Békés: Nature, Birdlife and Culture
Accommodation in Békés
Békés offers a wide range of nature and cultural experiences: you can discover its birdlife and wetlands, explore a water nature trail by canoe or boat, and learn about historical and regional traditions. When planning your trip, it is therefore important to consider which experiences interest you most. You can also use these interests to guide your choice of a holiday apartment in Békés.
Gyula Castle Bath in Gyula, a major heritage-and-spa attraction in Békés County.
Photo: Globetrotter19 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Experience nature: wildlife, trails and birdwatching
The Körösvölgyi Animal Park is located in a 26-hectare grove. A walking trail about two kilometres long passes bird aviaries, animal houses, wetlands and spacious enclosures. Those who want to focus their visit on animals and different habitats will find a practical way to combine these interests with a walk.
At the Sterbetz István Bustard Conservation Visitor Centre, visitors can see great bustards up close; it is the only place in Hungary where they can do so. Guided tours, birdwatching, nature photography, themed programmes and astronomy presentations can be requested there. The Réhely Trail also starts and ends at the Visitor Centre. The Mágor-pusztai Trail offers a different combination of nature and history: it is just over 500 metres long and showcases the natural and cultural-historical values of the protected area.
Kardoskúti Fehértó is an internationally recognised wetland and has been protected under the Ramsar Convention since 1979. Two observation towers make it easier to watch the birdlife there. At the Kardoskúti Bird Migration Museum, an interactive exhibition illustrates the phenomenon of bird migration as well as the region's distinctive flora and fauna. Alongside the views across the landscape, visitors can also choose to focus on the background to bird migration.
Waterways and seasonal nature experiences
The Jégmadár Water Nature Trail starts at the pier at Körösvölgyi Animal Park and follows a one-kilometre stretch of the Szarvas–Békésszentandrás oxbow lake. Eight floating buoy stations share information about the oxbow lake and its flora and fauna. The trail is primarily intended for canoeists and rowboat users travelling without an expert guide; it can only be reached by canoe or boat. This restriction makes your mode of transport an important consideration when planning your day.
The Bihari Táj Napja takes place every year on the third weekend in May. Visitors can see wild orchids growing in the Ugrai Meadow, learn about the birdlife of the Biharugra fishponds on a guided tour with an expert, and take part in other educational and cultural programmes. Bihari Madárvárta is three kilometres from the centre of Biharugra and can be reached via a paved road.
Culture, regional traditions and a cycling route
Culture lovers will also find a variety of places to explore. The collection at the Munkácsy Mihály Museum includes natural history, archaeological, ethnographic, historical and art-historical objects. Gyula is home to a castle built in the 15th century, now considered the only intact lowland brick castle in Central and Eastern Europe. CsabaPark is a gastronomic event centre that preserves, nurtures and showcases the traditions of making Csabai sausage; it is also the venue for the Csabai Sausage Festival.
Those who want to explore the region by bicycle can follow the Wenckheim Tourist and Cycle Route. This themed cycling route leads to cultural monuments and to the region's natural and distinctive landscape features. Nature watching, water activities, culture and cycling each offer a different focus. When choosing your holiday apartment, consider which of these interests you would like to shape your trip most.
Explore other subregions
The pages for the other subregions are Füzesgyarmat, Mezőhegyes, Békéscsabai, Gyulai, Szarvasi, Békési, Orosházai, Szeghalomi, Mezőkovácsházai and Sarkad Microregion.
For the overview of the wider region: Hungary.
