danube ran here. That is why sedimentary rock can be found under the volcanic rocks. The geomorphology of the area is very varied, it comprises bigger and smaller basins, basalt and lime-stone mountains.
The lake, with an area of almost six hundred square km, is much younger, just slightly more than twenty thousand years old. The lake reaches its extreme breadth - fifteen kilometres- at the Fűzfő bay, whereas from the western side of the Tihany peninsula the average breadth varies between four and seven kilometers. In addition to the several active springs on the bottom of the lake, the lake is also fed by a several thousand square km catchment area with more than a hundred and eighty larger and smaller water-courses, some of which are just seasonal ones. However, substantial water-supply is provided merely by the river Zala and the rainfall, therefore the water level can be rather low. The only outlet of the lake is the Sió canal, where, a lock towards, the lake was built for the first time by a Roman emperor called Galerius at the end of the 3rd century. The rather rich flora and fauna is resulted on one hand by the remarkably indented, diverse environment, and on the other hand by the flora and fauna of the Mediterranean, Balkan and Pannon landscapes bordering and merging right around the lake.

1. The Tihany Peninsula (The area: 1698 hectares. Protected to a greater extent: 195 hectares. It can be visited without restrictions.)
The Tihany peninsula was once an island, it was connected to the shore just by the decline of water level. The peninsula is one of the nicest areas of the Balaton and - without exaggeration - of Hungary, too. Besides its amazing landscape values, it preserves unparalleled geological, botanical, zoological and historical relics within just a few square kilometers. Unfortunately the once famous Tihany echo, because of building up, is a thing of the past now. Likewise, it is just a sheer luck if someone comes across a 'fairy-stone' (fossilized Congeria shell reminiscent of the Pannonian epoch. These relics both are preserved only by legends of the Balaton area.

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The peninsula is a self-contained geological museum, where both traces of volcanic, post-volcanic activities of old ages and Pannonian deposits can be come across all the time. Perhaps the most attractive is the geyser field in the west of the village Tihany, which is made up from spring limestone and precipitated silicic acid. Out of the one hundred and fifty geysers the biggest is called Aranyház (Golden house), because of the yellow moss thalluses settled on it.
On the eastern side of the peninsula the volcanic tuff of Óvár mountain is also a historic relic. The hermit's reclusories were hollowed out in the rock by Basilii monks, resettled here by I. András in the 11th century. Something of the kind can only be found in the Krím peninsula and in the Gobi desert. The walls of the hermit's reclusories give an insight into the history of the rocks of the mountain. Masses of basalt forms - shaped by deflation - have been in the neighbourhood, especially in Apáti mountain and on Kis-erdő plateau for millions of years. The Külső lake (Outer lake), becoming swampy and covered by reeds, together with marsh-meadow associations in the vicinity, is situated in the northern part of the peninsula. It is literally a paradise for birds. Besides costal birds and reed songbirds, it is also the nesting place of the gray leg goose (Anser anser) protected to a greater extent. The Csúcs mountain towers on the western side of the peninsula, where the remnants of laveder plantations, grown at large areas in the past, can still be found together with the almond grove planted in the lavender plantations . The Belső lake (Inner lake), in the south of Külső lake, twentyfive meters above the level of the lake, is located in a deflated hollow. Several duck species come to feed in its open waters.

The peninsula originally belonged to the wooded steppe zone, however its downy surface is covered by dry sloping steppe meadows and silicate rocky lawns with such Mediterranean rarities as the summer Michaelmas-daisy (Aster amellus), the slender sternbergia (Sternbergia colchiciflora), the bindweed (Convulvulus cantabrica) and the cornsalad. The dominating association of wooded areas is white oak-manna ash-smoke tree forest.
The avifauna of the peninsula is also very rich, nesting of 112 bird species has been documented so far. The most renowned is the scops owl (Otus scops) with a characteristic voice, normally living in Mediterranean areas. The hobby (Falca subbuteo), barn owl (Tyto alba), the black woodpecker (Dryocopus martius) all nest here, too, as well as the bee-eater (Merops apiaster), which is getting more and more common. The insect fauna of the area with several thousands of species is also remarkable. The cicada (Cicadidae) conjures up the nicest Mediterranean nights in the Balaton landscape.
Besides the already mentioned hermit's reclusories, the Tihany Benedictine abbey is an outstanding cultural historical monument of the area. In 1055 it was established by I. Andr�s still lying in the undercroft at present. There are several listed cottages in the village, because they carry signs of construction of old times.

2. The Pécselyi basin (Area: 5600 hectares. It can be visited without restrictions.)
The area north of the Tihany peninsula comprises three connected parts: the Szőlősi-, Pécselyi- and the Vázsolyi-basins, all of which were named after the biggest settlement of the basin.
This area, belonging to the southern part of the South Bakony, is surrounded and divided into smaller parts by limestone mountains, and there are not any traces of the volcanic mountains of the Balaton Uplands. Because of this, the atmosphere of the landscape is also different. The visitor is welcomed by a peaceful landscape of downy slopes, smaller hills, flat hilltops and wide valleys. In the overwhelming majority of the area locals predominantly live on small-scale farming, therefore large, contiguous, untouched natural scenes are not typical of the basins.

pic credit & further images

Nevertheless, there are quiet vineyards (mainly in the Szőlősi /'vine'/basin, of course), spring-moors, patches of karst scrub forests, dry oak forests, small patches of beeches and thermophile meadows with tall sedges. Among the plant rarities of this varied scenery there are several orchid species (military-, lady-, dense-flowered- etc.) burning bush (Dictamnus albus), pasque flower (Pulsatilla grandis), yellow adonis (Adonis vernalis). The most valuable part of the fauna is the insect fauna, especially the large carnivorous beetles(Caraboidea) and the longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae), which can easily be observed even by non-professionals. The (Kisanthobia ariasi) only lives here.
The characteristic village-scape of Pécsely, the ruins of the Himfy castle next to Pécsely, the peasant cottages in Balatonszőlős, the 12th century remains of a church in the fields of Kisdörgicse and the ruins of a church in Dörgicse all stand out of the cultural historical relics of the basin.

3. The Káli-basin (Area: 9111 ha. Protected to a greater extent: 394 ha. Except for certain strictly protected marsh meadows it can be visited without restrictions.)
This romantic peaceful idyllic scenery is one of the greatest ornaments of the fascinating natural-landscape of the Balaton Uplands. Besides its unparalleled landscape values, its petrographic, botanical and zoological treasures are also outstanding. However, what makes this area truly outstanding is hope. The hope that it is possible to live like people do here, in fact as they have lived here for centuries according to the evidence of the landscape. The way that does not take away or does damage, but that gives and unite. The basin is surrounded by basalt mountains in the north, Permian red-sandstone hills in the south, limestone and dolomite mountains in the east and sandstone hills in the west. Uncommonly valuable geological formations can be found in the interior of the basin, too: basalt statues shaped by wind, stone sacks, volcanic cones. The Hegyes tű ( sharp-pointed needle) volcanic cone was almost literally demolished by stone quarrying,, though now not only basalt columns but also the volcanic funnel with the solidified lava, the basalt in it, can closely be seen from the abandoned yard of the quarry. The basalt plateau from Köveskál to Kapolcs is an absolutely extraordinary sight. In the hollows of the bare rock, tiny lakelets gleam. All of them are separate habitats. What is more, the visitor is welcomed by an even internationally unparalleled, immense 'stone field' near Szentbékálla.

Hegyestű & further images

The majority of the land is cultivated by the people living in the villages of the basin, but mosaics of the original steppe meadow have survived at a lot of places. The most well-known of them is the Sásdi meadow near Köveskál. This place is the last known habitat of glacial remnant bird's-eye primrose (Primula farinosa). Marsh meadows, remarkably rich in species have survived in the wet areas, periodically or completely drenched in water. These wet areas are surrounded by drying out marsh meadows with purple moor-grass (Molinea coerulea). The most beautiful of them is perhaps the cottongrass (Eriophorum) marsh meadow in Tódi-kút. These more or less natural areas ensure the survival of such rare plant species as orchid species (marsh helleborine, military orchid, loose-flowered orchid, early spider-orchid etc.) irises, gentian (Gentianapneumonanthe), bogbean (Menyanthes trifoliate). The peat-moss marshes of Barkás lake and Monostori lake are also highly protected. In the wooded areas of the basin there are calciphobic oak forests, lime tree fragmentary forests, smoke tree-white oak forests, and hornbeam-beech forests in the northern parts.
The butterfly, dragonfly and insect fauna is exuberant in the basin.
The little villages of the Káli-medence provide just as many sights as the natural environment. The area was inhabited as early as the Roman age, which is manifested in the relics of Kékkút. Later the Kali clan took possession of the land. Today the scenery is characterized by tiny reviving villages, small cellars, centuries-old tidy peasant cottages and water mills. The relics of wine growing viniculture, dated back to the Roman Age, are renowned, too.

4. Badacsony and the circumdenudated remnant hills in the surroundings. Protected to a greater extent: 773 ha. (Except for a few highly protected areas, it can be visited without restrictions.)
The sight of these volcanic remnant hills of this landscape of outstanding beauty is generally known by most people, both nationally and internationally. The coffin shaped Badcsony is located in the center, the Szigliget castle is to the left facing Badacsony, the Szent György hill is in the background , and to the right are the Tóti hill, the cone shaped Gulács and further away Csobánc. The good quality basalt of the hills was quarried for long decades inflicting serious wounds in the landscape, mainly on Badacsony , but neither Csobánc nor Gulács or Tóti hill escaped.

Badacsony from the top of Csobánc & further images

Sometime at the beginning of the Pleistocene during volcanic activities, the out flowing lava covered the marine deposit. The quickly cooling down basalt got broken up in layers during contraction. This is how the so called basalt 'organs' were formed. During further cooling, a part of these basalt 'organs' got broken horizontally, too. This is how the formations resembling to rolls of coins came into being. The tuff layers were formed by later eruptions, from looser, crumbly rocks with finer granules. The most well-known basalt 'organs' and tufacoeus breakings can be seen on Badacsony, which are absolutely fascinating in spite of the wounds of quarrying. Several footpaths lead up to the 436 m high basaltic plateau. Footpaths lead down to the Kőkapu (stone gate), too, by which the Balaton landscape is set in a huge basaltic frame. Except for the downy, friendly Szigliget castle, the same formations can be observed on all of the other volcanic hills around Badacsony, just in a bit smaller scale. Nevertheless, each has its own characteristics: the breakings can be wilder, or the colour of the rock can be entirely different. Each hill as natural lookouts - has magnificent views of the lake Balaton, the remnant hills and the basins on the northern side of the lake.
The Badacsony and the other hills are poor in water, so their flora is made up from rich mosaics of drought resistant associations and species: calciphobic manna ash-beech forests, hornbeam, lime-ash forest fragments. The alyssum, (Alyssum saxatile), the black bryony (Tamus communis) and the butcher's broom (Ruscus acukeatus) can be found on rocky areas almost everywhere. The special feature of the Szentgyörgy hill is the ancient beeches, where no wood-cutter has walked among its centuries old trees for a long time. The thermophilous hardy cloak-fern (Cheilanthes marantae) only grows here in Hungary, but the rustyback fern (Ceterach jávorkaeanum) and the pink (Dianthus lumnitzerii) also live here. Two species of Pasque flower (Pulsatilla nigricans) and (P. grandis) bloom, and saxifrage (Saxifraga paniculata) live on the rocky lawns of the Tóti hill and the Csob�nc. Several orchid and iris species bloom in the marsh meadows of the basins among the hills.
The fauna is rather exuberant owing to the several different habitats. The insect- and especially the beetle fauna can boast of several valuable species. The slow-worm (Anguis fragilis) and the snake-eyed skink (Ablepharus Kitaibelli) are common sights here. The grass- (Natrix natrix) and the dice snakes (Natrix tesselata) live in the basins and in the costal reeds. The otter (Lutra lutra) is becoming more and more common. The rock thrush (Monticola saxatillis), the kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) brood in the forests on the hills, while several reed songbird species nest in the reeds.
The most important cultural-historical assets are associated with vine growing viniculture. The foot of hills are mainly occupied by well-kept vineyards, as the good quality of wines from Badacsony, Gulács, Szent György hill, and Szigliget is nationally and internationally acknowledged. Several hundred year old wine cellars in the vineyards, houses built from natural stone (ashlar work) in the villages are all masterpieces of folk architecture. Roman stone carvings paying tribute to Bacchus and Diana can be found at a couple of places. Apart from these carvings, the area is remarkably rich in other cultural historical monuments, too: ruins of castles can be found on almost all of the hills, while old mansions in the hillsides, chapels, cellars with wine-presses in the vineyards dominate the Balaton landscape.

5. The Keszthely mountains and the Tapolca basin. Area: about 3000 ha. It can be visited without restrictions.
The Keszthely mountains, absolutely different from the surroundings, are situated in the north-west corner of the lake. A full range of karst phenomena can be observed in this dolomite block. Its diverse surface is characterized by canyons, caves (the Vadlányik- and the Szobakő caves), sink-holes, water-holes, karst plateaus. The narrow and dark Szent Miklós-, Vár-, and Kígyós valleys are all captivating sights. There is a picturesque view of the nearby basins and the Balaton from several places on the top of the mountains.

Keszthely mountains & further images from geochacing.hu

In the area mainly covered by forests, unfortunately, the original arborescent vegetation had been cleared at several places and fast-growing black pine woods were planted. Albeit the mountains are exceptionally interesting in terms of botany. Thermophilous plant associations of areas with southerly exposure mix with the flora of cool canyons. The result is karst scrub forests mixed with relicts, where the thermophilous manna ash mixes with the beech, the tree of cold areas. At cool areas oaks and beeches can be found, while on the bare karst and broken off places it is the dolomite-steppe meadow that grows. There are eighty highly treasured plant rarities in the mountains e.g. leopard's-bane (Doronicum) in the southern canyons, auricula (Primula auricula) the variegated small-reed (Calamagrostis varia) several species of pasque flower, orchid and pink on the northern slopes.
The basalt area belonging to the mountains (Kovácsi hill and Tátika) is also valuable in terms of botany. Rare marsh (uliginous) plant species grow in the small moors of the hollows of the basalt. Plants, similar to the ones in volcanic mountains, live on rocky precipices. The ancient beeches of Tátika are also a captivating sight. Gyöngyösi brook, meandering through the mountains, is lined with alder fenwood forest. The small wet marshy, boggy habitats in the Tapolca basin had suffered serious damages because of the decreasing level of underground water on account of bauxite mining. Nowadays, since mining discontinued, the first signs of regeneration can be spotted at more and more places (the marsh meadow in Lesencetomaj, or the wet swamp meadows in the Zsidi- Vidornyai basins)
The most precious members of the fauna in the Keszthelyi mountains come from the insect fauna, whereas because of the frequent occurrence of karst holes and caves, the bat colony is also very rich. The pine-marten and the beech-marten are becoming more and more common in the forests.

6. The Kis-Balaton (small lake). (Protected to a greater extent: 14.745 ha. Visiting is not allowed, though the bird-watching towers in Kányavársziget near Balatonmogyoród and in Papsziget near Vörs can be visited without restrictions.)
The story of the Small Lake of Balaton is rather stormy. In the 18th century it was still a shallow basin in the westernmost part of Balaton. The area was getting more and more boggy, peaty ,because the river Zala spread its deposit around here. In the 19th century the basin, which was getting shallower and shallower, was detached from the lake, after that the river Zala was canalized and as a result, the area began to get accreted. At the beginning of the 20th century hoping to get more crop land, draining was started. The former bird-paradise was almost destroyed, when experts realized the hazards of that and because of reasons of environment protection and nature conservation, restoration of the Kis-Balaton was begun. The scenery is again a wetland of international importance come under the ruling of the Ramsari convention.

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The vegetation of the Kis-Balaton consists of typical marsh plant associations. Around the vast open water and on the islets, there are alder and willow marshes, boggy-sedge associations, swampy meadows and extended areas of reeds. Its rare and endangered plant species are the nettle (Urtica kioviensis) the sweet-flag (Acorus calamus), the moonwort (Botrychium lunaria). The backbone of the fauna in the area is made up from birds. In the Kis-Balaton and surroundings two hundred and fifty bird species have been listed. A hundred of them also nest here and twenty seven are highly protected. Except for the species associated with natron lakes, practically all of the reed and water birds of Hungary can be found here. The white-tailed eagle (Haliaetus albicilla) come to feed here from the forests of Somogy county. The osprey (Pandion haliaetus), and the Montagu's harrier (Circus pygargus) appear here from time to time, while the short-eared owl nests here. Tens of thousands of birds squawk here during migration of birds.
Among fish species, the otherwise rare weather-fish and the European mud-minnow abound here. A rare mammal is the root-vole (Microtus oeconomus), while the otter, the pine-marten and the stoat is quite common. The insect and the inferior fauna are even richer, with species that occur only here in Hungary or in the whole of Europe.

7. The northern shore of the lake Balaton
The northern shore of the lake Balaton between Balatongyörök and Balatonalmádi also belongs to the National Park. First it might seem unbelievable that beside the crowds of swimmers, tourists, there are still untouched or almost untouched areas that can be and must be protected. But that is the way it is!
At several places along the northern shore, there are still such bigger and smaller reedy bays, closed basins opening to the lake that are reminiscent of the original state of the lake Balaton. E.g. reeds, wide stretches of willows along the shore, swampy meadows, boggy meadows at areas situated at lower levels. Several orchid species, gentian, cottongrass might grow at these places. Reed songbirds, coots (Fulica atra), crakes (Porzana sp) and moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) brood in the reeds. Two types of toads (Bombina) and (Bufo), edible- (Rana esculenta) and marsh-frogs (Rana ridibunda), grass snake live on the shore and traces of the otter can be noticed more and more often.
all quoted from foek.hu

Related from GEC:
Balaton frozen overlay

[color:"#666666"]and one more great 3D
view of the location[/color]

keep click on thumbnail!

uploaded by piotr from
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(file attached to OP. check proper subfolder!)

folder includes detailed map of the National Park's Aggtelek & Slovak karst with infos of guided CAVE TOURS so far...

Editing in process...

The Aggtelek National Park
Size of protected area: 19.981 hectares, out of this area 3922 hectares are protected to a greater extent.
Location: The protected area of the national park consists of two large parts, which are divided by the densely populated valley of the B�dva. The larger part is surrounded by the national border and roughly by Trizs, Teresztenye, Szinpetri, Sz�gliget and Tornan�daska � on the Aggtelek-Rudab�nya highlands. The smaller one is situated in the area bordered by Sz�l�sard�, Szalonna and Tornaszentandr�s � on the territory of the Szalonna inselberg/island hill.
Visiting: Only the Baradla is open for the public out of the caves, however, further caves can also be visited with a permit and with a guide (and with some experinece in caving and own caving equipment!).

When talking about environmental protection, it is almost always taken for granted that it is about rare species of plants or animals, and perhaps about endangered associations. Although the so called 'inanimate nature', the rocks, minerals, geological formations, the different forms of scenery represent exactly the same kind of value. For an interested eye, karst formations, the petrified sights of processes of hundred billion years, are just as delightful and impressive as the living forms of nature. For people interested in these silent, motionless wonders of nature, the Aggtelek karst region will offer an unforgettable experience. In spite of flora and fauna abounding in unique species, this is the only national park in Hungary that was created to protect the glorious and in many respects unparalleled geological formations. This was strongly confirmed by the fact that the caves in the area of the Aggtelek karst region, were declared by UNESCO to become part of the World Heritage .

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This region is unusual in many respects in terms of its flora and fauna. Though in terms of geography, the Aggtelek karst region (also called the Saj�-B�dva district) belongs to the �szaki-K�z�phegys�g (northern mountains), while in terms of evolution and structure it rather fits into the inner arc of the North-west Carpathians.
Relating to the history of the earth, a more than a thousand meter wide limestone (especially predisposed to karst erosion) formed during the Triassic on the foundation of this area, on the sandstone and clay-bearing shale originating from the first part of the Triassic. The majority of the Aggtelek caves are locared in this mid-Triassic limestone. During the later periods of the geolocic history of the Earth, the area got broken several times and several further layers of sediments (sand, clay etc.) deposited onto the limestone. The different layers of sediments, through the eras of geologic history of the Earth, can easily be studied in the road cuttings between J�svaf� and Sz�npetri, and J�svaf� and Aggtelek, and in the protected geological excavations of the Baradla cave. These layers of sediments contain remains of diffrent living beings from diffrent geological periods. Besides, the layers come from diffrent depths of seas and are of the nicest colours from redish, through almost black to yelloish, and white.

White rocks, sharp-bladed rock stipes standing paralelly (called the 'devil's furrow'), water holes (e.g. the Kisravasz hole and Nagyravasz hole in Aggtelek), dolinas with gentle shapes, sink-holes, potholes, canyons make an enchanted world of the scenery. The characteristic signs of karst erosion of limestone ranges are more powerful than in the B�kk mountains. The soil is already desiccated as dry as a bone by the beginning of summer and organic matters are quickly washed out from this sedimental soil by the rain, and the result is the characteristic soil of the region called 'terra rossa'.
The so called covered karst is more common in the southern parts of the karst region (in the south of the Aggtelek � Perkupa line), where through geological eras further rocks deposited onto the limestone foundation and the tilth of the soil is much thicker. The landscape of this part of the region is rather downy, with gentle shaped hills, less deep and wider valleys and with oak forests, which is typical of ranges of medium height.
The Aggtelek karst region is one of the coldest parts in Hungary, since its climate is dominated to a large extent by the climate of the nearby Carpathians. The number of snow coverd and rainy days is outstandingly high. As a result the region is abounding in water - in comparison with the national average. In the valleys of the catchment area of the brooks B�dva and Saj�, mostly constant brooks (e.g. Telekes, J�sva, M�nes, Szuha) supply water for the almost one hundred, more or less constant karst springs. These springs are supplied with water by the complicated system of waters of the interior of the limestone mountains. The network of brooks and springs are complemented by larger and smaller constant or periodical lakelets, the so called tarns. A part of them formed in the hollow of water holes - after they got plugged - of the karst ranges, the rest is artificial. Examples of the former are the V�r�s lake beside the Baradla cave, or the Aggtelek, Derenk, and Sz�gtelek lakes, while the Tengerszem in J�svaf� is artificial. Because of the changeable level of water, some of the natural lakelets may often dry out and a green meadow will take over in the next year. Vica versa, after an extended wet period, a new tarn can take shape in a plugged waterhole.

The caves
Although the surface of the Aggtelek karst provides a great number of sights (see above), the most renowned and valuable treasures of the national park are the caves. There are more than two hundred and sixty of them, out of which twenty are protected to a greater extent. Though it is strongly suspected, that they make up one huge system of caves, explorations have not confirmed this, since quite a few caves are still unexplored by experts. Only a part of the cave systems can be found in the territory of Hungary. The rest is situated in the Slovak part of the karst region extending as far as Rozsny� in the Slovak Karst.
The biggest and most remarkable cave is Baradla, which belongs to the roughly twenty five km long Baradla-Domica cave system (eighteen km long stretch is located in Hungary). The Baradla stalactite cave is one of the longest, most beautiful and richest in dripstones in Europe (it is accessible from Aggtelek and from J�svaf� as well). The cave has three stories and during visiting the second story can be toured, while the lower story is under water level. Perhaps the most renowned dripstone of the two upper stories is the almost twenty five meter tall and nearly one thousand ton 'Astrodome'. Dozens of similar wonders can be seen, even if one takes part only in the short tour easily achievable for anybody ('Tiger', Dragon head', 'Tongue of mother-in-law', 'Train engine'). A part of these dripstones stand on the ground (stalagmites), others build up slowly from the ceiling (stalactites). In several cases the columns were formed by the joint of the dripstones starting to grow from both directions. In the huge dripstone walled halls (the biggest is called the 'hall of giants') of the cave, visitors find themselves in an earlier unimaginable fairyland, inhabited by fairy creatures and structures (e.g. 'Chinese pagoda', 'Rick shaped earthenware oven')

Baradla cave

The flora and fauna of the cave is also very interesting, since the lower animals, living in constant darkness, are blind. The most renowned members of these are the blind crayfish of Aggtelek, the blind ground beetle (Carabus) and several colourless, almost transparent creatures: snails, spiders, beetles entirely accomodated to living under the ground. Others spend only part of their lives in the cave, otherwise living on the surface. The best known are the bats, with several strictly protected species living here.
The more than ten km long B�ke cave in J�svaf� and the three km long Szabads�g cave in �gersz�g are similar to the Baradla. They were formed in a similar way and the formations in them are similarly beautiful, though smaller. However, one needs a permit to visit them (it might change in the case of the Szabads�g cave). Because of its rather effective microclimate, a part of the B�ke cave is used as a healing cave. Besides horizontal caves, there are vertical, so called pit caves, too in the ranges. The deepest of them is the 235 m deep pothole in Vecsemb�kk. The caves of the Szalonnai-karst and Esztramos should also be mentioned, which were discovered during mining (part of which was damaged by barbarous exploitation). These caves were shaped as a result of the dissolving effect of thermal water. They are smaller, but their walls are covered by colourful calcite crystals, masses of even internationally rare curved dripstones and pisolites (peastones).

Besides its caves and karst formations on the surface, visitors are also offered a great number of sights concerning the flora and fauna of the national park. According to zonation, the Aggtelek karst region was covered by hornbeam-oak forests for thousands of years. Unwooded lawn associations were only typical of rocky areas � on broken off rocky areas and on eroded southern steep slopes. The large bare clearings were created by man living here for thousands of years by using the area for pasturing and as hayfields. It is worth mentioning that human activities have entirely become part of the ecological balance of these unwooded areas, and termination of these would bring the end of this rare and valuable flora and fauna. In these areas snowdrops and corydalis (Corydalis) bloom. Feather-grass (Stipa) steppe meadows are the typical plant association in the thin tilth of clearings on the plateaus. The golden-drop (Onosma tornense) is one of the highly protected species of them listed in the International Red Book (book listing and describing extinct and highly endangered species).
The sink holes in the northern parts of the karst with a colder microclimate are dominated by beeches while canyon-groves are predominant in the dark cool canyons. The mezereon (Daphne mezereum), the purple toothwort (Dentaria glandulosa) are their valuable species, as well as the ravishing dog's tooth violet (Erythronium dens-canis), which also lives in lime-ash rocky groves in thin rubbly soil.

Thermophilous oaks can be found in the southern warmer areas, and it is the white oak-karst grove that grows on the warm or sometimes hot some rocky slopes,. There are real rarities hiding in the underwood of these, Mediterranean kind of areas: red helleborine Cephalanthera ruba), the saxifrage (Saxifraga paniculata), the helleborine (Epipactis), the strictly protected pasque flower (Pulsatilla grandis) or the Transylvanian hare's tail grass (Sesleria heufleriana) (native in Transylvania) bloom in the shade of the common whitebeams (Sorbus aria) and mahaleb cherrys (Prunus mahaleb). The rarities of the semi-dry rocky meadows along the wooded areas is the red viper's-bugloss (Echium) and the strictly protected Austrian dragonhead (Dracocephalum austriacum).
The alder groves with ferny underwood and marshy tall weeds are also valuable associations of the area and they grow along the valleys of streams (in the Kecs�- and M�nes-valleys) of the karst.

The fauna of the karst is at least as colourful as its flora and plant associations. The hazel-grouse the only grouse species in Hungary is still very common in the undisturbed peaceful depths of hornbeam-oak groves. One can regularly hear the quail (Coturnix coturnix) singing in the meadows among the forests, especially in the downy parts of the southern areas. While in wet parts, in the watery meadows along the streams, the harsh, rattling cry of the corncrake (Crex crex) can be heard. The 'ancient bird' called the black stork (Ciconia nigra) with a concealed life-style also lives in the wet, wooded groves. The huge predator, the imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca) and the lesser spoted eagle (Aquila pomarina) nest in forests, in beeches difficult of access. The Ural wood-owl (Strix uralensis) almost as big as the eagle/stock owl - recently moved in from Asia - finds home in the most dense oaks, beeches. As a result of active protection, the raven and the tawny owl (Strix aluco) are common sights again (or rather just 'hearing' in the case of the tawny owl). The tree-creeper (Certhia), the green and the gray-headed woodpecker (Picus), the black woodpecker (Dryocopus martius) live in the forests of the karst. The stock dove (Columba oenas) nests in cavities of old trees, the hoopoe (Upupa epops) lives in the fringes of forests, the kingfisher's (Alcedo atthis) and the dipper's (Cinclus cinclus) habitat is located along streams and lakelets. The patient bird-watcher can see rock thrushes (Monticola saxatilis) in the stony, rocky parts and in quarries. The bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula), the goldcrest (Regulus regulus), and the coal tit (Parus ater) nest in the planted pine-woods.
The reptile and amphibian fauna of the karst are also of great value. The smooth snake , the dice- and the Aesculapian snake are quite common, the green-, sand- and the wall lizard (Lacerta muralis) and the slow-worm can often be seen in warm, rocky areas. The spectacular spotted salamander is not considered to be rare in the wet areas.
Rare fish and dozens of lower animals could be listed from lakes, streams and springs: the gudgeon, loach (Nemachilus barbatulus), and the minnow live on the shores near the springs. The rare Hungarian barbel (Barbus meridionalis pet�nyii) and the long-whiskered gudgeon (Gobio uranoscopus) live a little lower on the shore, while the spined loach (Cobitis taenia) and the 'sand' gudgeon and the parasitic river-lamprey (Lampetra sp.) live on the lowest parts of the streams.

All said so far is next to nothing in comparison to the insect population , which is the real treasure of the karst. Although the great majority of visitors do not stop to observe insects in the forests or on the hot plateaus of the karst, it is still worth mentioning the most typical representatives of the world of insects, especially the diurnal butterflies - the most prominent of them.
The grayish blue backed alpine longhorn beetle (Rosalia alpina) can realatively often be seen in the old oak forests, but the otherwise rare zempl�n- and ground beetle are quite common, too. Several species of coppers live in the meadows of the plateau, while the attentive visitor can see white admirals, swallowtails (Papilio machaon), scarce swallowtails (Iphiclides podalirius) in the hornbeam forests.

Rosalia alpina

Describing the fauna of national parks, big mammals are hardly ever mentioned. Now we have to make an exception, because besides the red deer , wild boar and roe-deer, which are common in the forests in Hungary, some very rare big predators live here. Lynxes and wolves have been coming down from the Carpathian forests for a time, but fortunately they have also settled down here by now. The traces of only one or two families of them have been obsreved by the national park rangers. Similarly, a bear family is also said to have moved to the forests of the Aggtelek karst from the safety of the vast Carpathian forests.

The region abounds in cultural historical and ethnographic relics , too. The traces of prehistoric man was found in the Baradla cave. Besides polished flint implements, relics from the Bronze and Iron ages were also found by researchers. An ancient foundry from the 11th century was excavated in the vicinity of Imola, and remains of several earthwork fortresses came to light near Imola and the vicinity. From later ages, perhaps the most beautiful monument is 12th century church in Tornaszentandr�s, which has a twin apse (two sanctuaries). The history of several settlements around here goes back as far as the Arpadian age. E.g. The churches in Szalonna and Boldva were founded in the 12th century. (The birth of the earliest (written) record extant the 'Halotti besz�d' of the Hungarian language is connected to the latter.) There are churches in B�dvalenke, J�svaf�, Tornan�dska with beautiful sunk panelled ceiling and in Sz�gliget the ruins of Sz�dv�r fortress built in the 13th century is a delightful sight.
Some relics of folk architecture can be found practically in every village. There are a lot of old peasant houses in Sz�gliget, Tornak�polna, �gersz�g. It is also worth making a detour to G�m�rsz�l�s to see a project of Miskolci �kol�giai Kuat�int�zet (research institute of ecology in Miskolc). Their houses and the achievements of their farming and their project of lifestyle can be seen there.
all quoted from foek.hu pages

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Folder includes 31 placemarks of subareas with tons of informations & illustration pics.
Editing finished.

Duna-Ipoly National Park
Size of protected area: Protected to a greater extent 16.119 hectares out of 60.314 hectares protected area.
Location: The four main parts of the area comprise of the B�rzs�ny mountain, Visegr�di mountains, small parts of the left bank of the river Ipoly, and certain parts of the Szentendre Island and that of the left bank of the river Danube.
Visiting: The majority of the areas can be visited without restrictions, but there are also strictly protected parts and parts which are not open to the public. More information is available at the centre of the national park (Budapest, II. H�v�sv�lgyi �t 52.)

The Dunakanyar (the Danube bend) and vicinity is one of the most well-known part of Hungary, rich in historical relics and in natural assets. The 350 thousand year old bone relics of Homo paleohungaricus found in V�rtessz�l�s are significant even in international terms. From later eras, besides plenteous finds from the Stone Age, series of relics referring to the presence of Scythians, Celts, Romans, Avars and Slavs have been excavated. Esztergom was the first centre of Hungarian sataehood and Christianity, Saint Stephen was not only born here but also lived and died here. The Rennaisance palace in Visegr�d is reminiscent of the memories of King Mathias. The Pilis- Visegr�di mountains were the centre of the only Hungarian order, the Pauline order for centuries. Almost all of the canyons, peaks, caves of the mountains are connected with legends, similarly to the B�rzs�ny mountains towering on the other side of the Danube. The B�rzs�ny mountains with steep ranges and vast continuous forests are reminiscent of the Charpathian mountains.

Danube bend & B�rzs�ny mtns from right
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The outstanding natural assets of the Dunakanyar and vicinity were basically formed as a result of three factors:
From the point of view of botanical and zoological range of species, the area lies on the boundaray of lowland, alpine, and medium-height mountains (according to certain theories several lowland plant species spreaded to the south from here). Therefore flatland, as well as medium-height mountain associations and species can be found in its flora nad fauna. The mosaic of these provides chances for survival for dosens of valuable species. The other powerful factor is the extremely varied superficial forms of mountains and riverbanks, which - in small, closed habitats - can provide essential conditions for communities accomodated to them. Finally, because of these characteristic steep canyons and mountain sides, small hidden marshes, the area is defended also from uninitiated intruders, from people who take nature as prey.
Besides all these, the most captivating aspect of the region � also for visitors spending only a short time here � is the amazing sight of the Dunakanyar, this unique landscape, which enframes the assets that can be found here.

1. The Pilis-Visegr�di Mountains. Protected to a greater extent 6251 hectares out of 25.370 hectare protected area. It can be visited without restrictions, but only tourist paths can be walked on in the highly protected areas.
The mountains encircled by the Dunakanyar are generally referred to as Pilis, although all of its most well known parts (the Dobog�kő, the Pr�dik�l�sz�k, the Vad�ll�-k�vek, the R�m-szakad�k etc.) belong to the Visegr�di mountains in terms of historical geology � and as a result ecologically, too.
The Pilis and the Visegr�di mountains are divided by the valley of the streams Dera and Szentl�lek, which go along the line connecting Pom�z and Esztergomb. Strictly taken, the area lying to the southeast of this line is the Pilis Mountains.
It was shaped in the Triassic epoch. The mountains consisting of sedimentary rock � limestone and dolomite � were broken into vast blocks by short but impetuous movements of the earth in the glacial period. That is why the mountains are characterized by rocky ridges, steep and bare mountain-sides, deep, narrow canyons (Holdvil�g-�rok, Szurdok). At the same time there are also gentle slopes and caves, which are typical of limestone mountains. There are more than two hundred caves in the Pilis, out of which twelve are hightly protected. The most well-known caves of the Pilis are the Le�ny- and Leg�ny caves opening next to each other in the side of The Cs�vi-szirtek, the �rd�glyuk and the S�torkőpusztai cave in the Nagy Str�zsa-mountain.
The average temperature of the area is higher than that of the Visegr�di mountains, or the B�rzs�ny. The average rainfall is also less, in addition, it infiltrates right into the depth and therefore, the area is dry, warm, almost sub-Mediterranean during the greater part of the year.
This is what influences the character of the flor a emerged in the mountains. The Pilis has been inhabited for thousands of years and the wood of the forests was continuously used by man living here. In the place of forests, large meadows and hayfields came into being, with such valuable plant species as the pennycress (Thlaspi montanum) or the feather-grass (Stipa pennata). The areas with thin tilth are covered by rock-lawns, where plants protected to a greater extent live like the fennel (Ferula sadlerana), the seseli sp. (Seseli leucospermum) and the ragwort (Sempervivum marmoreum). Next to the rocky lawns, mahaleb cherry karst groves stretch, with lizard orchid (Himantoglossum hircinum) and orchid species at the level of the lawn. The pasque flower (Pulsatilla nigricans) and several types of orchids (military, toothed orchid / Orchis tridentate/, elder-flowedred orchis /Dactylorhiza sambucina/, marsh orchid /Dactylorhiza incarnata/ etc.) bloom at the edge and at the clearings of the basiphilous oaks mixed with manna ash.
According to zonation, the majority of the area is covered with Turkey oak forests with common privet, hawthorn on the shrub stratum, and with cowslip (Primula veris) and several species of the orchids on the ground stratum. There are hornbeam oak forests over the Turkey oak areas, with purple corydalis (Corydalis cava), the rue-leaved isopyrum (Isopyrum thalictroides) in the underwood - and the real specialty the moor grass sp. (Sesleria sadleriana) (this area is the western boundary of the hare's tail grass associations). Going further up it is the beeches that follow, where the monkshood (Aconitum moldavicum) blooms. Still further up often only the white, bare, rocky summit can be found (the mountains were named after this: 'pilis' means the tonsure, the bold top of the head of monks in Slovakian language).

Pilis top.
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In terms of geology, the Visegr�di mountains are related to the B�rzs�ny, as they consist of andesite of volcanic origin from the Miocene. The crater could have been somewhere in the triangle of Dobog�k�, D�m�s, Pilisszentl�szl�. The huge stones came about during later volcanic activities: this is how the Pr�dik�l�sz�k and the Vad�ll�-k�vek were shaped (there is a stunning view from any of these stones, just like from Dobog�kő). The morphology of the mountains is also different from that of the Pilis side: there are less wild broken off parts and deep canyons (although the most beautiful and most dangerous canyon, the R�m-szakad�k happens to be here), there are merely sixteen, just smaller caves around here. However, in terms of interesting formations, the Visegr�di mountains do not fall behind their counterpart: amazing, bizarre formations can often be found made from free andesite saliences by the wind and the rain (in the R�m-szakad�k, at the stones mentioned earlier, on the Kő-hegy etc.). The Visegr�di mountains are slightly rainier and the average temperature is also a little lower. There are more watercourses, the falling rain creates larger and smaller lakelets in the hollows of the volcanic rock � they are rather valuable habitats in term of ecology. The definitive pattern of zonal forests is not significantly different from that of the Pilis. Turkey oak, hornbeam-oak and beech associations follow each other towards the peaks of the mountains. However 'the pilis' with a scarce tilth on the top is missing from the Visegr�di mountains. The mahaleb cherry is missing from the scrub forests on the exposed side, while the warmer sides are dominated with calciphobic oaks. The scrub forests are interrupted by continuous steppe-meadow associations at less favourable places.
In terms of the fauna there are not differences � except for a few arthropedals � between the two areas. A very beautiful spider species the black and red ladybird spider (Eresus cinnabarinus), the rather rare matriarchal katydid (Saga pedo) and the endemic (Isophya costata) are worth mentioning, but the butterfly fauna of the area is also very rich.
Rich flora and fauna can be found in the habitats of streams, lakelets, small marshes (e.g. in the vicinity of the Kerek lake in the B�b�nat valley). It is worth mentioning the marsh helleborine (Epipactis palustris) and themarsh thistle (Cirsium sp.) out of the flora and the stone crayfish, the loach, the common frog (Rana temporaria), the dice- and the grass snake, the snake-eyed skink out of the fauna. The most precious members of the avifauna are the rock bunting (Emberiza cia), the raven, the dipper. Out of the rare birds of prey the saker falcon, the booted eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus), the black kite (Milvus migrans), the short-toed eagle (Circaetus gallicus) and the honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus) nest here. Out of the mammals it is worth mentioning a few bat species, the wild cat (Felis sylvestris), and the lynx is also said to have settled here.

The Pilis is one of the richest parts of the country from the point of view of cultural history. Here is some information just to draw attention: relics from the Stone Age were excavated near Pilisz�nt� (the Pilissz�nt� culture), Pilismar�t and Csob�nka.. Scythian and Celtic relics, earthwork forts can be found e.g. in the fields of Pom�z. Later a network of roads, towers, military quarters and villas were built by the Roman garrisons. According to certain sources, the Hun capital of Attila was located here, but other kings like G�za, Saint Stephan, II. B�la, IV B�la, K�roly R�bert, and Mathias left plenteous relics here, which was considered to be the centre of the country. The ethnographical and historical relics of the villages and towns in and around the mountains belong to the most precious ones of Hungary.

2. Along the river Ipoly. Area: 1400 hectars. Except for some highly protected areas it can be visited without restrictions.
The river Ipoly is a small branch of the Danube on the left side, its bed constitutes the northern border of the country from Szob as far as Ipolytarn�c. As a result it still has a flood area in its precious, almost natural condition, because a boundary river could not be controlled, as any changes made to its bed would have created legal problems internationally. There are wide areas almost in their natural condition like a string of beads along the Ipoly, which are divided by less valuable areas at several places.
At the widening areas the bank of the river is hardly higher than the level of the water, therefore these areas are regularly flooded by the river creating ideal living conditions for the associations attached to water. The meandering river with small dead branches is accompanied by bigger and smaller swampy, marshy areas, wet meadows, fresh poplars, willow trees and alder fenwood patches.

Ipoly river
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The yellow water-lily, the water-lily (Nymphaea sp) bloom in the river, several club-rush (Schoenoplectus sp) and sedge (Carex sp) species grow near the banks, the protected orchid and iris species live in the wet meadows. Almost all of the frog species have a habitat in the wet areas which are often covered by water even in the summer. The warty newt (Triturus cristatus) is a common sight here. Not only the white storks from the neighboring villages come to feed here, but the black stork (Ciconia nigra) hatching at the foot of the B�rzs�ny as well. Moreover, great white herons, common herons, bitterns (Botaurus stellaris) feed here, as well as sandpipers and other littoral birds search there. Several duck species come to feed in the wet meadows, the corncrake (Crex crex) lives at quieter parts, but it is given away by the sound it makes. The real specialty is the next grade in the chain of food, since the birds of prey from the B�rzs�ny and other nearby mountains come here to prey: the white-tailed eagle (Heliaetus albicilla ), the imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca) and from time to time the osprey (Pandion heliaetus) � even if they are not everyday sights, it is not a sensation to see them. The races of the otter can often be spotted on the riverbank, even the weather-fish and the spined loach are said to live in the shallow, swampy parts. The most beautiful parts of the river are found between Ipolysz�g and Hont, as well as V�mosmikola and Szob.
The specialty of the protected area is, that intact sandy lawns stretch just a few kilometers from the Ipoly between Dejt�r and Dr�gelypal�nk. The Honti canyon is quite well known, which was once formed by the Ipoly. Walking along the river millions of years of the geological history of the Earth can be traced at the bottom and the side of the valley.

3. The B�rz�ny mountains. 2166 hectares are protected to a greater extent out of the 18.028 hectare protected area. Except for the valleys Pog�ny and R�zs�s the national park can be visited without restrictions. In the highgly protected parts only tourist paths can be used.
The B�rzs�ny is still one of the closest and the most difficult of access in Hungary. There are not any proper roads to the center of the mountains, but a narrow-gauge railway can take visitors to the 'skirt' of the mountains from a few directions, which for that matter is a memorable experience. Further on one has to walk and it will take quite an effort, too. The mountains were formed in the tertiary period (Miocene) as a result of volcanic activities. Their base rock is andesite and andesite tuff. Reminiscent of the Carpathians, they are made up of high, sharp ridges, steep mountainsides, deep, narrow valleys. The central part, a collapsed crater, consists of peaks and ridges (the Cs�v�nyos, the Nagy Hideg mountain, Nagy In�c, Magas Tax) provide stunning views. There are strangely shaped andesite formations, huge stones, fields of stones, petrified surface-flows of lava everywhere in the whole area of the mountains.

B�rzs�ny mountains
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The B�rzs�ny is one of the coldest and rainiest areas of Hungary. There are more then three hundred springs in the mountains, out of the brooks the B�rzs�ny and the Kemence are the most abounding in water. Therefore the altitude-zones start at lower levels than usual. Mainly hornbeam-oak forests, Austrian/Turkey oak-oak, mountain beeches constitute their vast forests. Several protected, characteristically mountainous and alpine plants found favourable habitats in the forests and clearings rusty cliff fern /Woodsia/ and hard shield-fern /Phyllitis scolopendrium/, alpine rose, monkshood /Aconitum variegatum/, hellebore, oxlip /Primula elatior/, coralwort /Dentaria bulbifera/ etc). The southern skirt and the sides with southeastern exposure of the mountains are occupied by thermophile associations, oak forests, manna ash associations, thermophile rocky lawns often with rare, protected plant species also known from the Alf�ld.
The abundance of areas of wet, humid microclimate, the easily warming up southeastern steep slopes and the undisturbed, continuous forests provide a rather valuable fauna. Besides the rich amphibian and reptile fauna of the B�rzs�ny, about a hundred bird species nest here (the raven, the hazel-grouse, the black woodpecker and the white-backed woodpecker /Dendrocopos leucotos /etc.). Predatory animals represent an outstanding asset: the imperial eagle and lesser spotted eagle, the saker falcon, the short-toed eagle, the eagle/stock owl (Bubo bubo) nest in the quiet, hidden parts of the mountains. The expansive forests provide a satisfactory habitat for mammals which do not stand any disturbances: the wild cat, the beech marten and the pine-marten are still common.

The area is also significant in terms of cultural history. There are more than twenty ruins of fortresses in the area (the famous fortress of Dr�gely is one of them). The remains of earthwork forts have been found at several places, which are reminiscent of even earlier times. There is a beautiful 12th century church from the Arpadian age in Nagyb�rzs�ny. There is a still active Pauline monastery from the 14th century in M�rianosztra at the famous place of pilgrimage. The characteristic architecture of the 'pal�cok' living around here are shown at the village museums at Kemence and Berneceabar�ti. Traces of an ancient foundry and iron mine can be seen near Kir�lyr�t. Last but not least the narrow-gauge railways represent a speciality of technical history, of which more and more are restored.

4. The Szentendre Island and the left bank of the Danube. Area: about 7000 hectares. They can be visited without restrictions, except for a few highly protected places in the Szentendre Island.
These areas are rather disturbed since just a few kilometers from Budapest, they are favourite places of excursion and recreation. Therefore, there are only patches of really untouched, undisturbed areas, generally in strips along the river Danube. Besides protecting these, the national park also protects the unique landscape and relics of history.
There are ferries to the island at several places for cyclists, a bridge at Tahit�tfalu and a ferry at V�c for motorists. The quality of the environment of the island is an important issue in all respects, because its deep-bore wells are the basis of water supply for the whole of North-Pest. As a result, the environment including the little villages (Kisoroszi, Sur�ny, Szigetmonostor, Hor�ny) is cleaner, more orderly than the national average. There are cottages with characteristic elements of traditional architecture, little peaceful streets, churches in these villages.
Natural environs reminiscent of the original, natural conditions here can only be found in patches, but some of these are rather precious. The protected areas can be divided in to two main parts: the wet associations of river banks and the dry lawn associations of the interior of the island.
The wet areas � strips along the bank, peninsulas, little nearby islets, puddles, very short dead branches of the Danube, small sandbanks � are located mainly north of the road connecting Thit�tfalu and the ferry at V�c and at the southern part of the island off Szentendre. Broom-willow-poplar groves, willows in stagnant water constitute larger and smaller patches at these areas. The avifauna of the area is rather rich, more than fifty species nest on the island. Littoral birds, ducks, cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo), common herons, great white herons, the kingfisher are quite common. Guests from the North (mergansers (Mergus sp) and several species of the diving ducks populate the bank.
The real natural assets of the island are the sandy patches of the inner parts, the sandy puszta lawns reminiscent of the pusztas in the Alf�ld. Unfortunately these areas diminish because of building up, therefore the majority of them are strictly protected and can be walked over only on dirt-roads. Such areas can be found in the north of the island at the altitude of the Kecsk�s island, and in the south, north of Sur�ny and at the south end of the island. These dry lawns with feather-grass � sometimes laid out in depth with sand hills � hide such rarities as the pink (Dianthus pontederae), the green-winged orchid (Orchis morio), the mouse garlic, the pasque flower (Pulsatilla nigricans), the heath-rose (Fumana procumbens) and the meadow saffron (Colchicum arenarium) and the milkvetch (Astragalus) protected to a greater extent.

Near Szentendre (more pics)

At the left bank of the Danube it is best to cycle to look at it, as there is a well built bicycle path all along the river from Dunakeszi to Szob. In the narrow strip � wider at places � the vegetation is similar to that of the Szentendre Island (willow-poplar groves, smaller broom-willow and alder patches, puddly willows of abandoned construction pits). There are peninsulas, smaller islands in the strip along the river often covered with very dense forest. With a bit of luck iris or snowflake (Leucojum vernum) can also be spotted. The avifauna of the area is similar to that of listed at the Szentendre Island. In V�c (in the V�ci-liget) it is worth walking along on the educational path maintained by the G�nc�l Fund, where associations and species of flood areas can be studied by the aid of notice-boards.
There is not enough space here just to list the relics of cultural history of the area. It is characterized by such gems packed with historical monuments like Szentendre, Visegr�d, V�c, Nagymaros � relics from the Roman age, Serb cemetery, Renaissance ruins of palace, catholic and orthodox churches, little Mediterranean streets, masterpieces of traditional architecture. FOEK pages

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Folder includes placemarks of subareas with tons of informations & illustration pics.
Editing finished.

Fert��Hans�g National Park

Size of protected area: 23.588 ha, out of this 7492 ha are protected to a greater extent.
Location: The Fert� part is enclosed by Sopron, Nagycenk, Hegyk�, Sarr�d and Fert��jlak, while the Hans�g area stretches from the north of Kapuv�r to the area enclosed by J�nossomorja, Mosonszolnok and L�b�ny and within the confines of L�b�ny.
Visiting: The north of Hans�g can be visited without restrictions, but to see the two lakes in T�k�z only guided tours are available. The alder woods of Cs�kos and Kir�ly Lake can only be visited with a permit, while Kir�ly Lake can be visited freely.The Sz�rhalmi woods can be walked on footpaths for tourists, but the highly protected Kist�malmi moor is not open for the public. To get to the Fert� Lake marsh it is advisable to start from Fert�r�kos. More information is available at the Visitor's Centre called 'K�csagv�r' in Sarr�d.

It is said that the most exciting parts of the world are those territories where two worlds meet � where something finishes and something else is born. The Fert��Hans�g area is exactly like that: along the rainy west slopes of L�v�rek, in the vicinity of Sopron, it is still alpine climate that is perceptible, but jut a stone's throw away to the east on the hills, it is the submediterranian, thermohphilous oak-woods that thrive. A few more meters and at once we reach the extensive, though shallow saline lake, located westernmost in Eurasia, with vast reeds around it, recalling memories of a world that existed centuries ago. More to the east we can find remnants of a formerly continuous wetland with boggy, marshy/swampy habitats and wide plains reminiscent of the Asian steppes (from where also some peaks of the Alps can be seen in clear weather). All this richness is further embellished by precious historical an ethnographic relics of the past.

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The Fert��Hans�g basin is the westernmost part of Kisalf�ld (Small Plain), which was formed during the elevation, folding of the Eastern Alps, along the border of the Pannon- and the Vienna-basins. As a homogeneous region, it stretches as far as the Leitha mountains in Als�-Ausztria. The sunken basin was later formed by erosion and by the wind (deflation). As long as until the 17-18th century Fert�-Hans�g was uniform wetlands with an area expanding more than 600 square km, where the waters of the lake Fert� and Hans�g were contiguous, and were supplied from the Danube, R�ba and R�bca and from a number of smaller brooks. Some of the settlements in the region were only accessible by boat all the year round. The draining and drying of the area and converting it into agricultural fields was attempted several times from the 17th century, but the two water-lands Fert� and Hans�g could only be divided by the lock in Mexik�puszta (presently called Fert��jlak ) in 1912. The drying of the low-lying grounds was achieved by the Hans�g main channel built (by the youth at a number of summer building camps) in the 1950s.

The lake Fert� and the vicinity
The Lake Fert� , with a roughly north � south direction, with length of 36 kms, has 309 square km. Out of this territory only 75 square km belong to Hungary. The average depth of the whole lake is one meter, which is quite shallow in itself, and this widening south part is the shallowest, swampy part of it. During the history of the lake Fert�, it dried out entirely several times � last time in 1865-70 � and later it revived in a rainier period. When there is strong southern wind, the shallow southern part is scattered by masses of dried out mud-banks, because of the high pressure of wind. The name Fert�, which originally means a area with stagnant water without an outlet, was given by one of the researchers of the lake. The name characterizes briefly and appropriately this habitat, which can be described by shallow water stirred up even by the slightest wind, constantly full of mud grains and the resulting low oxygen and light supply. The colour of the lake is constantly gray, because of the floating mud grains in it, yet the inner lakes of clearings of extensive areas abounding in reeds are dark oily brown, because of the high organic matter content (eutroph) of humin acids dissolved in the water. The water with a high salt content, being reminiscent of the saline lakes in the Alf�ld, warms up to the bottom in the summer and it freezes to the bottom in winter. This aging, rather insecure ecological scenery is extremely varied and provides habitat to a valuable wildlife.
The Hungarian territory of the lake is almost entirely covered by reeds - clear surfaces of water can only be found over the reeds, towards the middle of the lake, in the inner clearings of the reeds and in the tricky, maze like canal systems which are cut in the reeds. The open clear water surfaces and the settlements around the lake, as well as the inner lakes and the reed exploitation areas are connected by this canal system. The canal system has also been used by fishermen from time immemorial. (Unforgettable boat trips can be taken from the beach resort, beside Fert�r�kos, to the inner lakes.) This habitat is constituted by reeds, bulrush (Typha angustifolia) and hardy sedge (Carex). In the open clear water surfaces various weed associations, bladderwort (Utricularia), the rigid- and soft hornwort live as well as fennel-leaved pondweed (Potamogeton) imported to the area by birds and club-rush (Schoenoplectus). In the weedy habitats of reeds, thousands of lower living beings circle around: water fleas, water-bugs, spiders, cicadas, day flies, dragon-flies and owlet-moths. In the reedy areas, there also lives the European mud-minnow (Umbra Krameri) and the weather-fish (Misgurnus fossilis), but the typical representatives of the fish stock here are the Fert� carp, the pelecus and the pike-perch, and the tench, the perch, the rudd in the inner lakes. However the widely renowned inhabitants of the lake are the birds: the great white heron, the spoon bill (Platalea leucorodia), the bittern (Botaurus), the great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus), various duck species, the common heron and the purple heron, the gray leg goose, the great reed-warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) and several species of the warblers (Sylvia) live in the vast reeds.

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The southeast, eastern shores of reed country are surrounded by a wide strip of wet medows, marshes, saline pasture lands and smaller saline lakes, of which habitat is reminicent of the Alf�ld saline areas. Typical plants are the camphor (Camphorosma annua), the wild chamomile, or the native salt-tolerant Michaelmas-daisy (Aster tripolium), sea blite (Suadea pannonica), salt-marsh (Salicornia) and the Fert� puccinellia (Puccinellia limosa). On the saline lakelets the highly protected little ringed plover (Charadrius dubius), avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta), the redshank (Tringa totanus) and the black-winged stilt (Himantopus himantopus) nest. On the bird islands of the lakes (eg. on the lakes at Mexik�puszta) bird colonies with a thousand of birds each live: black-headed gulls (Larus ridibundus), the common tern (Sterna hirundo), tufted ducks (Aythya fulingula) etc.The area is an important resting place during the spring and autumn migration of birds, when thousands of birds are twittering in the pools around and in the lake Fert�.
A significantly different world can be found at the southeast shore of the lake. White oak karst scrub forest and wooded steppe meddow associations grow on the Leitha limestone of the row of hills along the Fert�. More than sixsty protected plant rarities create a fairyland including such curiosities as the two species of pasque flower (Pulsatilla grandis)and (Pulsatilla nigricans), nineteen species of wild orchid including the wonderful lady's slipper orchid (Cypripedium calceolus), dwarf iris (Iris pumila), burning bush (Dictamnus albus) etc. The habitat of glacial remnants, the small, two hectare marsh medow of Kist�malma stretches along the foot of the hills with the common butterwort (Pinguicula vulgaris) living exclusively here and with the cottongrass (Carex) and with the adder's-tongue fern (Ophioglossum vulgatum).This row of hills is also the wintering place of the amphibian and reptille fauna of lake Fert�, therefore hundreds of thousands of toads, edible frog (Rana esculenta) and spade-footed toads (Pelobates fuscus), toads (Bufo) leave for the enlivening water in springtime and back in autumn in dense, close formations of rows. Unfortunately thousands of them fall victim to motoring on the roads around lake Fert� (especially between Hidegs�g and Fert�boz). Recently the National Park has started constructing diverting tracks and passages going under the roads so as to help the migration of the frogs.

Hans�g
Hans�g used to be the largest continuos marshland, which was honoured as 'the mother' of the Fert� by the ancients. The surface of Hans�g is situated 2-3 meters lower than the fringes adjacent to the neighbouring areas. This vast flat basin without an outlet was defined by swamp with marshes, broom bushes, swampy medows scattered by little lakes and floating islands. People, hunting, fishing, fowling, crab catching, were only visitors. The name of the area 'hany' originally means marsh.. Villages were mainly built on hillocks ('goronds') standing out a few meters against Hans�g. These former marsh islands can still be found while walking around the area, and in their names still referring to former settlements. As it was already mentioned, the drainage of Hans�g was finished just fifty years ago, and its fate was sealed with that. This habitat had literally been kept alive by water. After the darainage, the peat-bog marshes collapsed, dried out, and crumbled. However, at a couple of habitats, underground morphological conditions prevented the water from escaping, preserving the former miracles of the 'hany'. These areas are preserved and looked after by the National Park. Examples of these are Kir�ly lake, Cs�kos alder wood and Zsid� medow next to Osli north of Kapuv�r in South Hans�g. In North-Hans�g, situated in the north of the Hans�g main canal, the area between J�nossomorja and L�b�ny, and T�k�z located a few kms from L�b�ny with its two strictly protected lakes called Feh�r- and Barbacsi-lake.

Koll�r Adri�n: Hans�g

The South Hany areas around Kapuv�r are dominated by alder marshes, and gorses. The area of Cs�kos alder wood is of outstanding significance, where on the 'legged' alders common herons live in colonies, and nesting of the black kite (Milvus migrans) and the black stork is not uncommon.. Following the Cs�kos alder wood towards Kir�ly lake, the Kir�ly lake alder wood and the alder wood marsh meadow stretching along it. The male-fern and shield-fern (Dryopteris carthusiana) grow in the hardly wadable woods standing in water, with thick underwood. Corncrakes /landrails (Crex crex), short-eared owl (Asio flammeus) and curlew / whaup nest on its terriotory. The former Kir�ly lake - because of draining - is mearly the shadow of its former self. The lake, according to more and more indications, is starting to find its old self and it is reviving, because of continuous turf/peat-cutting. We can already see thousands of birds around the lake, and its vegetation is reviving, too. Describing this lake, we cannot miss the legend of Hany Ist�k, who was caught from the lake by fishermen from Kapuv�r in 1749. The creature caught from the lake was an uncivilised, lost, orphaned child that surrived somehow in the wetlands around the lake. The child absolutely wild, not being able to speak, adapted completely to living in the marshes: he was naked, his skin got thick as bark, his body was covered by hair, he had webbed fingers. He was able to catch fish even while swimming under the water, according to eyewitnesses. 17th March 1749 the child was christened Istv�n, according to the parish registry in Kapuv�r.

Cs�kos �gererd� (Alnus sp. wood)

Located next to Cs�fordj�nosfa, south of Kapuv�r, the �regerd� (Old woods) with snow flakes is one of the last survivors of the common oak in gallery forests along watercourses formerly flowing into Hans�g.

The territory of the North Hany is larger, but a bit more disturbed than the southern parts. The majority of its territory is constituted by the idillic scenery of wet hayfields, marsh meadows and pools. At a summer dawn, a misty morning can be an amazing experience at these wet areas.
The habitat of the common hardgrass, hare's tail grass meadows of the marshes in �rhany, Pint�rhany and N�met-hany, is constituted by the elite of marshlands: several species of orchids, gentian (Gentiana pneumonanthe) wild leek (Allium suaveolens), large pink (Dianthus superbus) and many more. Black storks, herons and possibly hobby (Falco subbuteo) again nest in the wooded parts. A considerable population of bustards, not to speak about the meadow wiper live in the North Hany near J�nossomorja.

T�k�z is located in the south-west of L�b�ny. The two well known lakes of it � Feh�r lake and Babarcsi lake � are highly protected areas. The small areas � mearly 200 ha each � yet preserve an extremely valuable wildlife. There are bitterns, dwarf-, purple- and common herons, and reed-songbirds among its several hundreds of nesting birds. During migration the lakes are inundated by thousands of water birds.
Beyond the wonders of nature, visitors can also see some valuable historical and cultural-ethnographic sights in the National Park.

T�k�z

First of all the internationally renowned, ancient stone quarry should be mentioned. Its easy-to-carve Leitha limestone was already used by the Romans to build the walls of Scrabantia (Sopron). Later the palaces of Vienna were built from it, nowadays the stone-quarry provides a mythical scene for concerts and operas in the summer. The east-west Pannon road and the Amber road from Rome heading to the north crossed in the city. Relics of them, among other Roman finds, can be found in Sopron. Such relics are the Mithras grotto sanctuary and the remains of Roman villas unearthed around Sarr�d. Later Huns, Avars, Pechenegs, Magyars settled in the area. The church in L�b�ny built in the age of the Arpads is one of the nicest Romanesque style relics of architecture in Hungary. The round church in Hidegs�g is also from this era. The area is also a treasury of Baroque (after the period of the Turkish ravages) historical monuments (Fert�r�kos, Fert�boz, Nagycenk, Fert�sz�plak, Fert�d etc.). The ethnographic relics of the area are constituted by the typical costumes and material remains of peasants livinig on the 'fert�' and the 'hany'. Eg. the national costume around Csorna and Kapuv�r, the village museum in Fert�sz�plak, the area and cultivation remains of the free 'hany' near Far�d and the special way of growing of willows used for making arts and crafts in the vicinity of several villages. Foek.hu pages

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