The Alföld (the Great Plain), also called the “Puszta”, is a place of legends and legendary sights. The bird reserves of its two counties, the Hortobágy and Lake Tisza, have made it onto the UNESCO World Heritage list, and three national parks lie within its borders. Other sights include Europe’s largest fruit-growing area, one of the oldest sites of the Greek Catholic faith, Central Europe’s biggest windmill, the plain’s only medieval stone castle, Hungary’s oldest railway station, and the world’s second-largest panorama painting. The Alföld is bordered on the west by the Danube and on the east by the Romanian border. Hungary’s second-largest river, the Tisza, leads a different life from its nearest neighbour, the Danube. The Tisza has very little commercial boat traffic but many touring boats. It has few bridges but many ferries; in fact, in 11 places simple boats provide the crossing, just as in the olden days. You only have to stand on its banks once to understand why it has been known for centuries as the fair or “blonde” Tisza: the very fine, almost unnoticeable grains of sand floating in it give it its golden colour. Along its entire Hungarian length, these fine grains and pebbles turn its banks into many a fine beach.

The sun is said to bathe in thermal waters in the southern Alföld, which has the highest number of sunny hours in the country, and the famous thermal baths of the region lie right next to each other. This wealth of sunshine also ripens Hungarian produce such as the golden apricot, from which the barackpálinka of Kecskemét is made. Paprika, the essential spice of Hungarian dishes such as pörkölt, halászlé and gulyásleves, also grows here. The region’s most notable produce is the red onion of Makó, celebrated in the town of Makó itself in buildings such as the Onion House.

No other region of Hungary has as many events and festivals connected with gastronomy. Baja has its halászlé cooking folk festival, while Pusztamérges hosts the Szeged district’s halászlé cooking competition. In the Szatmár region there is a plum jam-making contest, in Békéscsaba a sausage and salami festival, in Bereg a gulyás festival, not to mention the many wine tastings and events.

Only those who are happy only in the mountains will fail to find something they like in the Alföld. Everyone else will take part in memorable events.