With an area of 820 km² the Hortobagy national park (Hortobágyi nemzeti park in Hungarian)

is the largest national park in Hungary. It is located in the Puszta plains of eastern Hungary, about 40km west of Debrecen. The park was founded in 1973 and initially covered an area of 520 km², which were later expanded to 820 km². It has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 1999.
Hortobagy consists mainly of grasslands without trees and an alkaline soil. This steppe area was formed about 10000 years ago when the Tisza river changed its course.
The park is used by Hungarian herdsmen called Csikós to grow herds of Hungarian grey cattle, racka sheep, water buffaloes and horses.
The main tourist access point lies near the village of Hortobagy. It is possible to arrange trips on horse carriages through the park which include equestrian shows of Hungarian riders.
How to get to the Hortobagy national park
The park can be reached by car from Debrecen. The village of Hortobagy has a train station with connections to Budapest and Debrecen.
Accommodation
There are a couple of hotels in the village of Hortobagy. The city of Debrecen has several accomodation options, bookable via the international booking portals.