The best hiking routes in Hajdú-Bihar

Hajdú-Bihar offers a landscape of flat plains and open pastoral land, dominated by the Hortobágyi Nemzeti Park. This is not a region of rolling hills or deep forests; instead, your walks will follow wide dirt tracks, grassy paths, and occasional wooden boardwalks over marshy ground. The terrain is defined by its vastness and agricultural heritage, where the horizon is broken only by traditional sweep wells, small clusters of trees, and grazing livestock.

In the Hortobágyi Nemzeti Park, the underfoot conditions are mostly compacted clay and sandy soil, which can become sticky after rain. Walking here in October allows you to observe the autumn migration of cranes, a seasonal event that draws birdwatchers to specific viewing areas, while other parts of the plain remain quiet and sparsely visited. The landscape is shaped by centuries of pastoral farming, meaning you will walk through open pastures rather than enclosed woodland.

For those seeking a different texture, the eastern edges of the county transition into sandy woodlands and low dunes. These areas offer more shade and a softer surface underfoot compared to the open grasslands of the national park. Choosing where to walk in Hajdú-Bihar comes down to a choice between the wide, sun-exposed pastures of Hortobágyi Nemzeti Park and the quieter, tree-lined sandy paths closer to the Romanian border.