Natural World Heritage Sites in Hungary

photo by @ vilagorokseg.hu

Although Hungary is a very small country, this little Central European state was blessed with some amazing natural wonders that make it a paradise for those who like to dig for hidden gems if they go on a holiday. Some of these beautiful places are also internationally recognized being on UNESCO’s list of Natural World Heritage Sites, others are still n UNESCO’s waiting list, but there are a lot of landscapes everywhere in the country that would take your breath away. This below is just a taste. Whoever is planning to visit Hungary should know that on one hand, seeing only Budapest is not enough no matter how beautiful the city is. On the other hand, if you come to see the country, you should expect that you will definitely want to come back. See below why.

 Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst

photo by vilagorokseg.hu

Situated at the North-Eastern border of Hungary with the South-Eastern border of Slovakia, this system of caves is unique from many points of view. It is one of the four cave systems on the world that became a World Heritage Site as a Natural Site and it is extremely well preserved and relatively intact. 273 caves of the system open on the Hungarian, all are varied in sizes, colors and shapes. The caves were formed in the 220-240 million years old karst stones approximately 2 million years ago. More than 500 species of animals live in the caves, more of them entirely endemic and some endangered.

Hortobágy National Park

photo by vilagorokseg.hu

In 1973 the Hortobágy area became the first national park in Hungary. The plain gives home to an extremely rich and unique flora and fauna living in a beautiful natural environment. This is what makes the Puszta – as they call it in Hungarian – a place so loved by visitors from all around the world. Apart from enjoying the beauty of nature, you can enjoy other attractions, such as visiting well preserved old peasant homes, rustic road-houses specific to the area, horse riding shows, cart riding tours and many other programs you will be amazed by.

The Fertő Lake Area

photo by vilagorokseg.hu

Also a cultural site, the area offers amazing views over and around the Fertő Lake which is the largest salt lake in Europe and the Westernmost of the typical Eurasian steppe lakes. It melts together the flora and fauna of the plain steppes and the high mountains into a very varied biosphere that is unique on the continent. The lake had got about 80 small salted blurs of marshes – which make amazing photo material. Apart from the natural sites the two castles of the Esterházy and Széchényi families are also worth a visit as well as the villages and wine cellars of the area around the lake that is also known for having an old wine making tradition.

A description can never give the same experience as the real thing, so I do encourage you to come and see the amazing Natural World Heritage Sites of Hungary. You will surely not regret it.