Lugares de interés (POIs) del Mapa
0: Vértes TK
| Vértes Landscape Protection Area Territory of the protected area: 15 608 hectares, of which 1 212 hectares are under increased protection. Location: Territory of Vértes mountains. Visitors: The area can be freely visited but the visiting of highly protected parts, Haraszt mountain, Pátrácos beechwood, Fáni valley is of limited access, subject to permit. Management: Directorate of Danube–Ipoly National Park Though Vértes, even in Hungary, does not belong to the group of high mountains, not even its highest point reaches five hundred metres, still no one would call it a hill. One of its reasons is that the inselberg of Vértes between the Móri basine and the Tata–Váli basine, with its short foot steeply rising above its surroundings (it is especially striking if arriving from the direction of Székesfehérvár or Érd). Another reason is that the dolomite and lime stone based mountain, rich in bauxite, has a true variety of forms giving the impression of a high mountain; as it often is with limestone mountains, especially on its southern part, narrow, deep valleys, steep hillsides, rocky fractures, cliff faces, cold, humid dark canyons are wedged between the crossing mountain crests with often sharp ridges. There are almost forty caves in the territory of the mountain, the biggest of them is the Báracházi cave outside Csákvár.
As a result of this the flora of Vértes is uniquely varied: smoke tree karst scrub-groves cover the southern exposed, dry, quickly warming up slopes. The smoke tree association in full red bloom at the end of summer finds its parallel only on the Balaton Uplands. Valuable, almost intact dolomite rock lawn and slope meadows with rock grass stretch on the bare southern sides. The Mediterranean character of the sunny areas is proved by the fact that it is only here in Hungary where Mediterranean oriental hornbeam (Carpinus orientalis), a reminder of the times before the ice age, survived (e.g. on the Haraszt hill, which is open for visitors to a limited extent). The burning bush, lesser butterfly-orchid and the milkwort (Polygama amara) are among the most beautiful plants of the territory. Canyon grove communities live in the cool, shady canyons, often hiding relict species from as early as the ice age for example the auricula. The humid, cool area of the strictly protected Fáni valley is especially interesting, because the psychrophilous beech lives together with not only species characteristic of the subalpine flora such as the hart's-tongue fern or the kidney-vetch sp. (Anthyllis calcicola), but with the definitely thermophile manna ash (flowering ash). The warmer parts of hillsides are covered with mixed white oaks, the cooler parts are covered with oaks mixed with hornbeam while the northern sides with beeches and mixed beech woods, with pink sp. and wood laurel (Daphne laureola) scattered among them (the most beautiful stand is the strictly protected beech wood at Pátrácos). It is a frequent sight that thermophile dry lawn stretches on the top of certain ridges with bindweed and wormwood sp. (Artemisia alba), but at the foot of the hill characteristic plant species of marshy meadows live. The marsh world of the Csíkvarsa meadow at the foot of the mountain, which is one of the last remnants of the extensive marsh around the foot of the mountain, is the favoured habitat of waterfowl: black-tailed godwit, the common sandpiper, lapwing live here. It rarely occurs that a lower species is mentioned among the most exciting creatures of a territory, but this is the case here: the six-seven centimetre long beautiful Mediterranean centipede called megarian banded centipede lives in the southern part of Vértes, its venom may cause long lasting painful inflammation. Perhaps the most valuable but undisputedly most spectacular members of the fauna of the mountain are the birds. The imperial eagle, the saker falcon and the hobby, the honey buzzard and the short-toed eagle still regularly nest in Vértes and the otherwise rare rock thrush, black woodpecker also hatch here. The relics of cultural history in Vértes are also valuable. Once the property of the Csák family the territory was a royal hunting ground, that is how king Matthias caught sight of the beautiful girl while he was "in a long pensive stand" at least according to the poem by Vörösmarty titled Beautiful Ilonka. The most famous sights of the mountain are the forts and ruins of a fortresses: Csókak? from the 12th century, Oroszlán-k?, Vitányvár or Gesztes. The village of Vérteskozma was populated at the beginning of the 18th century in a characteristic comb shaped structure; it was loosing its population in the past decades but it has reborn as a resort village. The new owners restored the original beauty of the village. Another memorable sight is the twelve identical hermit cottages at Majkpuszta with the nearby palace and church tower (formerly occupied by Camaldolese monks). The abandoned bauxite mine near Gánt may be mentioned as a relic of industrial history, it is also worth visiting for its specific esthetics or dubious beauty since the Martian landscape may serve as a starting point for far reaching contemplation. http://www.foek.hu/zsibongo/termve/tk/angtk/vertes.htm |
Más sobre Vértes TK
1: Tápió-Hajta Vidék TK
| Tápió–Hajta Landscape Protection Area Territory of the protected area: 4 516 hectares, of which 182 hectares are under increased protection. Location: The ten larger and smaller separate units of the landscape protection area are located in the quadrangle of Tápiószecs?, Gomba, Újszász, Jászberény. Visitors: Free access for visitors except for some smaller areas under increased protection. Management: Directorate of the Danube–Ipoly National Park The characteristic features of the habitats and communities are easily recognizable even for the untrained eye. In some places these habitats stretch on several hundred or thousand square kilometres, on others just the opposite: a fascinatingly rich mosaic of geographical units, landscapes and communities on a few dozens of square kilometres dazzle the tourist; these small worlds are sometimes separated from each other by clear boundaries, sometimes the various habitats blend imperceptibly. The area of the Tápió–Hajta is one of the most beautiful examples of the latter in Hungary without exaggeration; it is a true border area. The saline world of the grassland of the Alföld, the communities of marshes and moors, the oak and beech woods of the northern mountain range and the sand hills of Kiskunság meet on this little known territory situated almost on the outskirts of the capital. The area of Tápió–Hajta formed on the alluvial deposit of three brooks, the Lower and the Upstream Tápió, the Hajta brook and the primeval Zagyva. Part of the territory is marsh and moorland, while its southern hilly parts lying at a higher altitude is dry and sandy. Today the landscape is defined by the mosaic of four greatly differing types: the wet, marshy area dotted with fish-ponds and reed; the sandy pastures and steppe meadows of the sandy soil, with patches of loess steppes; the saline and salinating areas with even micro-mound in sodic grasslands on the east; and the wooded hills. In the recent extraordinarily dry years the two Tápiós and the Hajta have turned from brooks into periodical watercourses – from spring up to the beginning of the summer their sufficient amount of water feed and maintain puddles, small ponds and marshy meadows, while from mid-summer to the beginning of autumn rains they cut into the landscape as dry ravines with some water remaining in their deeper lying parts. In order to restore the water management of the territory small reservoirs have been established without much effect up till now. The central axis of the territory thickly interwoven with brooks and larger or smaller watercourses is formed by the deep lying basin between Tápiószecs? and Tápiószentmárton (but it partly continues as far as Újszász). The two main watercourses of the territory are the Upper and the Lower Tápiós; they feed the moors, the marshy meadows and the wet hayfields. The idyllic communities of bulrush, sedge and reed are patched with grey sallow and decorated with species of iris: early spider-orchid and wild saffron / autumn crocus blossom on the wet meadows and steppe meadows. The most beautiful area is the Nagyrét (Large Meadow), where the large pink, the wild saffron, the yellow adonis and several types of wild orchids blossom from spring to autumn. The avifauna on the wet, marshy parts is also rich: lapwings, redshanks, and various littoral birds feed on this territory.  There is a large open water surface on the territory as well: great white herons, common herons, mallards and ferruginous ducks, reed songbirds hatch on the more than one hundred hectare territory of the chain of fish-ponds southeast of Tápiószecs? and even otters came to live here. But on the outskirts of Tápiószentmárton and Tápióbicske the southern sandy, dry, hot world begins, there are small patches of wood and loess dunes with characteristic communities of the sand and sandhills, feather-grass (Stipa borysthenica) , pink sp. (Dianthus serotinus), dyer's alkanet, purple golden-drop. One of the largest contiguous geographical units of the landscape protection area is the loess range of the Monor hills reaching here as the southernmost spur of the Gödöll? hills. The plants of the hills resemble those of the Gödöll? hills, protected rarities like fleabane sp. (Inula oculus-christi) or the bugle sp. (Ajuga laxmannii) can be found on the loess grasslands between woods. Along the small streams of the valleys flowing into the Tápiós valuable marshy meadows, genistas can be found with several species of orchids and iris. Marshy, wet communities live at the foot of the hills towards the valley of the Tápió. Bee-eaters nest in the loess walls but we find the curlew hatching on the wet areas. South of this territory begin the loess hills, but the marshy meadows reach here along the small streams of the valleys providing masses of often valuable birds with nesting places. While the rare Montagu's harrier nesting here is rather the hunter of the wet areas and meadows, the saker falcon and the honey buzzard look for food on the loess steppe. In addition to the Tápió another watercourse of the territory is the Hajta brook. It is smaller than the Tápió, but its meandering beauty and natural surroundings are a match. The north-south directed brook valley is accompanied with marshes and moors, wet meadows (especially south of Nagykáta as far as Farmos). The Hajta marsh lies near Egreskáta with orchids, gentian decorated with the largest community of Turkish iris (Iris spuria) in Hungary. Unfortunately, this area has also dried up recently so a part of the water birds (sandpipers, godwits) disappeared from the territory. The most beautiful part of the wet communities fed by the Hajta is the moor meadow stretching near Farmos. These wet parts, especially after a rainy spring, turn into a real bird paradise. In addition to the rich community of amphibia the great white heron, common heron, night heron live on the territory and the black stork is regularly sighted. The European mud-minnow lives in the moor. The farther lying surroundings of the Hajta are also valuable: loess grasslands can be found on the eastern and southern drier borders of the wet areas, saline communities follow a bit towards east (e.g. near Tápiógyörgye), and the characteristic plants of the saline world live: sea blite, Michaelmas-daisy, hog's fennel. The saline ponds on the south dry up by summer; they are surrounded by micro-mounds in sodic grassland recalling the world of the area over the Tisza. The fauna consists of species easily adapting to the surroundings: the littoral birds of the salines and masses of orthopterous insects (the exotic shaped snouted grasshopper should be specially mentioned as it lives on a few places only). And hardly fifteen kilometres to the north (at Szentmártonkáta) already true mountain trees such as hornbeam and beech trees can be found on an area flat as a table. If we turn south again at Egreskáta a real sandy oak wood, then again saline pastures welcome the visitors. Rare birds such as stone curlew, the wonderfully coloured roller nest here, on the eastern saline the black-tailed godwit hatch, while the red-footed falcon nest in patches of woods. http://www.foek.hu/zsibongo/termve/tk/angtk/tapio.htm |
Más sobre Tápió-Hajta Vidék TK
2: Sárvíz-völgye TK
| Sárvíz valley Landscape Protection Area Territory of the protected area: 3 616 hectares, of which 157 hectares are under increased protection. Location: The seven protected parts are situated between Tác and Sárbogárd along the Sárvíz brook and the Malom (mill) canal. Visitors: The major part of the area is freely accessible for visitors but there are areas that are subject to permit or closed. Management: Directorate of the Danube–Ipoly National Park The valley of the Sárvíz (muddy water), formed in a roughly northwest-southeast fault from the foot of the Bakony to the hills of Szekszárd, sinks towards south. Its catchment area – around Sárvíz brook as its axis – directed and partly directs even today the waters to a huge territory. Until the twentieth century this region was an unbroken wet, marshy land, which was drained as late as the 1920s only with a network of still living canals. The area lying lower than its surroundings operating as a natural water-basin, however, turned into a place with stagnant water abundant in larger and smaller lakes during the time of rainy periods, where no quality cultivation can be pursued except for the higher lying parts. Attempts of rice production were made some time ago and by now it has also become a useful bird protection investment, because the abandoned rice fields became valuable shallow ponds with reed creating a habitat for a large community of littoral birds. In the valley of the Sárvíz former water-levels made it possible to turn smaller lakelets into fishponds, thus in addition to the marshy communities, large open water surfaces were formed, where a great number of common herons and purple herons, little egrets and great white herons, night herons, squacco herons hatch. The still wet area turning into swampy marshes when it rains a lot is divided by patches of grey sallows and willow-ash galleries. Large mixed communities of herons can be found in the often ten meter wide zone of reed surrounding the fish-ponds (for example east of Soponya) while hundreds of black-headed gulls hatch on the island in the lakes raising deafening cacophony.  As in many places in Hungary, after the drying up of the territory secondary salinification took place in parallel with the remaining wet habitats, and saline lawns appeared. The characteristic communities of the territory are similar to those of the sandy steppes between the Danube and the Tisza. These habitats still protect masses of valuable, protected plants. In the valley of the Sárvíz, primarily on its eastern side, several larger or smaller saline lakes can be found with saline or salinificating lawns. The flora and the fauna living here recall the saline areas of the Alföld. In addition to the typical saline plants of the valuable artemisia meadows the crocus sp. (Crocus reticulatus) appears and several species of the iris as well. From among the most valuable birds the avocet, the redshank, the black-tailed godwit and the little ringed plover hatch on the saline (mainly near Sárszentágota, Sárkeresztúr and Fels?szentiván). Among the saline patches of the fields near Sárszentágota and remaining gallery woods milkvetch (Astragalus exapus), and feather grass, as well as several species of wild orchid still can be found. The frequent patches of Camphorosmetum annuae on the meadow of the larger uninterrupted protected area near Sárkeresztúr recall the salines over the Tisza, though the captivatingly beautiful varied landscape patterned with smaller and broader hills anticipates rather the southern parts of the Sárvíz valley. The higher lying sandy parts are often situated within a couple of metres from the world of marsh, in such cases a few steps away from the drought resistant plants of the sandy steppe lawn we can admire the wild orchid of the marshy meadow. Smaller steppe lawn patches recalling the ancient Mez?föld remained in several parts of the area, often with rich and varied flora, since several species of orchid blossom on these small patches, for example near Aba (military orchid, bug-orchid and green-winged orchid). In addition to the more than a hundred species of birds hatching in the Sárvíz valley the white-tailed eagles, black storks frequently come to feed in the area and the fish-ponds see ospreys as well. During migration tens of thousands of bean geese, white-fronted geese, and the various species of ducks occupy the lakes and their vicinity. The larger or smaller patches of wood, poplars, elms, ash-trees, willow groves offer home for harriers, red-footed falcons, kestrels (blood hawks) and long-eared owls and also one of the most beautiful Hungarian birds the roller is quite frequent along the Sárvíz. http://www.foek.hu/zsibongo/termve/tk/angtk/sarviz.htm |
Más sobre Sárvíz-völgye TK
3: Sárréti TK
| Sárrét Landscape Protection Area Territory of the protected area: 2 211 hectares, of which 422 hectares are under increased protection. Location: The landscape protection area is located between Várpalota and Székesfehérvár on the northern part of Sárrét. Visitors: Limited access for visitors. Management: Directorate of the Danube–Ipoly National Park After the river control of the 19th century the Sárrét ceased to be that vast marshy meadow it used to be, nowadays, the majority of the land remains dry throughout the year. Agricultural cultivation is carried on one of its parts and the rest turned into a steppe meadow with feather-grass and saline or increasingly saline meadow. Still, the nature loving man often observes with astonishment that animal and plant species known for their delicacy irrationally stick to an area even if it has long ceased to be a habitat appropriate for them. An example for this is the several square kilometre patch of Sárrét squeezed between Várpalota and Székesfehérvár.  The basin formed in the Pleistocene sloping southward used to be the northern border of the vast marsh stretching as far as the hills of Tolna. The more than ten metre thick layer of peat formed on the limey silt rich of the ocean deposit is the remnant of the moor (the most important occurrence of the so called lime silt in Hungary can be found in the basin of Sárrét). However, in our times the quality of the water of the basin is deteriorating to a great extent due to the significantly polluted communal and industrial water from the neighbourhood. Even so, pollution is not reflected in the landscape: there are still valuable marshy meadows with hare's tail grass in the area with black bog-rush fen marsh meadows on the puddly parts as well as drying up marsh meadows and steppe meadows with feather-grass sp. (Stipa borysthenica) on the drier places, providing habitat for several protected plants e.g. the a military orchid and the bug orchid. However, it is also true that these parts are only small patches between the cultivated fields.  The area was originally granted protection for the sake of great bustards nesting here, unfortunately it brought relatively small result as their number is continuously decreasing and presently only a few bustards live on the dry meadows of the Sárrét. But the avifauna is still rich on the fresh wet meadows. The fauna of the Sárrét is characterised by rich occurrences of amphibia, and the nesting of nearly sixty species of birds is proven, among them rarities such as the Montagu's harrier, the hobby, the tawny owl and the barn owl, the red-footed falcon. The common sandpiper, lapwing and the very rare curlew hatch on the marshy parts, and a relatively large number of partridges and quails live on the wet meadows. http://www.foek.hu/zsibongo/termve/tk/angtk/sarret.htm |
Más sobre Sárréti TK
4: Ócsai TK
| Ócsa Landscape Protection Area Territory of the protected area: 3 606 hectares, of which 1 466 hectares are under increased protection. Location: In Pest county, 30 kilometres to the south of Budapest, in the area encircled by the villages Ócsa, Dabas and Inárcs. Visitors: Except for the highly protected parts it is free of access for visitors. The degree of protection is indicated on signboards. Management: The Duna–Ipoly National Park The 'turjános' (the system of connected marshy, swampy lakes are called 'Turjánvidék' or 'turjános') marshes, boggy reeds, associations of wooded marshes, endemic plant and animal species of the Alföld once stretched on several hundreds of square kilometeres. The landscape protection area is one of the last remains and refuge of the natural and social environment of a once was world.  Though the difference of heights of the areas is negligible, as a result of diversified superficial forms, the plant associations are extremely rich, on which each phase of lake succession can be followed from open water surfaces, through marsh and moor associations emerging with the spreading of plants tied to the ground, then through alder-moors, willows even to arborescent associations. Open water surfaces can be found at lower lying places, in the canals of former mort-lakes and watercourses and in more recent canals. Their banks are lined by wide watery strips of reed-grass and reeds where the otherwise rare nettle (Urtica kioviensis) can still be found. A bit further away the next in line are the tall sedge, 'turjános' areas, then characteristic moor associations (the so called black bog-rush fen (Schoenus) moors) follow. Peat, the valuable combustible of moors has been exploited by locals for centuries, nevertheless the area of it reduced alarmingly only with spreading of agricultural fields and modern water control, therefore the majority of them are under high protection (e.g. the 'turjános of the Bika-rét). The purple moor-grass moors appear at drier places, the survival of which is ensured by the continuous intervention of man the user of the land – in harmony with nature –, because these areas would quickly be overtaken by grey sallow (Salix cinerea) if regular use of meadows would not prevent that. Still several orchid species live in these fresh meadows and this is where the lilyleaf (ladybell) (Adenophora liliifolia) the valuable relict species from the ice age is waiting for better days. In the the aldermoor associations mixed with the rare and valuable ash sp. (Fraxinus pannonica), the alders have grown a system of prop roots ('legged' alder). On the higher surfaces the oak-elm-ash (Quercus-Ulmus-Fraxinus) gallery forest appears, the last element of the ecological succession, of which undergrowth provides habitat for charcteristic mountain species (may lily /Maianthemum bifolium/, European ginger /Asarum europaeum/, yellow dead-nettle /Lamium galeobdolon/). The fauna of the area is also very rich. An extremely rich insect fauna was found by experts in the ground of alderwood forests. The little rare fen wainscot still lives in the Öregturján in Ócsa (which together with the T?zegbánya lakes /peat-mining/ are protected areas of international significance), as well as the false ringlet, a relict from the ice age living only here in Hungary. The European pond tortoise is a common sight, but the very rare species of moors the European mud-minnow also lives here as well as the viviparous lizard, which is a relict, too. The most precious species of the avifauna are the Montagu's harrier, the curlew, the corncrake, the roller, the grasshopper warbler, the red-footed falcon, the hobby and the bittern. Accomodating to the natural environment man living here established a characteristic lifestyle, occupations and tools creating a valuable landscape with his everyday activities. Besides its natural and lanscape elements the landscape protection area also preserves culrural relics. The 13th century Romanesque style church with two towers in Ócsa is far-famed, although the church was rebuilt after a destruction by fire, therefore the original building is hardly recognisable. The superb listed cottages around the church of the historic old village have preserved their old structure and form. There is a village museum in one of them which houses a nice collection of folk costumes, tools and customs of the region. The almost a hundred year old wooden grave-posts in the reformed part of the cemetery belonging to the old village are also protected. The almost two hundred year old row of protected cellars in the vineyard on the old hill, on the boundary of the 'turjános' and the sanded areas is also a fascinating sight. The lasting hatch, gabled, or pincer-like structures are also applied when building new cellars, too. http://www.foek.hu/zsibongo/termve/tk/angtk/ocsa.htm |
Más sobre Ócsai TK
5: Gödöll?i TK
| Gödöll?i Dombvidék (hills) Landscape Protection Area Territory of the protected area: 11 996 hectares, of which 3 128 hectares are under increased protection. Location: The protected areas largely located to the east of Gödöll? stretch from Erd?kertes to Pécel. Visitors: Freely accessible for visitors. Management: Directorate of the Danube–Ipoly National Park. The hill-country of northwest-southeast direction of the Gödöll?i-dombvidék stretches from Vác and from the southwest border of the Cserhát as far as Albertirsa, to the Tápió-vidék. The specialty of the hill-country is that it works as a watershed of east-west direction, in the west of it watercourses flow into the Danube, while in the east of it they flow into the Tisza. Diversified superficial forms can be observed on the loess hills – they are characterized by steep hillsides and deep, narrow valleys, flat hill ridges at other places divided by wide valleys, sandy, steppe habitats and marshy, moorish valleys. The orientation of the areas can be fairly varied, there are vast hillsides of northerly exposure, as well as wider valleys of east-west exposure, ranges of hills of north-south direction and narrow, cool valleys open to the north. Owing to this unparalleled diversity the hill-country provides varied conditions for habitats, although concerning its height it is relatively uniform as it is constituted of one to two hundred metre high hills.  The survival of the rich and variegated flora and fauna, the little evocative inner valleys, the heart-warming places with stagnant water is due to the fact that the area being close to the capital has been recreation area and hunting-ground of those in power for centuries. This area was already a game preserve in the King Mátyás era, later together with the Gödöll? palace it became the property of King Ferenc József, and even recently it was reserved for government officials. The characteristic rare forest association of warmer hillsides and valleys is the thermophilous oak forests mixed with lime trees with rare species of orchids, bloody cranesbill (Geranium sanguineum), stonecrop wall germander (Teucrium chamaedrys) and hundreds of yellow adonises in springtime in the undergrowth. The characteristic plant association of the unwooded sides, valleys open to the south and the east and the sandy ridges stretching into the hills is the sandy steppe lawn. In the southeast of the hill-country – in the neighbourhood of Isaszeg and Pécel – besides thermophilous patches of oaks, marshy, watery meadows and alder-marshes stretch. The yellow iris blooms in wet associations (e.g. Babat, Feketepuszta) of the moors in areas without an outlet. The fauna of the government hunting ground closed for a long time – certain areas are still fenced – is very rich, too. Besides the outstandingly valuable stock of big game - roe-deer, deer, wild-boar – wild cats, otters, pine-martens and beech martens also live in the area. The avifauna is also rich: the bee-eater, the black woodpecker, the green woodpecker are common to hatch, but the kingfisher, the honey buzzard, the hobby also hatch and the saker falcon can also be sighted. The value of the avifauna is further increased by the fact that nesting of the very rare scarlet grosbeak is also proved. The cultural, historical significance of the Gödöll?i Dombvidék situated centrally in the Carpathian basin is also outstanding. There are Sarmatian, Scythian and Avar relics at several places in the forests of the region: remains of burial places, earthworks, earth fortifications (in the vicinity of Valkó, Szada, Pécel) and traces of the famous trench of Csörsz is also recognizable. One of the largest place of pilgrimage, the church of shrine in Máriabesny? ( the row of picture-trees decorated with sacred images which line the way leading to the church is a folklore sight). http://www.foek.hu/zsibongo/termve/tk/angtk/godollo.htm |
Más sobre Gödöll?i TK
6: Gerecse TK
| Gerecse Landscape Protection Area Territory of the protected area: 8 739 hectares, of which 1 365 hectares are under increased protection. Location: The protected area consists of the central parts of Gerecse mountain. Visitors: Freely accessible for visitors (even the areas under increased protection may be toured along the defined routes). Management: Directorate of the Danube–Ipoly National Park. The base rock of Gerecse mountain is the lime stone formed in the Mesozoic, in the Triassic and the Jurassic periods, broken up by the faults of the surface, thus the parts of the mountain are divided from each other by faults from the northwest to the southeast. The limestone of Gerecse is famous, partly because intact lime shells of creatures living millions of years ago can be found in it much more frequently than the average thus people with interest can obtain beautiful impressions with a relatively small investment: the traces of giant Protozoa can be observed in the limestone of the Triassic period (naturally, magnifying glass will come handy) while marvellous lime shells of ancient cephalopods can be found in the deposits from the Jurassic period. Another celebrated feature of the limestone is its magnificent red-deep red-rusty colour of marble-like hues of changing intensity used for centuries as "red marble" of Piszke and Tardos for the construction of numerous famous buildings (perhaps the most famous is the palace of Visegrád). The limestone of Gerecse with its highest point at six hundred metres and karst formations offers entrancing sights (e.g. the Pesk?) and hides more than thirty caves, there are smaller holes and recesses just as well as real caves (the largest and most famous with its more than 240 metres long galleries can be found at Nagy-Pisznice). Finds from the stone age were discovered in several caves, for example in the Szelim cave over Tatabánya (which can be spotted from even the road), and in the Jankovich cave (where the skeletons of the animals killed by the early man were found as well). Gerecse and its vicinity were covered with unbroken forestland until the Turkish occupation that started to change after the Turkish rule. The inner parts of the inselberg are still characterized by blocks of forests and rich fauna. Its most beautiful parts are under increased protection, therefore visitors must not leave the tourist paths. These areas can be mainly found on Nagy-Somlyó, Nagy-Pisznice, Lábas and Asszony hills.  Though the plants of Gerecse resemble those of Vértes and Pilis, it is not so rich, which is usually explained by the experts as a result of the more homogeneous soil-forming rock and the less varied microclimatic conditions. The most characteristic wood communities of the mountain are the oaks mixed wit Turkey oaks and the oaks mixed with hornbeam in the cooler parts, on the shadowy slopes of valleys, while beeches are found in the higher zones and on the northern slopes (they are the so called extrazones because they live below their usual altitude). White oaks cover the quickly warming up exposed southern sides and mahaleb cherry karst scrub groves (where the soil is poorer) which are of splendid sight when in blossom in spring. In addition to the mahaleb cherry another companion of karst scrub groves is the smoke tree, the bright red of which is a memorable experience at the beginning of autumn. The more exposed parts are covered with lime tree fragment slope groves, the characteristic plants of the sunny lawn are the dwarf sedge and the fescue sp. (Festuca rupicola). The bare parts are covered with dolomite rock lawns and calciphilous rock lawn slope steppe meadows, species of the Alföld (e.g. purple golden-drop) are frequently found on the side towards the plain in Northwestern Hungary. The feather-grass, Pasque flower, dwarf iris (Iris pumila) grow in several parts on the mountain, but the outstandingly valuable plant of Gerecse is the relict from the ice age, the fennel (Ferula sadleriana) on Nagy-Pisznice, which can be found in few places of the country. Gerecse also hosts the rare bird's-foot trefoil sp. (Lotus borbasii) and the cockspur (Echinops ruthenicus), the valuable spirea communities can be found on Nagy-Somlyó. The avifauna in Gerecse is very rich, almost one hundred species provenly nest here, among them birds of prey under increased protection like the saker falcon, the imperial eagle, booted eagle, or the also rare colourful rock thrush, the raven, and the wheatear (Oananthe oananthe). Among the mammals the wild cat, the pine marten can be mentioned, several species of bats hatch in the caves. Unfortunately the moufflon naturalized here for hunting purposes does a great deal of damage here just like in many other places, because it grazes up the valuable rocky lawn to its stem. The cultural history of Gerecse is also important. The villages along the periphery of the mountain Agostyán, Tardos, Vértestolna are valuable from ethnographic aspects. There is a beautiful arboretum near Agostyán with bald-cypresses, cedar trees, giant redwood trees and other rare species. Bajna is famous for the palace of Móric Sándor called the devil rider. http://www.foek.hu/zsibongo/termve/tk/angtk/gerecse.htm |
Más sobre Gerecse TK
7: Budai TK
| Buda Landscape Protection Area Territory of the protected area: 10 390 hectares, of which 1 603 hectares are under increased protection. Location: The landscape protection area is situated in the Buda mountains rising to the west of the capital. Visitors: Freely accessible for visitors. Management: Directorate of the Duna–Ipoly National Park. Recreation area for two million people, gold mine of land speculators, location of significant geological values an plant rarities, healing caves, significant historical relics and monuments – all these together make up the Budai mountains one of the most valuable place – and the most endangered, too – from economic aspect. The Budai hegység is geologically one of the most complex mountains in Hungary, more than thirty kinds of rocks were uncovered here by researchers. The basis of the mountains is dolomite and limestone from the Triassic ( with layers of rock-flint), on which later snow-white Dachstein lime stone (with lime frameworks of once lived little creatures preserved intact), then different marly deposits settled. The four to five hundred metre high mountains are bordered by the Pilis in the north, the Zsámbéki basin in the west, the Budaörsi basin in the south. The area rose about twenty-five million years ago and then it was broken into blocks. The forms bear the characteristics of regions which are liable to develop karst formations: the mountains are often divided by dark canyons, mountain sides have steep rocky breakings into the depth, at the same time some the chains of mountains are often divided by wide valleys or smaller flat ridges of hills. Owing to the geologic changes starting in the Miocene a comprehensive system of water took shape in the network of the porous limestone parts of the mountains, as a result of which more than a hundred and fifty caves emerged in the Budai mountains – from larger and smaller 'holes' to several kilometer long caves. The most spectacular and free of access for visitors are the Szeml?hegyi- and the Pálvölgyi caves located in the inner-city area of Budapest. Most of the caves have been closed down because of nature conservation and safety reasons.) Also those exciting, spectacular forms of stone were produced by geological processes in the Miocene, of which the most renowned are the Ördögoltár, the Csabai-gomba (mushroom) and the Tündérszikla (rock of fairy). Because of the dolomite base rock the mountains are poor in superficial water and springs are rare, too, however there are several famous hot springs at the foot of the Budai hegység, which were exploited as baths and bathhouses were built – still usable – beginning in the Turkish era. The rich superficial forms resulted a variegated mosaic of plant associations, at the same time conditions were favourable for emerging of some very rare and precious endemic (native) species, while other species could take refuge here to avoid extinction (relict plants). The significance of the area in terms of geography of plants is even more important: according to views at present the Budai mountains (perhaps more specifically the Nagy- and Kis-Szénás) was the scene where the Pannon flora characteristic of Hungary emerged (according the so called proto Mátra theory). The development of plant associations was mostly influenced by the variegated forms of the mountains providing varied habitats, as well as the soils generally rich in lime, high in clay. The warm sides with a thin tilth are covered with smoke tree karst scrub forests, with manna ash and white oak, dog-berry and Tatarian dogwood. The less warm parts, the northern sides with similar conditions are covered with mixed karst forest (with the ravishing lizard orchid (Himantoglossum hircinum) in the undergrowth). Calciphilous oaks mixed with mahaleb cherry are common, and lime fragment forests are characteristic (a nice example of this is on the Hársbokor mountain).  The majority of the mountains are covered with Turkey oaks and hornbeam oak forests. Beech or mixed beech forest can only be found on the coldest areas, just in small patches of forests (e.g. in the neighbourhood of Normafa). On the unwooded areas, in the wide flat valleys and on hillsides the occurrence of slope-steppe lawns, while on the rocky areas that of dolomite rock lawns are characteristic. The valuable species of rock lawns slope-steppe is the highly protected feather-grass. Over Budaörs with the disappearance of former oak forests very valuable rock lawn took shape with such protected plants as the seseli (Seseli leucospermum), the goldendrop (Onosma visianii) and the garland flower (Daphne ceorum). Perhaps the most valuable herbaceous plant of the Budai-hegység is the endemic Pilis flax, but among the rare and valuable species are the Buda whitebeam (Sorbus semiincisa), or the Buda hawkweed (Hieracium), the Buda moor-grass (Sesleria sadleriana), the pennycress and the sea grape (Ephedra distachya). The dwarf Russian almond (Amygdalus nana), lives on the loess areas, the winter aconite, the cyclamen and – less and less often – the wooly foxglove bloom in the Turkey oaks and in the hornbeam oak forests even quite near to the city.(Or just used to bloom? It is to be feared that slowly these species – just like the formerly present lady's slipper orchid – will also disappear because of uninitiated tourists and as a result of activities of unscrupulous land speculators. The fauna of the mountains is also valuable. But naturally the most spectacular are the birds, it is worth mentioning that besides other rare invertebrates the rare and ravishing ladybird spider and the matriarchal katydid also live in the landscape protection area. The amphibian fauna – as the limestone mountains are poor in superficial water – is not very rich, there are such valuable species among the reptiles as the slow-worm, the snake-eyed skink, the smooth snake and the Balkan whip snake. Concerning the birds, besides flocks of small songbirds and regularly visible predators – the harrier, common buzzard – the hobby also nest in the area, the rock thrush nests here though in reducing numbers, while the raven and the black woodpecker (Dryocopus martius) have a stable colony. Out of the big mammals the roe-deer, the fallow-deer, the moufflon and the wild boar are common in the area, but also the pine-marten and the sousilk and several species of bats live in the caves. The Budai mountains are a treasury of cultural and social history. Just a few example to justify that: several of their caves (e.g. in the Remete cave) stone age relics were unearthed and traces earthwork structures are in the forests. Some of the caves have a value from the aspect of the history of industry as some of the caves were exploited as gold and silver mines from the Middle Ages to the beginning of the 1800s. The church in Gercsepuszta originating from the Arpadian age is nicely refurbished. The forest parks, places of excursion or tour paths are noteworthy in terms of social history, because some of them are over a hundred, in some cases even a hundred and fifty years old. Some facilities such as the chair-lift, the Pioneer Railway, the renowned lookouts, marked tourist paths, the game reserve in Budakeszi are evocative places to get to know the mountains. http://www.foek.hu/zsibongo/termve/tk/angtk/budaitk.htm |
Más sobre Budai TK
8: Vértessz?l?si el?embertelep TT
| Vértessz?l?s Prehistoric Man Nature Conservation Area Territory of the protected area: 38 hectares. Location: The protected area is situated in the fields of the village Vértessz?l?s. Visitors: Open to the public between 1st April and 30th October. Management: Hungarian National Museum There are several limestone quarries where freshwater limestone is exploited. This layer of limestone is the result of thermal spring activities lasting to the recent past which came about as a result of geologic faults along the dolomite block of the Gerecse (detailed description of the phenomenon can be found at the description of the protected quarries in Dunaalmás containing a similar layer of limestone). In this layer of tuffaceous limestone, masses of finds from the Paleolithic age were unearthed in the 1960s. Even back at the beginning of the last century plant fossils closed in the lime came to light – just like in the Dunaalmás quarries. Later from a seventy cm thick culture layer flint and scratch tools – arrowheads, scraping tools and knifes used for splitting in the Stone Age – came to light, which material of finds were described as the legacy of the so called 'Buda culture'.  Further explorations excavated four culture layers (that means the finds of groups living there during four different periods were identified) in one of which the teeth of an infant prehistoric man were found living there three hundred thousand years before. A much more valuable find was uncovered beside a former hot spring basin: a part of the bone of the nape of the skull of an adult. The specialty of the find is that beside the Foramen occipitale another had been knocked through the skull, which according to experts, refers to prehistoric sacrificial rites. Further researches could not decide either, whether 'Samu' was just standing upright or was already a reasoning creature – the Latin name refers to this (Homo /erectus seu sapiens/ paleohungaricus). The fact remains certain that the creature living there hunted herbivorous animals and knew the fire, since besides masses of remains of animal bones, the Eolithic fireplace was found, too. The remains of bones originate from palaeo-bison, palaeo-rhinoceros and from smaller mammals. Along the source – besides the rich repository footprints of animals taken as prey – the footprint of the prehistoric man was found, too (which is the oldest footprint of a human known at present. Further excavations also unearthed the bones of about half a million year old predators. The materials of finds can bee seen near the site of discovery at a neat glass exhibition venue. http://www.foek.hu/zsibongo/termve/tt/angtt/vertessz.htm |
Más sobre Vértessz?l?si el?embertelep TT
9: Velencei madárrezervátum TT
| Velence Bird Reservation Nature Conservation Area Territory of the protected area: 420 hectares. Location: The protected area is the western bay of the Velencei lake. Visitors: Visiting is subject to permit, but the protected area can be observed with binocculars from bird watching towers located between Agárd and Dinnyés and from the roads around the lake. Management: Directorate of the Duna–Ipoly National Park The Velencei lake is one of the most popular touristic recreational area, where it is rather difficult to meet aspects of nature conservation and the expectations of the holiday-makers. This problem has mostly defined the fate of the lake, too for almost a hundred years. The lake, young in terms of geology – just about 20 thousand years old – was part of one of the largest waterlands of Dunántúl until the beginning of the 20th century. This unregulated vast trackless reeds – which was the realm of marsh-dwellers fishing, hunting, fowling – stretched from the eastern bays of the lake Velence through the area of today's Dinnyés Fert? as far as the swamps of Sárrét (in the northwestern reeds of the lake, narrow canals, originating from that time, cut into the reeds can still be found.) The area was much lower for a long time, the level of the water was at least four meters lower, but the alluvium of the watercourses forming the area continuously filled up the basin of the lake becoming more and more shallow. Therefore, until the water control in the first part of the 20th century the lake Velence was rather changeable – e.g. in the 1860s it was dry for years, but there were cases when the whole southern shore was covered with water in rainy weather. The lake Velence is different from the lakes of Dunántúl in many respects – in terms of morphology, quality of water it recalls the lakes of the Alföld, because it is basically an alkali lake the alkalinity of which is provided by the magnesium- and sodium salts dissolved in water (it is not much known that the water of the lake and especially the silt of some areas, because of the dissolved salts, is qualified as having a healing effect on the skin and the nervous system. The stabilization of the water level of the uncontrollable flatland lake was successful only in the 1960s after many attempts, when the Dinnyés-Kajtori drain-canal was built (which made it possible to control the Dinnyés Fert?, too), also making use of the Pátka and Zámoly supplementary water reservoir. Despite all that, in the 1990s the average depth of the water subsided under 70 cm, which was tried to manage – with comparative success – with further dredging and with the control of the Császár stream flowing into the lake from the west. The aim of the stabilization was to provide a favourable environment for the holiday resorts along the southern shore, which had been frequented by holiday makers for more than a hundred years. In the course of all that, the natural way of development of the lake is attempted to slow down by man, the reasult of which is that larger and larger areas of the lake get swampy and later they will turn into marsh-meadows, still later they might turn into some kind of wooded marsh association.  What we have said in the foregoing characterizes the two-faced nature of the state of the lake: the main function of the eastern basins is to provide for tourism and recreation, while the aim of the western part of the lake is to sustain habitats of European significance for birds and reed and alkali associations, at the same time maintaining the natural habitats and developments. This more than four hundred hectare area – extremely rich in water associations – is the habitat of dozens of protected plants. Floating marshes are of outstanding significance even among rare habitats, of which island-like comunity, based on dead waterplants, is unparallelly valuable: marsh fern, tufted sedge, several species of bog-moss, nettle (Urtica kioviensis), and the rare loesel's twayblade (Liparis loeselli) live on it. In addition, these 'almost islands' moving slowly play a primary role in sustaining the quality of the water, because on one hand they filter the water and at the same time they acidify the alkaline water. In the inner parts of the reeds still vast even these days large internal lakes can be found, which provides habitat for valuable flora – fennel-leaved pondweed, bladderwort, common club-rush (or lakeshore bulrush). The internal quality of the water of these lakes are very diversified as the scale stretches from wine-red water high in humic acid to yellowish internal lakes. Coming from the shore the silting up purple moor-grass associations, genista-willow patches hide such treasures as the narrow buckler-fern (Dryopteris chartusiana), the yellow iris or the marsh orchid. On the alkali shores of the southern side plants recalling the alkali areas of the Alföld grow: the sea blite, salt-marsh etc (unfortunately the alkalinity of the lake changes because of the continuous supply of missing water, therefore these associations are driven back to a smaller and smaller space). The real asset of the Velencei lake is the wonderfully variegated avifauna. Though the bird comminity dwelling on the lake has seemed to leave the lake for good several times – because of intensive hunting or the pollution of the water – one of the largest water-bird community of Hungary still lives in the hidden reeds and marsh-meadows at present. Great many spoonbills, great white herons, bitterns, night herons, common- and purple herons, squacco herons etc. dwell in the reeds.The gray leg goose, the ferruginous duck, the mallard and several species of the grebe nest on the small internal lakes. The water rail, the moorhen, several reed songbirds, the bluethroat, several species of the grasshopper warbler nest at the fringes of the reeds and on swampy areas. The lapwing, the corncrake, the redshank hatch in the wet meadows and in shallow pools – it is hard to list all of them. The real speciality of the lake is that the majority of these rare birds are indeed visible with the aid of a good pair of binoculars. It is sufficient just to peep beside the railway-embankment running on the southern side, or look down from the hills beside Pákozd on the northern shore, or one can possibly sit down next to the breeding-pools outside the protected area. http://www.foek.hu/zsibongo/termve/tt/angtt/velence.htm |
Más sobre Velencei madárrezervátum TT
10: Vácrátóti arborétum TT
| The Vácrátót Arboretum Nature Conservation Area Territory of the protected area: 28 hectares. Location: The protected area is situated in the central area of Vácrátót. Visitors: Free of access for visitors. Management: MTA Ökologiai és Botanikai Kutatóintézete The Vácrátót arboretum is rather a botanical garden than an arboretum where the majority of the collection would be supposed to consist of trees and shrubs. There are more than 12 thousand taxons, subspecies, species in the gardens, the majority of which are herbaceous plants. The park was established in the 1830s on the site of the alder-elm-ash gallery forest along the Rákos stream In 1872 it became the property of Vigyázó Sándor, who started to create an English landscape park. According to the trend of the era neogothic ruins, romantic ponds, an artificial cave, a water mill and artificial hills were created in the romantic landscape garden and the flora was 'just' an element of landscape. The development of the park started at the beginning of the last century in the era of Vigyázó Ferenc (a watering system and greenhouses were created, hundreds of flower species were propagated etc.), but after his death and until the 1950s the park had a miserable time, when it was taken over by the preset owner the research institute and the second glory of the park commanced, which still lasts even at present. At present there are about three thousand tree and shrub species in the park and five thousand flowering plant species of a hundred plant families, which are presented in a famous taxonomic collection – one of the first ones in the world (!) – created by Soó Rezs? a taxonomist of international reputation. The collection of roses is very rich, the flowering of the perennials of the rock garden created in the 1970s provides an excellent sight, as well as the collection of bulbous plants and that of the peonies. The collection in the green houses is similarly instructive and enthralling, where several kinds of palms, coffee-shrubs, cocoa trees, orchids, cacti and tropical ferns can be admired.  The tree and shrub collection of the gardens is also valuable and pretty – especially in autumn. Several kinds of oak-, ash-, beech-, maple-, poplar and many species of shrubs decorate the park. The collection of exotas is also very rich: from the renowned swamp cypress (the aerial clinging roots of which is unmatched in Europe), ginkgo (maidenhair tree), ironwood tree (Mesua ferrea), dawn redwood, juniper (Juniperus sabina), to the Caucasian wingnut. The collection of local endangered species of natural forests is similarly interesting and instructive. The main aim of this collection is that experts in the research institute can study the possibilities of saving and resettling the rare species in their original habitat. http://www.foek.hu/zsibongo/termve/tt/angtt/vacratot.htm |
Más sobre Vácrátóti arborétum TT
11: Turai legel? TT
| Tura Pasture Nature Conservation Area Territory of the protected area: 14 hectares. Location: The protected area is situated to the south of Tura, along the stream Galga. Visitors: Not open t for the public (but the protected area can be sighted without damaging the flowers from the dirt road along the protected area). Management: Directorate of Duna–Ipoly National Park The Tura pasture is one of the last remains of a habitat which used to be widespread. The little stream Galga takes its source in Cserhát, crosses the eastern edges of the Gödöll?i-dombság (hills) and flows into the river Zagyva. Once there were wide plains along the Galga: they were characterized by watery meadows on the alluvial grounds of lower lying areas and by fresh meadow associations on the meadow soils of higher areas. Dry sanded soils rich in humus and lime were charcterized by sanded puszta associations abouning in flowers on still higher parts, the majority of which have been broken up and drawn under cultivation leaving just a few patches in their original state. The spring meadow saffron (Bulbocodium vernum) was a typical plant of this association, but became exteremly endangered when its habitat shrinked.  It flowers early spring – often at the end of February – between agricultural fields and planted acacia groves. The chances of survival of the little plant relict of the Pleistocene is reduced by irresponsible people digging out the plant together with its root. But the sensitive plant will die in changed circumstances or lose its colour. (In spite that lots of choice saffrons are on the market in nurseries.) A serious fine is imposed even for digging out one stem of the species under high protection. Touring along the Galga it is also worth visiting the villages rich in folk traditions. http://www.foek.hu/zsibongo/termve/tt/angtt/turai.htm |
Más sobre Turai legel? TT
12: Tatai kálvária-domb
| Tata Calvary-hill Nature Conservation Area Territory of the protected area: 26 hectares. Location: The protected area is situated in the centre of Tata. Visitors: Free of access for visitors between 1st April and 31st October. Management: National Institute of Geology There are some nature conservation areas in Hungary which diplay the treasures of the inanimate nature, the processes of geologic time scale – the Tata Calvary-hill of international reputation stands out even among them. The area used to be a quarry, but the unearthed treasures have been well known in Europe for more than 200 years. In the open 'textbook' of the block of the Calvary-hill standing out, where the changes of a whole geologic era: the Mesozoic from the Triassic to the Cretaceous period lasting almost two hundred million years can be traced. The oldest part is the basis of the area the snow-white 240 million year old layer called Dachstein limestone. (At that time the area was covered with the Thetys sea.) Over that the youngest period of the Triassic is marked by such large shells – Megalodus – which lived in the palaeo sea near the shore where the waves were very rough. The white limestone layer is coloured with the yellowish strips of the former sediment or with the petrified stripes of once alive alga.  The Jurassic period is both indicated with series of terrestrial and marine deposits: reddish marine lime-ooze (silt), which intruded into the white limestone underneath in the course of tectonic movements. The calcified frames of once alive creatures, the most well known of which are the Amonites (the cephalopods) can be found in the layers here, too. The series of layers of the Cretaceous period starts with layers containing bauxite, while the uppermost layer is constituted of freshwater travertine and clay sediments. The archeological material of finds is also very rich besides the several million year old geological series of layers of variegated patterns, and formations. The petrified frame of the Jurassic creatures with siliceous test was precious mineral resource for the prehistoric man living there. The stone exploited from the layer of flint was both used for making fire and flint-flake tools. The traces – different stone and antler tools – of the ancient mine was found by explorers on the site. Rich materials of Palaeontological finds were also found, which are also on show in the nicely created open-air museum. http://www.foek.hu/zsibongo/termve/tt/angtt/tatai.htm |
Más sobre Tatai kálvária-domb
13: Székesfehérvári homokbánya TT
| Székesfehérvár Sand-pit Nature Conservation Area Territory of the protected area: 121 hectares. Location: The protected area is situated in the central area of Székesfehérvár, near the road to Szekszárd. Visitors: Except for hatching period it is free of access for visitors. Management: Directorate of Duna–Ipoly National Park This sand-pit is one of the most precious protected areas in Hungary. All sorts of plant associations developed in the abandoned sand-pit during a secondary inhabiting: dry sanded lawns, willow-poplar groves, wet meadows, watery and reed-grass lacustrian plant associations. Rare plant and animal species live, sometimes in large numbers, in the variegated habitat. Nine orchid species – military- and marsh orchids, white helleborines, loose-flowered orchids and marsh helleborines – grow in the lawns and wet areas of higher-level parts (almost one hundred thousand stems of the latter!). The most precious part of the fauna is the avifauna of watery areas and lakes. Almost thirty species of birds hatch in the protected area, several protected littoral and waterbirds (sandpipers, lapwings, godwits etc.). There are colonies of bee-eaters and sand martins in the sand walls, while red-footed falcons nest in one of the small forests of the area. Several species of amphibians live on the shores of the lakes, rare snouted grasshoppers and praying mantids live in the dry lawns of the sand-pits. Unfortunately more and more plants are stamped down year by year, therefore special attention should be taken when walking among these rare plants.  http://www.foek.hu/zsibongo/termve/tt/angtt/szekesfe.htm |
Más sobre Székesfehérvári homokbánya TT
14: Rétszilasi-tavak TT
| Lakes Rétszilas Nature Conservation Area Territory of the protected area: 1495 hectares. Location: The protected area is situated between Sárbogárd and Simontornya. Visitors: Only guided tours are available at certain parts of the area – especially in hatching period – other fish-ponds can be walked around along the dams after making arrangements with the fish farms. Management: Directorate of Duna–Ipoly National Park The valley of the Sárvíz (Sárvíz-völgye) was one of the largest marshlands of the Dunántúl until the 19th century. The axis of the region from the Lake Velence as far as the northern border of the Mez?föld nurtured by water was the Sárvíz stream. The majority of the area lying lower than its surroundings was characterized by vast marshes, boggy areas, fenwoods and wet hayfields – providing habitat for a rich flora and fauna. Although draining started already in the 18th century, but the majority of the region was cultivated only from the turn of the last century. The lowest areas along the Sárvíz – fortunately – have not been able to be snatched from water. In order to make profitable use of the area some fishponds were created at the beginning of the 20th century. This system of fishponds stretching as long as 14 km was created at that time along the Sárvíz and the two largest draining canals of the area the Malom- and the Nádor-canals. The system consists of twelve large (ten to seventy hectare) and sixteen smaller (up to five haectares each) lakes and several brooding lakes. On the lakes of diffrent sizes and depths a rich world of habitats developed from areas densely covered with reed and bulrush, areas getting marshy, to large open water surfaces; from sedgy, watery edges of streams and lakes and marsh-meadows, to reed-grass areas, islands which provide undisturbed conditions for hatching. The variety of habitats is more enriched by the drained areas starting to get alkali, and by the wooded hill-country begining to the wets of the lakes. All these provide ideal conditions for the avifauna, which is the greatest asset of the area.   More than 220 species of birds have been listed on the fish-ponds, the half of which also nests there. There are several larger and smaller colonies of herons and nesting places in shrubby parts with bitterns, little egrets, great white herons (more than a hundred couples nest in the area out of the latter), night herons, dwarf herons, spoonbills, squacco herons, common- and purple herons. The cormorant, several species of the grebe, the ferruginous duck, tufted ducks hatch on the lakes, but the gray leg goose also regularly nests. Reed songbirds, penduline tits and grasshopper warblers live in the reeds and along the dams. Gull colonies have hundreds of nesting black-headed gulls and the rare Mediterranean gull also regularly hatches. The black stork is a regular visitor from the woods of the Mez?ség, but sometimes the avocet nests and the redshank, the black-tailed godwit and the lapwing hatch in the area finding their food in the shallow parts and in the drained beds of lakes. Thousands of geese, ducks, herons, sandpipers, ringed plovers and curlews make a racketing noise recalling the richness of nature of once was times. The richness of the fauna is characterized by the dragonfly- and the amphibian fauna (fire-bellied toad, tree-frog, marsh-frog, edible frog and moor frog). Traces of the otter can regularly be spotted on the dams. Military-, loose-flowered-, and green-winged orchids grow in the wet meadows. A part of the area is open for eco-tourism (angling, bird-watching, riding etc.). There is a museum of fishing in Rétmajor presenting the old lifestyle of man living in the marshes of Sárrét fishing and hunting. http://www.foek.hu/zsibongo/termve/tt/angtt/retszil.htm |
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15: Rácalmási Szigetek TT
| Rácalmás Islands Nature Conservation Area Territory of the protected area: 382 hectares. Location: The protected area is situated along the Rácalmás reaches of the Danube. Visitors: Visiting the sanded shallows is subject to permit, but the so called Nagy islands are free of access for visitors. Management: Directorate of Duna–Ipoly National Park Islands of rivers of strong current relatively rarely form in the main-stream of a river. The water generally places its deposit to build an island in the bends, in the more quiet inner arc. The Nagy island which constitutes the majority of the Rácalmás protected area is divided from the shore by a narrow branch of the Danube, but the more than ten larger and smaller sanded shallows are only accessible from the water. The real value of the Rácalmás islands are these undisturbed sanded shallows and the small branches between them A magnificient view of them is provided from the Nagy island. The little islands or shallows difficult of access are still an untouched world. Willow scrubs grow on the shores, there are poplar-willow forests a bit higher, while the charcteristic oak-ash-elm hardwooded gallery forests occupy the highest levels with a rich shrub stratum (with hawthorn, guelder rose etc.). The fact that the typical herbaceaous species of these associations are also present indicates the untouchedness of the area – lily-of-the-valley, a squill species (Scilla vindobonensis), snowflakes, summer snowflakes, irises, lesser celandines, Hungarian hawthorn. The fauna of the shallows is also abundant: several species of herons – night herons, common herons, great white herons, little egrets, squacco herons etc. live in the area, and several duck species find food stuffs between the small islands: mallards, common pochards, garganeys. The kingfisher hatches on the edges of the water, so do small songbirds, nightingales, black woodpeckers and green woodpeckers in the forests. The fish stock of the small branches is also very rich, there are several protected fish species in the area, as well as an amphibian and a reptile fauna.  the village http://www.foek.hu/zsibongo/termve/tt/angtt/racalmas.htm |
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16: Peregi parkerd? TT
| Pereg Forest Park Nature Conservation Area Territory of the protected area: 12 hectares. Location: The protected area is situated in the fields of Ráckeve, along the Ráckeve branch of the Danube on the left side of the road to Kiskunlacháza. Visitors: Free of access for visitors. Management: Directorate of Duna–Ipoly National Park Planting of the forest began at the end of the 1970s. Cultured poplars were planted in the majority of the area, as well as further tree species singly or ingroups: plane trees, lime trees, ashes and elms and other species have come to the area naturally since that time. The most precious part is the one with planted sweet chestnuts and larches. This unusual plantation almost looks like an arboretum at some spots. In spite of being quite young the plant and animal associations of the forest already include a valuable insect- and avifauna population (mostly small songbirds).  Pereg-angyalosház (house with angel) http://www.foek.hu/zsibongo/termve/tt/angtt/peregi.htm |
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17: Pákozdi ingókövek TT
| Pákozd Rocking Stones Nature Conservation Area Territory of the protected area: 44 hectares. Location: The protected area is situated to the north of Pákozd in the Velence mountains. Visitors: The protected area lies beside a military drill-ground, therefore, the area is only free of access for visitors when military exercise is not being held. Management: HM Budapesti Forestry Rt. The Velence mounatins are one of the oldest geological formula which can be studied on the surface. The reddish granite of the mountains formed at the time of the Variscan formation of mountains in the Paleozoic era. Later in the Eocene of the tertiary period the system of blocks, already broken and undergone erosion, covered with limestone and argillaceous shale, was broken through by andesite volcanoes and the lithoclases were filled up. The several million year old granite broken up into small pieces by silica and porphyry veins and lithoclases was eroded not only on the surface, but also twenty to thirty meters under the ground – where it was eroded by chemical decay because of the different material of the rocks. The huge granite blocks had already been subdued, ellipsoidal or sack shaped by that time. Later the product of erosion, the also several million year old softer rocks and sediments were eroded from the granite formations by natural forces on the surface. That is how the huge fabulous granite blocks sanding alone or in groups leaning on one another got to the surface. Some of them – the so called 'rocking' stones – lean against one another as if they could roll away any minute, arousing feelings of fear and admiration in the onlookers. The prettiest formations are the rocks of the Oroszlán stone (Lion's ), the Pandúr stone (Pandour), the Meleg mountain (Warm) and the formations of the Csöntér mountain lying over the Sukoró.  http://www.foek.hu/zsibongo/termve/tt/angtt/pakozd.htm |
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18: Martonvásári kastélypark TT
| Martonvásár Park Nature Conservation Area Territory of the protected area: 70 hectares. Location: The protected area is situated on the premises of the Research Institute of Agriculture. Visitors: Free access for visitors. Management: MTA Research Institute of Agriculture Martonvásár is famous for Beethoven and the Brunszvik family. This little village rose out of anonymity when in 1758 Brunszvik Antal purchased the estate of about eight thousand 'hold' lying around Martonvásár in exchange of his Moson estate. (1 'hold'=0.57 hectares or 1.42 English acres) The enlightened duke immediately began to develop the partly swampy area. He began draining, encouraged the growth of the village very under-developed at that time and he started to have a baroque manor house built in 1773. He started to create a landscape garden around the manor house – saving the endemic oak-ash-elm gallery forests – and according to the trend of the era he planted chestnuts, maples. The Founder of the park was followed by his son, who further developed the park in neoclassic style. By damming the Szent László stream flowing through the area, a little island was made, then the manor house was rebuilt in neo-gothic style. A large collection of exotas and further deciduous trees were planted. Today's captivating space-structure was finalized at that time. The romantic pond with a shape looking natural, the little bridges and the bowing willows, the ancient swamp cypress on the bank of the lake, the giant atlas cedar, the hidden clearings and quiet corners, the groves of poplars, beeches, alders, elms and other exotic trees all allure to take a refreshing walk in the park.  This is what Beethoven must have percieved, who was in love with the younger Brunszvik girl, when he visited the family estate several times in Martonvásár. His memory is preserved in the Beethoven memorial exhibition in the manor house and in the concert area created in his memory on the island. http://www.foek.hu/zsibongo/termve/tt/angtt/martonv.htm |
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19: Háros-szigeti Ártéri-erd? TT
| Washland Forest on Háros Island Nature Conservation Area Territory of the protected area: 56 hectares. Location: The protected area is situated in the central area of Budapest in the XXII-th district across the Háros bank of the Danube. Visitors: Not open for the public. Management: Directorate of the Duna–Ipoly National Park This island has stopped being an island, since the control of the Danube in 1911 connected it with the right bank of the Danube, but at the same time military barracks were built in the northern part of the island, which defended the washland forests of Háros better than any regulations. Although the island is not open for the public, because of the sensitivity of the washland associations dwelling in a small area, but walking along the Danube on the Buda side it is still visible that the flora and fauna of the island is characterized by jungle like richness (just a few steps from a shopping center and busy roads!).  Almost all the items of washland succession are present on the island – from the plants of the silted riverbank through the willow scrub, soft-wooded willow-poplar gallery forests to the oak-ash-elm hard-wooded forests of high-level areas. The flora of the area is characterized by such herbaceous plants as the summer snowflake, the yellow flag, the alpine squill, the lily-of-the-valley etc. The real specialty – which can be observed from the bank – is the so called hanging leaf-litter often developing among twenty m tall trees. The trailers of creepers making the forest impenetrable, the trailers of (Calystegia sepium), hops, grape vine (Vitis silvestris), riverbank grape /frost grape (Vitis riparia), and the hybrids of grape vine create a second 'layer of soil' between the trees by catching the falling leaves and they get humified in decades. In this jungle like habitat a very special and rare fauna evolved – mainly insect fauna – several species of which can only be traced here in Hungary. The little lakes of the island sometimes covered with water all the year round as a result of the flooding of the Danube, provide ideal habitats for a rich amphibian and reptile fauna. The avifauna of the area is also valuable, more than a hundred species have been counted, the black woodpecker, the Eurasian wryneck, the hobby, the tawny owl (howlet), and the grasshopper warble and the little ringed plover hatch in the forest. During migration period the black stork or the great white heron and other heron species are not rare, either. http://www.foek.hu/zsibongo/termve/tt/angtt/haros.htm |
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20: Gödöll?i királyi kastélypark TT
| Gödöll? Royal Palace Gardens Nature Conservation Area Territory of the protected area: 26 hectares. Location: The proteced area lies in the centarl area of Gödöll?. Visitors: Free of access for visitors. Management: Local government of Gödöll? The Gödöll? Royal Palace is one of the nicest Baroque palaces, which was built by the owner of the area Grassalkovich Antal on the basis of the plans of Mayeroffer András. In the 18th century when the area became the property of the family it was scarcely populated desolate region still bearing the marks of the Turkish invasion. The English landscape style garden was started with creating a pond, an artificial hill, and a small garden house according to the trend of the age. The original forest was saved in the majority of the three hundred hectare park, which was mainly constituted of oaks, hornbeam and field/common maple – and only at a few places did they create paths, clearings and groves. The value of the landscape was further increased by exotas – mainly around the palace: yews, eastern redcedars, mammoth trees, Japanese pagodatrees, but acording to the fashion of the era chestnuts, plane trees, common pines and black pines and several kinds of ash were planted, too. The farthest part of the park (the area of today's Erzsébet park) was consituted of hornbeams, hornbeam-oaks, and black pines, with walking paths lined with littleleaf linden and benches, artificial rocks, statues. After the Compromise of 1867 the area became a crown estate – it was in this period when Queen Elisabeth often stayed here. After World War II. the park was broken up into smaller pieces with railways and roads. The park became absolutely neglected, but the most serious damage was done when the Soviet Army used the place as barracks. However, there is a happy ending to the story, because since the 1990s the local government has been doing everything possible to revive the palace and the park.  http://www.foek.hu/zsibongo/termve/tt/angtt/godollo.htm |
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21: Gellért-hegy TT
| Gellért-hill Nature Conservation Area Territory of the protected area: 40 hectares. Location: The protected area is situated in the central area of Budapest at the Buda side of Erzsébet bridge. Visitors: Free of access for visitors. Management: Directorate of the Duna–Ipoly National Park The 139 m tall Gellért-hill with its characteristic form towering over the Danube is one of the most well-known sights of Hungary, but much less is known about its real values. The 235 m tall dolomite mountain is the most renowned member of the chain of mountains (the Sas mountain, the Törökugrató also belong there) in southern Buda, the dolomite of which called 'main dolomite' formed in the upper Triassic and got elevated and broken up in the Pleistocene. It was in the Eocene that limestone got deposited onto the dolomite (it is still visible at the southwestern foot of the Citadella), then in the course of elevation thermal water activities resulted some travertine formations in the area (it can be spotted on the south eastern slopes). The caves of the Gellért-hill got formed along the thermal faults. The most famous is perhaps the Szent Iván cave, which houses a chapel of the Pauline order. There are several active springs in the mountain (Árpád-, Mátyás-, Rákóczi- etc.) and medicinal thermal baths at the foot (Rác-, Gellért-, Rudas-baths), which are also the result of this hydrogeologic process.  The fauna of the popular mountain in the center of the capital is far from being natural, as the majority of its area is a public park. Still, some fragments of lime-ash remnant forests, karst scrubforests and hornbeam-oaks and – mainly on the west side – Tatarian maple-loess-oaks are recognizable. It is even more interesting, that smaller stands of open and closed dolomite puszta lawns have survived on the eastern steep rocky side, with such valuable protected plants as the (Paronychia cephalotes), the sea grape (Ephedra distachya), or the sadler imola (Centaurea sadleriana) and the hare's tail grass. The (Silene flavescens) lives only here in Hungary. http://www.foek.hu/zsibongo/termve/tt/angtt/gellerth.htm |
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22: Fóti Somlyó TT
| Somlyó-mountain in Fót Nature Conservation Area Territory of the protected area: 282 hectares, out of which 105 hectares are under high protection. Location: The protected area is situated in the fields of the village Fót. Visitors: Free of access for visitors, but it can be toured only on the marked paths. Management: Directorate of the Duna–Ipoly National Park The mountain is characterized by a variageted surface – steep sides, narrow valleys, undulating parts, plains and hills. In spite of its small area it is characterized by a varied geological construction, as the Somlyó is constituted of andesite tuff of volcanic origin, sea- and freshwater limestone and loess sandy sediments. The majority of the Somlyó used to be covered with the characteristic association of loess grounds called the Tatarian maple loess oaks, but only small patches of it can be seen mainly on the northern side. Because of the diversity of geology and formations, the flora of the mountain is also varied. The cool deep valleys and the easily warming up southern sides of Mediterranean microclimate ensure the survival of montane and thermophile species as well. Several rare herbaceous plants of the Somlyó have been present since the warming up after the ice age: the Jerusalem sage, stemless milk-vetch, the (Compositae) etc., while the montane maidenhair spleenwort grows on the cooler areas. The mountain is one of the nicest exhibition places of the Ancient Mátra theory, because of the floral refuge character of the mountain (according to this theory it was the variegated relief conditions that saved the Alföld flora from time to time, and the flora of the Alföld moved back to the plain after a stronger cooling down or warming up period).  The outstandingly rich butterfly fauna of the Somlyó is the greatest asset of the area. More than half of the entire Hungarian large butterfly fauna is present, e.g. (Rileyana fovea) living only in Dalmatia besides Somlyó. The most precious is the zephyr blue (Plebejus sephirus) dwelling on the stemless milk-vetch, which besides the Somlyó, only lives in certain parts of Bulgaria. Almost all the lizard species can be found in the Somlyó, and the bee-eater, the kestrel (blood hawk) and the roller also hatch. The vineyards of the southern foot make first class wines – as it was commemorated in the poem 'Fóti dal' by Vörösmarty Mihály. http://www.foek.hu/zsibongo/termve/tt/angtt/fotisom.htm |
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23: Dunaalmási k?fejt?k TT
| Dunaalmás Stone-quarries Nature Conservation Area Territory of the protected area: 230 hectares. Location: The protected area is situated to the southeast of Dunaalmás in the fields of the village. Visitors: Free of access for visitors. Management: Directorate of the Duna–Ipoly National Park When the Gerecse, a Triassic dolomite-limestone mountain, rose like an island, several geological fault lines along the mountain resulted. At the northern boundary of the mountain one of these faults runs almost parallel with the Danube, along which a line of thermal springs broke to the surface still being active from the beginning of the Pleistocene. However, the activity of the larger and smaller thermal springs cannot be compared to the unparalleled powerful activity – even in terms of geology – of the line of hot water karst springs in the Pleistocene. Reaching the surface, cooling down a considerable quantity of lime precipitated from the water – that is how the twenty-five m thick freshwater limestone layer of the stone-quarries near Dunaalmás took shape. Larger and smaller dams and lakelets were formed with the 2,5 square km limestone during its precipitation, then by filling them up, more and more areas were filled up. The entire two million years of geology can be read from the walls of the four quarries as if they were textbooks: when and how the quantity of the precipitated material changed, what kind of changes took place on the surface, what kind of living creatures lived in the area at that time. The answers to all these questions are offered on the walls of the quarries.    Remains of masses of once was creatures are visible in the lime stone. The most well known is perhaps the remains of a giant protozoan species, the so called 'Saint László's coins'. Remains of a proto-elephant and a proto-tortoise were also unearthed, the teeth of the proto-elephant were found in the fabulously beautiful Les mountain. The other natural asset of the protected area is the so called ferny forest - developing from a planted pine forest – where until the recent past more than 33 fern species grew and hybridized. Some of these species were only found there in Hungary. Unfortunately the pine forest with the lowering of the level of the underground water started to dry out (which was caused by the many times cursed exploitation of bauxite, which decreased the level of the karst water). The humid, shady microclimate disappeared which had provided for the fundamental environmental needs of the ferns. We can only hope that stabilizing the level of the water again will save at least a part of the rare protected species. Another asset of the area – not so sensitive though – is the Roman road leading to the quarries the so called 'stone transporting road' also used at Roman times. The material of one of the longest Pannon road preserved intact was made of the stones of the Dunaalmás stone-quarries. http://www.foek.hu/zsibongo/termve/tt/angtt/dunaalm.htm |
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24: Dinnyési fert? TT
| Dinnyés Fert? Nature Conservation Area Territory of the protected area: 539 hectares. Location: The protected area is situated to the southeast from the Velencei lake in the fields of the village Dinnyés. Visitors: It is a restricted area, visiting is subject to permit, only guided tours are available. Management: Directorate of the Duna–Ipoly National Park The Dinnyési Fert? is one of the most valuable bird reserve in Hungary, the botanic valuaes of which are also outstanding. This swampy, marshy area of a large territory is the remnant of a once was vast marshland. The lake Nádas, the part of which was the Dinnyés Fert?, too, constituted one swampy system of lakes with the lake Velence and with the area of Sérrét stretching more to the south. Though the marsland of thousands of hectare stretching between Pákozd and Seregélyes was tried to drain several times, the water was managed to drain off from the area only at the beginning of the last century. Later the two parts were permanently divided by the railway-embankment of the Székesfehérvár–Budapest railway line. In the northern part a system of fishponds was made and other areas covered with water were joined to the lake Velence. In the southern side agricultural fields were formed, while the rest, of a few hundred hectares, was declared nature conservation area.  The swampy area of the Dinnyés fert? is a first class feeding and nesting place for the water birds of the neighbourhood. It is impossible to make a list here of the extremely rich avifauna consisting of a large number of birds on the several hundred hectare protected area covered with reeds, bulrush, sedge: almost all species of herons hatch in the area, but species of ducks, littoral birds, several species of the grebe, as well as the highly protected gray leg goose (the only nesting species of geese). Several species of reed songbirds live in the reeds, while the water rail, the lapwing and the corncrake hatch at the marsh-meadows and wet meadows lying at the fringes of the area. Out of the predators red-footed falcons, kestrels can regularly be sighted, the marsh harrier and the hobby nest, too. During migration tens of thousands of bean goose, plovers and species of ducks descend onto the open water surface. The vegetation of the Dinnyési Fert? is also significant. The dry parts are covered with alkali puszta associations with a pattern characteristic of alkali areas, the same richness of flora – salt-marsh, Michaelmas-daisy, sea blite etc. – as that of the Alföld. Out of the protected plants several kinds of orchids and species of iris grow on the protected area.  The site is a nice example of active nature conservation, as with adjusting the lock-gate of the former draining lock the missing water is supplied. In order to sustain the valuable plant associations the protected areas are mowed and grazed according to an accurate plan. Although the area can only be visited with a permit, visitors can have an amazing sight even from the side of the railway-embankment, or from the fields of Dinnyés with a good pair of binoculars. http://www.foek.hu/zsibongo/termve/tt/angtt/dinnyes.htm |
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25: Dabasi turjános TT
| Dabas Turjános Nature Conservation Area Territory of the protected area: 148 hectares. Location: The protected area is situated in the fields of Dabas. Visitors: Visiting is subject to permit, only guided tours are available. Management: Directorate of the Duna–Ipoly National Park Travelling in the Duna–Tisza köze one can not imagine, what this landscape was like before draining and water control. At one time 10-15 thousand years ago, the palaeo-Duna went there (the Dunavölgy main channel flows in the bed of the plaeo-Duna). The sections of abandoned beds of the river changing its bed all the time, the lower lying parts of the gently undulating scenery, the gravel bed spread by the river, later made it possible for a vast and extensive marshland to emerge (more detailed description of the district is accessable at the Kiskunság National Park). This warm, dry, flat landscape used to be an immense series of 'turjános' – that is marshes, fenwood groves, watery parts, wet meadows – where only the elevated loess, sanded areas remained dry all the year round. Draining started at the beginning of the 20th century made these areas – sustained by water, swarming with life, of captivating beauty – disappear for ever. The last patches of them of a few hectares are very precious areas – one of these is the Dabas 'turjános'. One of the last patches of the Alföld fenwood groves is the ash-alder fenwood grove stretching here, where narrow buckler-fern (Dryopteris spinulosa), marsh fern, water-violet grow. The healing alder buckthorn (Frangula alnus) and the guelder rose (Viburnum opulus) dwell on the thin parts of the forest. Unparalelled exuberance of protected plants can be found in the wet, boggy areas, marsh-meadows. Just from orchids: burned-, military-, green-winged-, bug-, marsh-, the rare early spider-, fragrant orchid (Gymnadenia conopsea) grow in the area. But the fen ragwort, the Sieberian iris, the greater spearwort (Ranunculus lingua) can also bo spotted in the 'turjános'. The avifauna of the area is also valuable, though it is far from the earlier abundance. Lapwings, snipes (Gallinago media), black-tailed godwits and redshanks still live in the area, but the corncrake and the grasshopper warbler can still be heard. Unfortunately, the relatively small area is more and more endangered, therefore even conservationists try not to disturb it unless it is absolutely necessary.  Ophrys scolopax http://www.foek.hu/zsibongo/termve/tt/angtt/dabas.htm |
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26: Csévharaszti borókás
| Csévharaszt Junipers Nature Conservation Area Territory of the protected area: 105 hectares. Location: The protected area is situated in the fields of Csévharszt. Visitors: Freely accessible for visitors. Management: Directorate of the Duna–Ipoly National Park Just like the 'turjános', the watery, marshy habitats in the Alföld, the other charcteristic feature, the world of patches of sanded, loess habitats, sand hills, moving sand seem to be disappearing slowly. The former has been liquidated with draining, so has the latter with modern agricultural technologies doing soil-amelioration. That is why these patches of just a few hectares are so valuable which preserve the most precious species of flora and fauna and landscape values of this diminishing world. Such a land stretches along the south-eastern border of the Pest plain between Csévharaszt, Inárcs and Nyáregyháza. On this area divided with sand hills the thermophile drought resistant sanded puszta lawn associations and puszta oaks which used to cover vast areas have still survived. The most precious plants of the landscape of captivating beauty radiating an idyllic atmosphere are the feather-grass (Stipa sabulosa), the heath-rose (Fumana procumbens), the cinquefoil (Potentilla arenaria), the sand iris. We have to point out the pink (Dianthus diutinus) which was defined on this area by Kitaibel Pál. But the real specialty of the land is the reputable juniper-poplar association, where the dark green junipers and the white poplars offer a picturesque sight for visitors. A thick layer of moss grows on the thick acidic leaf-litter of the forest decaying slowly. It is worth mentioning that the Csévharaszt flora and fauna basically emerged as a result of human intervention, since – according to zonation – this area had also been covered with wooded steppe. The sanded scene with moving sand took shape in the Turkish era when the extensive clearing of forests and too much grazing destroyed the sanded soil not very good quality anyway and opened the door to thermophile drought resistant associations – e.g. to junipers instead of oaks – to appear.  http://www.foek.hu/zsibongo/termve/tt/angtt/csevha.htm |
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27: Ceglédi rét TT
| Cegléd-meadow Nature Conservation Area Territory of the protected area: 17 hectares. Location: The protected area is situated in the fields of Cegléd to the south of the town. Visitors: Visiting is subject to permit and only guided tours are available. Management: Directorate of the Duna–Ipoly National Park One of the rarest representatives of the orchids in Hungary is the early spider-orchid (Ophrys sphecodes). There is a bluish mark of H or often X on its lilac flower with reddish hair, which makes it resembling to a spider. This species of orchid, which flowers the earliest among local orchids, though it can survive in drier pastrures, too – prefers fresh wet meadows, the breaking up of which makes it disappear from its original habitats. It may sound strange, but the survival of the early spider-orchid is due to the fact that it was used as garbage dump, pasture, a place for collecting sods of grass etc. Hundreds of these precious plants flower in April and May in the company of such protected plants as the bug-orchid, the gladiolus (Gladiolus imbricatus), the stemless milk-vetch or the military- and loose-flowered orchid. The little stream called Gerje flows through the Csíkosi-meadow – as it is called by locals – which makes it fresh and green for a long time in spring, but there are watery areas in the parts further away from the town. Unfortunately an unwanted selection has started in the area: the spiny restharrow and the yellow-rattle have become more and more common, which can only be driven back with active environment protection, just like the spreading stand of the Russian-olive. The area is also heavily disturbed, which means a serious problem.  Ophrys sphegodes http://www.foek.hu/zsibongo/termve/tt/angtt/cegledi.htm |
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28: Budapesti botanikus kert TT
| Buapest Botanical Gardens Nature Conservation Area Territory of the protected area: 3 hectares. Location: The protected area is situated in the VIII-th distict in Budapest. Visitors: Free of access for visitors. Management: Eötvös Loránd University The roots of the Budapest Botanical Gardens belong to the first botanical gardens of Europe. It was created not long after the first, the Padova University Botanical Gardens, though not in Budapest, but at the premises of the Nagyszombat university. After it was moved to Budapest in 1777, first it was set up in Krisztinaváros, then later in Múzeum bld. and only after1847 was it settled at its present site, at the premises of the amusement park, which at that time was the fringes of the city. Unfortunately the series of troubles had not yet been over, as some parts were taken away at two sides from the area originally 10 hectares: on one hand the Ludovika military academy, and the hospitals on the other drove the gardens back to its present 3 hectare territory. The moves did not do any good to the stock of plants, either. In the 19th century the collection of 4000 taxons reduced radically during the century, then getting to the final site the number of taxons grew over 10 thousands again. The number of taxons after World War II. was more than 6000, with this number it belonged again to larger botanical gardens. The botanical gardens were created aiming at research and education among other things, as the characteristics of how it was made show. The plants of the gardens are grouped according to more than one aspect, which helps visitors systematize their knowledge. Characteristic species of Hungary and the neighbourhood are visible in the section created according to phytogeographical groups, but there are also units created in accordance with agricultural and taxonomical aspects in mind. The herbaceous and cactus collections of the gardens are unbelievably rich, too. In the arboretum section hundreds of pine species and exotas make a magnificent show – some really ancient specimen among them. The most reputable part of the gardens is the Greenhouse, where in the humid, warm internal space masses of tropical plants welcome visitors – the most well known is the Victoria regia, a huge Amazonas water-lily (the house was named after it: Victoria house). The architectural and historical monuments of the gardens are also significant. The basic plan of the area and the central house was designed by Pollack Mihály. Molnár Ferenc immortalized the Greenhouse in one of his novels.  http://www.foek.hu/zsibongo/termve/tt/angtt/bpbotan.htm |
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29: Budai Sas-hegy TT
| Buda Sas-mountain Nature Conservation Area Territory of the protected area: 30 hectares. Location: The entrance of the protected area is in Tájék St. XI-th district, in the centre of Budapest. Visitors: Visiting is subject to permit, only guided tours are available between 15th March and 15th June at weekends. Management: Directorate of the Duna–Ipoly National Park The white rocks of the Sas mountain is unique not only because of the sight of them. The protected area in the centre of a swarming and polluted a city provides habitat for many indigenous species of flora and fauna. The dolomite of the mountain, formed in the Triassic, rose in the Pleistocene and in the course of that it broke into pieces. The series of folded and eroded white blocks makes up the characteristic mountains of the Buda mountains (Gellért-mountain Törökugrató etc.). In the area of the Sas-mountain – valuable in terms of geology – visitors can see eras of geology from the Triassic white dolomite layers rich in fossils, through flint dolomite containing calcified frames of animals with siliceous test, to the youngest yellowish dolomite-marlite areas. The characteristic details can be studied by the aid of expert guides and well maintained educational paths. The especially rich flora and fauna is characteristic of dolomite areas, as the easily crumbling stone with extremely rich formations result variegated habitats. (The prettiest parts of the Sas-mountain are the cliffs of characteristic shape – e.g. Bear-cliff, or the Beethoven-cliff – the easily crumbling dolomite and later, parts cemented again by the silicic acid of the spouting thermal waters.) The most valuable part of the area are the steep rocky slopes of the upper parts, where valuable open dolomite rock-lawns developed on the thin soil of inferior quality. The majority of areas of the south, southeastern exposure are of sub-Mediterranean character, but some of the northern parts and lower lying areas preserve the cool microclimate. The valuable flora is characterized by such precious rare endemic plants and rare relicts from the Ice Age as the seseli (Seseli leucospermum), heath-rose, a local species of pink (Dianthus plumarius subsp. regis-stephani), or the gymnospermous sea grape (Ephedra distachya), the 'sadler imola' (Centaurea sadleriana), the 'early' thyme and the pasque flower. The valuable and special plant of the stand of the lawns of the area is the rare moor-grass (Sesleria sadleriana), the shoots of which has small bluish green flowers, is a relict from the Ice Age. The areas at the foot of the Sas-mountain are less valuable. The areas contiguous with the rocky areas were originally covered with calciphilous karst scrubforest blended with mahaleb cherries and smoke trees. The loess areas were covered with Tatarian maple-oaks. Unfortunately the great majority of the original associations were cleared in the distant past, very pretty but aggressive lilac shrubs - escaped from nurseries – characterize the area instead.  Bear rock The also valuable fauna is less spectacular, as the majority of the rare and protected fauna consists of insects (beetles, spiders, butterflies). The rare and rarely visible species of the reptile fauna of the Sas-mountain is the precious small-size species also described by Kitaibel Pál called snake-eyed skink (Ablepharus Kitaibelli). http://www.foek.hu/zsibongo/termve/tt/angtt/sashegy.htm |
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30: Alcsúti arborétum TT
| Alcsút Arboretum Nature Conservation Area Territory of the protected area: 40 hectares. Location: The protected area of the arboretum is situated in the fields of the village Alcsútdoboz. Visitors: Open to the public between 1st March and 30th November. Management: Directorate of the Duna–Ipoly National Park The arboretm was established in 1825 by József nádor ( approx. Palatine) around the neoclassic palace built according to the plans of Pollack Mihály. József nádor did a lot for absolutism, for the development of the country. He was especially committed to the development of agriculture. He created a model farm on his estate in Alcsút – which attracted admirers from all over Europe. He created the arboretum as part of the development on his estate according to the principles of English landscape gardens, which became the basis of Hungarian landscape gardening at that time (the trees planted later on Margit sziget (island) and in the Városliget in Budapest came from this arboretum). The 75 'hold' of land (1 'hold'=0.57 hectares or 1.42 English acres) was shaped according to the plans of the Viennese Jozef Tost court gardener – but with the personal leadership of the nádor, who was regarded as a competent expert. In accordance with the trend of the era first of all maples were planted beside the endemic trees, but further three hundred species of trees were planted, too. Such species among them as the still visible Turkish filbert, copper beech, black walnut and the also popular tuliptree, the white ash etc.  From the 1870s the son of the nádor, József archduke took over the management of the gardens, with at least as much enthusiasm as his father was characterized with. At that period the garden started to grow by leaps and bounds. The archduke created an artificial pond with islands, bridges, a grotto, a doll's house. He had some auxiliary buildings built on the basis of the plans of such architects as Ybl Miklós and Storno Ferenc. The territory of the arboretum was further expanded, the structure of the space was transformed to be more attractive, facilities were developed e.g. he had a deep-drilling well made, as well as a network of water-conduit system (these projects are industrial monuments at present). The stand of trees was further enriched with the forming of a considerable collection of pines and exotas. Most of the rare coniferous trees were planted at that time. At present the arboretum welcomes visitors with a rich variety of ancient trees, collections: a giant cypress, maidenhair trees, weeping green beeches, giant maples, masses of shrubs – with a riot of colours changing seasonally. Unfortunately the neoclassic manor house of unparalleled beauty at one time burnt down in the 1950s, but the façade is still there – radiating an exciting mythic atmosphere. The chapel of the arboretum was nicely renovated as well as the doll's house and the gloriette. http://www.foek.hu/zsibongo/termve/tt/angtt/alcsuti.htm |
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31: Adonyi TT
| Adony Nature Conservation Area Territory of the protected area: 1 hectare. Location: The protected area is situated to the southwest of Adony along the road to Perkáta. Visitors: Visiting of the fenced area is subject to permit and only guided tours are available. Management: Directorate of the Duna–Ipoly National Park According to the latest views of nature conservation it is not possible to save a species by protecting its single representatives – let it be a species of either flora or fauna. Long term effective protection can be attained if a larger part of the habitat of a given species can be placed under protection – even considering migration routes or areas for expansion. Still quite often, there are cases when just a few square meter habitat of – usually an especially endangered – species has to be protected by fencing or/and by a guard so as to provide a last chance for survival of a little population. That is the situation in the case of the milkvetch (Astragalus dasyanthus), too. The highly protected milkvetch is a Pannon species and the centre of its range is the Carpathian Basin and it stretches to the northern border of the Balkan in the south and to the Ukrainian sanded steppes in the east, but it is not present to the west or north of Hungary – on top of it all, it has already become extinct in Bulgaria and to the south in areas of Croatia and Serbia. Originally the milkvetch was a member of a dry sanded steppe association of plains and hill countries and it hardly tolerates disturbances, therefore by breaking up meadows and sloping steppes it became even more endangered than its relative, the stemless milkvetch (Astragalus exscapus). That is why some of its habitats are highly protected – just like the one hectare chalky loess-sanded ground beside Adony, where it is trying to survive in a little area.  To reduce transpiration the whole plant is covered with fluffy hair, which makes the plant look silver green from the distance. It produces yellow papilionaceous flowers from May. If picked or dug out, the milkvetch dies in a short time – it is not worth trying doing that – which also renders the saving of it difficult. Visitors can see the plants with a characteristic colour, shape and prominent flower from the border of the fenced area, too – without further reducing its chances for survival by stamping on them. Being in Adony it is worth seeing the system of fish-ponds in Lívia a few kilometers from the village, the valuable fauna of which is charcterized by such rare species as the black-necked grebe, the gray leg goose, the squacco heron, the spoonbill or the bluethroat, the Savi's warbler and the yellow wagtail. The green sandpiper and the osprey are not rare sights either during migration. http://www.foek.hu/zsibongo/termve/tt/angtt/adonyi.htm |
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