Bugac, Trail of Birds and Trees
Length: 700 m
How to approach: A 1.5 km long dirt road leads from the Karikás Restaurant of Bugac to the Shepherd Museum and the adjacent stud farm, where some traditional livestock breeds are also displayed for visitors. The Trail of Birds and Trees starts at the livestock display. (Entrance tickets for the Shepherd Museum and the livestock display can be purchased at the Karikás Restaurant.)
The trail is accessible on foot, throughout the year
Recommended period: spring, early summer and autumn
Language: HU, EN
The most famous sand steppe of Hungary is located in the Bugacpuszta area of the Danube-Tisza Interfluve. The Trail of Birds and Trees can be a real surprize to visitors as it provides insight into a habitat that is strikingly different from the rest of the puszta. The trail goes along the edge of a narrow, mixed-canopy forest. Beyond the forest lie the Bugac Sand Dunes; its groves were destroyed by fire in 2012, leaving a barren landscape behind. The trail provides information about the trees and shrubs of the area and about some important tools of practical bird conservation. After leaving the Trail of Birds and Trees, you can reach the so-called “Bulldozed Road”, and then a wide dirt road, which leads back to the stud farm. The name “Bulldozed Road” dates back to the 1950s, when large bulldozers were used to cut roads through sand dunes during mass afforestation.