Kiskunság National Park Celebrates 50th Anniversary

The Kiskunság National Park, situated between the Danube and Tisza rivers, was established on January 1, 1975 as Hungary's second national park, the Ministry of Agriculture told MTI on Saturday.

The park has become a symbol of the protection of natural values, the development of ecotourism and environmental education over the past half century, preserving unique natural treasures and cultural heritage for posterity, the statement said. They added that the establishment of the Kiskunság National Park was one of the most important Hungarian nature conservation initiatives of the 20th century.

The establishment of the park was prepared by forest engineer Károly Tóth, who later managed the national park for 16 years. Over the past decades, the park's area has expanded and today, it provides protection through nine separate landscape units. Thanks to these extensions, the park now covers more than 50,000 hectares, two thirds of which are biosphere reserves.

The mosaic structure of the Kiskunság National Park has made it possible to preserve the most valuable habitats. The park includes several Natura 2000 sites and is home to several rare and highly protected species of flora and fauna, such as the Hungarian viper, the bustard, the red-footed falcon and the Siberian iris.

The release highlights the latest development in the park, the Gates of the Wilderness Information Center, which opened in Bugac in 2024. The center, which offers interactive exhibitions and thematic programs, will bring visitors closer not only to the natural wonders of the Kiskunság region, but also to its cultural and historical heritage.