Best time of the year: October-June
Lake Fertõ is the last of the series of shallow, salt lakes extending from Central Asia into Europe. Shallow and rich in microscopic organisms as well as in fish, this lake provides home for large colonies of Spoonbills, Great white egrets and other herons, thousands of Greylag geese and ducks, including the rare Red-crested pochard. During migration in the Fall, thousands of Bean and White-fronted geese roost on the open water. East of the lake are the large grasslands and colorful meadows of the Hanság, the remnants of a once-upon-a-time extensive swamp. This is the home and last refuge for many endangered species of birds, mammals and plants. Montague's harrier, Short-eared owls, European curlew, Corncrake still nest here along with several species of shorebirds and songbirds. There is a smallish population of Great bustard freely roaming the open country between Austria and Hungary. Other wildlife includes the endangered Danube meadow viper, a local endemic, the rare Root vole, and several rare orchids, such as the Lady's slipper and the Fly orchid. On the extensive meadows of the Hanság orchids, Marsh gentians and various irises are abound.
Closest large town: Sopron, Kapuvár, Csorna
Kisbalaton is a large marsh at and near the confluence of the Zala river and Lake Balaton. In the 1950s large parts of this wetland were drained and dried to convert it into rich agricultural fields, of course, unsuccesfully. During the 1980s, however, a grand restoration project was launched, whose first results are indicated by thousands of birds that have already returned to their traditional nesting ground.
The most frequently seen birds are the Great white egret, Common cormorant, Mediterranean gull, Greylag goose, Spoonbill, Marsh harrier, more than ten species of ducks, Bluethroat, Bearded tit and several warblers. Red-necked grebes, Red-crested pochards and large numbers of Black-headed gulls also nest here. From October, large flocks of Bean and White-fronted geese use the area for rest.
Best time of the year: October-June
Closest large town: Keszthely
The gently rolling sand dunes of Somogy are covered mostly with dense forests, some of which experiences little human disturbance. Scattered in the valleys are some smaller water reservoirs, fishponds and even natural lakes that are excellent nesting and feeding areas of White-tailed eagles, Purple and Gray herons, Black-crowned night herons, and several species of reed warblers. Perhaps the best of these places is the fishponds at Boronka where almost all of these birds can be frequently seen. Other animals, such as the rare River otter and the introduced Musk rat are also common here. A very rare but exciting sight is the black variant of the ? viper that occurs in the region.
There are very few instances in Europe where complete lowland river ecosystems with riparian forests, ox-bow lakes and swamps managed to escape human destruction. One of these rare places is the lower Danube which has preserved large part of the original river system with its natural or nature-like vegetation. The northernmost part of this large area is known as Gemenc, a paradise of big Elk and Wildboar. Further south, below the town Mohács these riparian soft- and hardwood forests extend as far as the state border. The relatively undisturbed dense forests are prime habitats for several sensitive animal species. The best known of these are the Black stork and the White-tailed eagle, whose population densities are the highest here in the country. Other regularly nesting species are the Saker, Black kite and Ravens. Kingfishers, Grey herons, egrets and Spoonbills are frequent visitors at the shallower waters. During Fall and Winter, Bean and White-fronted geese roost on the quiet waters of large ox-bow lakes.
Another unit of the park is the Dráva river that forms the state border between Croatia and Hungary. Due to its boundry status, it preserved its original course of flow and is still free of human impact. In the river slow flowing sections are alternating with rapids with many temporary shallow islands. These island are the nesting grounds of Little ringed plovers and Least terns that previously were thought to be extinct. Red kite, White-tailed eagle and Ravens nest in the forests along the river, where there is a large variety of different habitats from swamps and moist meadows to dry juniper woodlands and hardwood forests. In spring these meadows are full of colors due to the many wildflowers including Daffodils, Spring snowflake, Three-leaved anemone and Meadow Fritillary. At Barcs extensive swamps with floating Water lilies are located amongst dry sand dunes, where several rare plants, such as king fern, Marsh pennywort and Creeping marshwort occur.
Best time of the year: October-July
Closest larger towns: Szekszárd, Barcs, Mohács
Created by Gábor Lendvai on 08-21-1997
Last updated on 01-21-2001