{"id":336804,"date":"2019-06-17T11:18:45","date_gmt":"2019-06-17T10:18:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/funzine.hu\/?p=336804"},"modified":"2019-06-17T11:19:59","modified_gmt":"2019-06-17T10:19:59","slug":"lake-tisza-hungary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/funzine.hu\/en\/2019\/06\/17\/lifestyle\/lake-tisza-hungary\/","title":{"rendered":"Hungary, the Land of Waters and Wonders: Lake Tisza"},"content":{"rendered":"

When the summer heatwave hits, your best bet is to leave behind the smothering furnace of the concrete jungle. Dive deep into nature and freshen up in the waters of romantic Lake Tisza! Here are three must-see highlights from the surrounding area of Hungary\u2019s<\/a> second largest lake to cram into your itinerary.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Hungary,<\/p>\n

Lake Tisza<\/h2>\n

Surrounded on all sides by the unbroken horizon of the steppe, providing visitors with the feeling of boundless freedom and idyllic peace, the lake is intersected by River Tisza, and gives home to a number of islands, riparian woodlands, fringed water-lily and seaweed fields, secret lagoons, sandy beaches, and shallow bays. Besides being an excellent place for swimming and eating local fish dishes, Lake Tisza has a few more things up its sleeve. On one hand, there\u2019s the 1,500 metres long water boardwalk, accessible only by boat, flanked with small bird hides and a bird watching tower, offering you a chance to observe the extremely rich local birdlife.<\/p>\n

Another unmissable attraction is the Lake Tisza Ecocenter (Tisza-tavi \u00d6kocentrum in Hungarian), an entertaining, interactive display of the natural wonders and wildlife of the Tisza valley. Designed by Ybl Award-winning architect L\u00e1szl\u00f3 Kertai to resemble a huge bird, the impressive touristic complex awaits visitors with Europe\u2019s largest freshwater aquarium system, otter-, cormorant-, and pelican feedings, a 3D cinema, a row of exhibitions, and a 7-hectares large leisure park giving place to a zoo and an amusement park.<\/p>\n

Debrecen<\/h2>\n

Debrecen is located east of Lake Tisza, and is considered as the capital city of the Great Hungarian Plain. As the most important city in Hungarian Protestantism (it wasn\u2019t called the Calvinist Rome for no reason), its biggest claim to fame is the Great Church, situated on Kossuth square: With a ground space of 1,500 square metres and a height of 61 metres, it is the largest Protestant church in the country, and is also the symbol of Debrecen. The panorama bridge, wedged between the two towers of the building, offers a beautiful view of the city, but we\u2019d also recommend listening to an organ concert.<\/p>\n

\"Great
Great Church<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Taking a stroll in the historic centre of Debrecen is a must for architecture enthusiasts: it\u2019s a true treasure trove of Classicist, Art Nouveau and Art Deco architecture. Besides some terrific buildings, the downtown area of Debrecen also boasts amazing caf\u00e9s (Black Sheep, Vintage World), and must-see museums. The D\u00e9ri Museum is especially interesting, with its diverse mix of exhibition items, ranging from Egyptian mummies and archeology finds to painter Mih\u00e1ly Munk\u00e1csy\u2019s grandiose Christ Trilogy.<\/p>\n

\"Nagyerd\u0151,
Nagyerd\u0151<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In case you want to reconnect with nature, we suggest you visit Nagyerd\u0151, Debrecen\u2019s 1,092-hectares large park. Featuring a number of baths and open-air swimming pools, a lake, winding pathways, a magical playground, a zoo (with giraffes, lions, hippopotamuses and more), and a 34-metres high water tower, which was recently reborn as a live music bar, Nagyerd\u0151 has something for everyone.<\/p>\n

Hortob\u00e1gy National Park<\/h2>\n

Hungary\u2019s first and biggest national park was established in 1973, and was elected among UNESCO\u2019s world heritage sites in 1999. Comprising of more than 82,000 hectares, the largest semi-natural grassland of Europe is more than just a barren prairie with an endless vista, T-shaped sweep wells, and grazing sheep and grey cattle. Hortob\u00e1gy is actually a window into a lively and truly fascinating world, where herdsmen (or csik\u00f3s in Hungarian) perform daredevil stunts on their horses, authentic cs\u00e1rda restaurants await you with classic Hungarian dishes, and where you can get acquainted with giant rabbits, the funky-looking racka sheep, and the Przewalski wild horse up close (Puszta Animal Park).<\/p>\n

\"Hortob\u00e1gy
Hortob\u00e1gy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One of the puszta\u2019s iconic sights is the famous Nine-holed Bridge, a Classicist arch bridge built between 1827 and 1833 to replace an old wooden bridge, erected in the late 1600s. Spend a hearty meal at the foot of the bridge in the Hortob\u00e1gyi Cs\u00e1rda, a renowned restaurant that\u2019s been continuously operating for more than 300 years. On top of all this, thanks to its total flatness and lack of light polluting settlements, a large part of the national park was designated as a dark-sky preserve, making Hortob\u00e1gy the perfect place for naked-eye stargazing.<\/p>\n

Sponsored content. Commissioned by the Hungarian Tourism Agency. Start your journey now, and let every path take you to a new wonder. For more inspiration head on to wowhungary.com<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Hungary, the Land of Waters and Wonders: the M\u00e1tra and B\u00fckk Mountains<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n