Kiskunság National Park ( hu, Kiskunsági Nemzeti Park) is a national park located in

Danube–Tisza Interfluve Danube–Tisza Interfluve is the landscape in Hungarian territory (Hungary and Vojvodina (Vajdaság) in Serbia) in the Pannonian Basin between the Danube and Tisza rivers, east of Transdanubia. It covers a large part of the Great Hungarian Plain ...

mainly in Bács-Kiskun county,

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

. It was created in 1975 and declared a

biosphere reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...

by the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

. The park covers an area of 570 km² and stretches across the

Little Cumania Little is a synonym for small size and may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Little'' (album), 1990 debut album of Vic Chesnutt * ''Little'' (film), 2019 American comedy film *The Littles, a series of children's novels by American author John P ...

(Kiskunság) region of the

Great Hungarian Plain The Great Hungarian Plain (also known as Alföld or Great Alföld, hu, Alföld or ) is a plain occupying the majority of the modern territory of Hungary. It is the largest part of the wider Pannonian Plain. (However, the Great Hungarian plain ...

Features

It is not a single territory, but comprises seven disjoint units, scattered throughout the area. One of these is the Kiskunság's

Puszta The Hungarian Puszta () is a temperate grassland biome of the Alföld or Great Hungarian Plain. It is an exclave of the Eurasian Steppe, and lies mainly around the River Tisza in the eastern part of Hungary, as well as in the western part of t ...

where annual events are held reviving the old pastoral life and cattle breeding customs. Another is Lake Kolon near the town of Izsák. It is famous for its marsh tortoises,

heron The herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 72 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genera ''Botaurus'' and ''Ixobrychus ...

s, expanses of untouched reeds and nine species of orchids which grow in the vicinity. An interesting natural phenomenon is the

sand dunes A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, fl ...

in the vicinity of Fülöpháza. They are said to move under favourable wind conditions.

Geography

The alkali lakes of the

are found near

Fülöpszállás Fülöpszállás is a village in Bács-Kiskun county, in the Southern Great Plain region of southern Hungary. Geography It covers an area of and has a population of 1657 people (2005). Gallery File:Feszület, Fülöpszállás 02.JPG, File: ...

and

Szabadszállás Szabadszállás is a small town in Bács-Kiskun county, Hungary, 80 kilometres south of Budapest by rail. The town is surrounded by several areas of the Kiskunság National Park. Twin cities * Schönenberg-Kübelberg Schönenberg-Kübelberg is ...

. Their unique

flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or '' skin flora''. E ...

and

fauna Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is ''flora'', and for fungi, it is '' funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as '' biota''. Zoo ...

are of special value.

Avocets The four species of avocets are a genus, ''Recurvirostra'', of waders in the same avian family as the stilts. The genus name comes from Latin , 'curved backwards' and , 'bill'. The common name is thought to derive from the Italian ( Ferrarese) ...

geese A goose (plural, : geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family (biology), family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera ''Anser (bird), Anser'' (the grey geese and white geese) and ''Branta'' (the black geese). Some o ...

and black-winged

stilt Stilt is a common name for several species of birds in the family Recurvirostridae, which also includes those known as avocets. They are found in brackish or saline wetlands in warm or hot climates. They have extremely long legs, hence the grou ...

s nest in the area. The lakes provide a temporary home for tens of thousands of

migratory birds Bird migration is the regular seasonal movement, often north and south along a flyway, between breeding and wintering grounds. Many species of bird migrate. Migration carries high costs in predation and mortality, including from hunting by ...

. This

ornithologist Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them." Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and th ...

paradise is also a

Lake Szelid Lake Szelid ( hu, Szelidi-tó) is a lake in Bács-Kiskun county, Hungary. It contains of water. Geography An unusual salt lake formed from an old branch of the Danube, Lake Szelid can be found 4 km southeast from Dunapataj. The lake, ...

near

Kalocsa Kalocsa (; hr, Kaloča or ''Kalača''; sr, Kaloča or Калоча; german: Kollotschau) is a town in Bács-Kiskun county, Hungary. It lies south of Budapest. It is situated in a marshy but highly productive district, near the left bank of the ...

Lake Vadkert Lake Vadkert (sometimes also called ''Büdös-tó,'' "Stinky Lake") is a lake near the town of Soltvadkert, Hungary. It became one of the most popular tourist destinations in Hungary since it had similar features to Lake Balaton, but cheaper pri ...

Soltvadkert Soltvadkert (german: Wadkert; hr, Vakier; yi, וואדקערט) is a town in Bács-Kiskun county in Hungary with approximately 8,000 inhabitants. The former name of the town is ''Vadkert''. It is surrounded by several areas of the Kiskunság Na ...

Lake Kunfehér A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...

and

Lake Sós A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...

Kiskunhalas Kiskunhalas (; german: Hallasch) is a city in the county of Bács-Kiskun, Hungary. Railroad The city is an important railway junction. It crosses the Budapest-Subotica-Belgrade railway line. The Kiskunfélegyháza railway ends in Kiskunhalas. ...

are ideal spots for bathing and camping. There are many tourist trails, study trails and lookouts, within the national park; all contributing to a unique experience of the Kiskunság. The main visitor's center of the Kiskunság National Park, called the 'House of Nature', is situated in

Kecskemét Kecskemét ( , sk, Kečkemét) is a city with county rights central part Hungary. It is the eighth-largest city in the country, and the county seat of Bács-Kiskun. Kecskemét lies halfway between the capital Budapest and the country's third ...

Gallery

Image:Himantopus himantopus PA021319.jpg,

Black-winged stilt The black-winged stilt (''Himantopus himantopus'') is a widely distributed very long-legged wader in the avocet and stilt family (Recurvirostridae). The scientific name ''H. himantopus'' is sometimes applied to a single, almost cosmopolitan speci ...

Image:European roller.jpg,

European roller The European roller (''Coracias garrulus'') is the only member of the roller family of birds to breed in Europe. Its overall range extends into the Middle East, Central Asia and the Maghreb. The European roller is found in a wide variety of ha ...

Image:Schlingnatter.jpg, ''

Coronella austriaca The smooth snake (''Coronella austriaca'')Street D (1979). ''The Reptiles of Northern and Central Europe''. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. 268 pp. . is a species of non-venomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is found in northern and ce ...

'' (smooth snake) Image:Fieberklee2.jpg, ''

Menyanthes ''Menyanthes'' is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the family Menyanthaceae containing the single species ''Menyanthes trifoliata''. The North American form is often referred to as ''M. trifoliata'' var. ''minor'' Michx. It is known ...

'' Image:Romkert Ópusztaszer 3.JPG, Open-air museum in

Ópusztaszer Ópusztaszer (till 1974 Sövényháza) is a village in Csongrád county, in the Southern Great Plain region of southern Hungary. It is most known as the location of the Ópusztaszer National Heritage Park. Geography It covers an area of and ha ...

Image:White tailed eagle.jpg,

White-tailed eagle The white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla'') is a very large species of sea eagle widely distributed across temperate Palearctic, Eurasia. Like all eagles, it is a member of the family Accipitridae (or accipitrids) which includes other diur ...

Image:Dabao.jpg,

Great bustard The great bustard (''Otis tarda'') is a bird in the bustard family, the only member of the genus ''Otis''. It breeds in open grasslands and farmland from northern Morocco, South and Central Europe, to temperate Central and East Asia. European po ...

References

National parks of Hungary Tourist attractions in Bács-Kiskun County Protected areas established in 1975 Geography of Bács-Kiskun County 1975 establishments in Hungary Danube-Tisza Interfluve Ramsar sites in Hungary {{Hungary-geo-stub

Features

Geography

Gallery

See also

References