Bihar Plain Landscape Protection Area
The name of "Sárrét" in the Hungarian language indicates wetlands area with a lot of tussocks reeds and catstails. But the today's landscape doesn't show the former view. You can see only arable lands here. Sárrét was a huge meadow-land covering the neighbouring areas of Bihar, Szabolcs, Békés and Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok counties. The meadow-land has two parts: Nagy-Sárrét and Kis-Sárrét. The extensive water-world was mainly fed by the River Berettyó. This river often had flooded the basin of Nagy-Sárrét leaving its channel at Bakonszeg until 1866 when it was canalised. The River Tisza also supplied the area with water. The water in the small brooks flew back and forth depending on the size of flood of the River Tisza and of the River Berettyó. The Kis-Sárrét was flooded by the water of River Körös. The huge marshland was disappeared due to the canalisation activities of 1860. Today Sárrét doesn't mean the place of the dead marsh but the group of settlements formed under the influence of the marshes. The rainy years of the 90's gave us some taste of the former waterland with huge flock of birds which inspired the region names like Gácsér, Batonyás, Gémes, Varjúgát, Szarkás, Gödényes, Saslapos, Nagyölyvös, Hattyasvölgy etc. Local people use these names not knowing the real meaning of them. For example: "Batonyás" is the old Hungarian name of the Pelican. Only some segments of Hamvas and Sárrét channel remind us of the formerly natural water world. Mass of birds can be seen on the wetland-areas after spring snow-melt and during the heavy early summer raining.Lapwings put their first nests on the dry parts close to the marshy area. Curlews call echoing in the distance. Falcons and Harriers disturb flock of Waders. Besides these temporary water-stands fishponds and emergency reservoirs give home the nesting and migrating waterfowls. The only nesting wild goose species, the Greylag Goose can be found on the fishponds of Darvas and Csökmő. The Greylag Goose is the ancestor of the Domestic Goose. Penduline Tits weave their nests on the branches bowed down to the water of the willow trees. Ospreys, appear mainly during autumn and spring migration. White-tailed Eagles sit on big and bare trees during winter. Distribution of Otters can be detected especially during snowy season.
European Pond Terrapins basking in the sun on the bank of canals used to live in big numbers in the marshes of Sárrét. It was serf's duty to collect them for feasts of their owners. Forest patches of some hectares give shelter the grazing animals especially at noon. In these small forests there is special and valuable flora and fauna. During nights Long-eared Owls call already in late February and early March. Red-footed Falcons and Kestrels occupy abandoned nests of Rooksand Magpies. They are very noisy during this process. Colonies of Rooks have reduced in number all over the country, but in this region there are enough to give nests to the Red-footed Falconcolonies. In bigger planted forests Black Woodpecker, Common Buzzard, Goshawk héja Goshawkand during migration Woodcock can be found. These forests also favourite sleeping place of theLong-legged Buzzard. Close to the settlement of Nagyrábé there is a three hundred years old Penduculate Oak tree Pedunculate Oak which is a remnant of the formerly extensive oak forests. The oak forest-belt along the Hamvas canal also a nice example of it. People living here are famous of their hospitality. Everybody can enjoy it visiting the shepherds on the fields. They know their area and they show around everybody with pleasure. Visiting them we meet their dogs first. It is advisable to make friends with them. The special Hungarian breeds (Puli, Mudi and Pumi) are very intelligent. We can get convinced about it while they are driving the sheep. The also Hungarian breeds (Komondor and Kuvasz) being more robust are excellent guard dogs. They stand still until they feel the real danger.
On the farms close to the house we can find special pastoral buildings so called "sitting on their ass" barns, they have no walls just roof. They used to be in almost every yards of the villages being very simple but suitable. In almost every barn Little Owl nests. At down they sit on the top of the chimneys, barns, stacks and wells. During the night we can experience their ghostly voice.
Real riparian forest flowers like the Common Twayblade and a Helleborine species Cephalothera longifolia can be found in the older planted forests. Close to Körösszakál village, in an old Ash tree forest Lords and Ladies and the rare Eastern Violet bloom. An Aster species Aster punctatus and the Hog's Fennel indicate alkaline steppe with Oak forests. They are scattered all over the region.
The unploughed burial mounds so called "kurgans" are very significant in historic as well as in botanical respect. Phlomis, a Couch species, the Agropyron pectiniforme and Hair-like Feather-grass are the characteristic species here. The Taeniatherum caput-medusae also occurs here.
2. Region bordered by the River Berettyó and the River Kálló and the loess ridge of Érmellék
West of the village Berettóújfalu lays the region bordered by the River Berettyó and the River Kálló. Travelling towards the country border, between the settlements Létavértes and Pocsaj we can see Érkapu which is a special land laying approximately 30 m deep. This is a part of the region of Érmellék situated in Romania. The River Ér and Berettyó meander here with willow trees along their bankside. The geological treasures of the area are of international importance. The palaeontological finding is rich. Remnants of Aurochs, deer and Wild Horse were found here.
Tövises near Pocsaj is a fen originated from an ox-bow lake of the River Szamos, it is also unique. The three kilometres long and three-quarters circle shaped ox-bow lake is fed by brooks of subsoil. Rare plant species can be found here. Bogbean, Cowbane and Kiev Nettle occur here in large numbers. Cotton Grass also lives here. A very rare Waterwort species, the Elatine hungarica also can be found here. We can see the Lindernia procumbens and another Waterwort species, the Elatine alsinastrum. This fen is the richest in species out of the 3-4 remnant fens of the Trans-Tiszanian region. The fen has unique snail and reptile fauna. Interesting species are the Viviparous Lizard, Smooth Snake, Balkan Wall Lizard. An Orchid species, the Orchis elegans and an Iris species Butterfly Iris like the slightly alkaline meadows. Mud-living plant is the Acorellus pannonicus. On these wetlands nest the Corncracke cracking during the early summer nights. Narrow-leaved Bird's-foot-trefoil, Sea Plantain, Hog's Fennel occur on drier alkaline grasslands. Characteristic species of the loess grasslands are the Fescue species, the Festuca rupicola, the Chrysopogon gryllus, the Andropogon ischaemum and the Hair-like Feather-grass. Ten-thousand stems of Adonis vernalis bloom in April here. Green-winged Orchid can be also definitely in large number. More closer to the border there are marshes rich in species, like Háromág marsh at settlement Pocsaj where Water Soldier can be found. Going more further to the border where loess ridge appears, the biggest known stock of the Terrific Thistle was found in Hungary. This rare Transylvanian species was thought extinct earlier. In the centre of the region there are several - mostly circle-shaped - alkaline ponds: Kerek-fenék pond at Hosszúpályi, Sós pond, Kerek pond at Konyár, Nagy-Széksós pond at Esztár. These ponds used to be very famous spas. Tourists still come here looking for the bath with healing power. The alkaline ponds of Bihar have steppe origin, which is characteristic of the steppe zone of Eastern Europe. But the morotva and deflation origin are not typical here. In the reeds of these ponds breed the Great White Egret, Whiskered Tern, the Black-headed Gull, the Greylag Goose and the Black-tailed Godwit. Along the River Berettyó there are several valuable alkaline oak and hardwood gallery forests. Rare orchid species here the Narrow-leaved Helleborine.
The Érmellék region being parallel with the border is 5 km wide stripe. It is typical alluvial plain with slightly wavy surface. Being closer to the Bihar mountains we can meet Raptors more frequently. They come here to feed. At the end of the summer Lesser Spotted Eagle is regular visitor. The highly protected Montagu's Harrier also nests here, often in the middle of a corn or lucerne field.
3. Kiskalota or Bihar - plain
The biggest part of the region is characterised by flood-free lowlands, floodplains, river basins. They create wavy surface. In the north, the River Berettyó, in the south, the River Sebes-Körös collect the surface waters. Between the two rivers there are parallel flowing brooks having artificial origin but they are valuable in the respect of nature conservation: Kis-Körös Brook, Ölyvös-barát Brook, Kutas Brook, Csente Brook. The upper Ölyvös Brook having clean water and undisturbed habitats is unique in the Carpathian Basin. On the open water surface of the riversLittle Grebe, in the reeds Little Bittern occur. Great Reed Warbler and Reed Warbler built their artistic nests on reedstem. There are several sand-pits in the region where Bee-eater and Sand Martin breed. Their breeding holes threatened by exploitation during the breeding period. The most valuable forests in nature conservation respect are the Miklós forest at Hencida and the Big oak forest at Pocsaj and the oak forest of Biharkeresztes. The central clearing of Miklós forest is still unspoiled alkaline forest steppe with Hog's Fennel, an Aster species, the Aster sedifolius,Butterfly Iris, Transylvanian Plantain and Green-winged Orchid. There are several forest-steppes being less rich in species and Green-winged Orchid homes all around of the region. We can mention in the Big Oak forest of Pocsaj the Narrow-leaved Helleborine. The Narrow Buckler Fernis common species in the oak forest of Biharkeresztes. In several places on the alkaline steppe of Bihar Plain lives the native Transylvanian Plantain and Narrow-leaved Bird's-foot-trefoil. The beautiful Marsh Gentian is typical of the meadows at the end of the summer. A special Pink species, the Dianthus collinus rather occurs at the border of the meadows and the drier fields. In the lack of suitable habitats - there are no big forests and fens - relatively few species descend from the Réz-mountain nearby. Meadow Saffrons also occur in big number close to the eastern border. Among the nature values of Bihar we have to mention first the Great Bustard. Local people know that bird-watchers and naturalist would appear to protect the Great Bustard's nests when the time of hay-making comes. The Great Bustard with its grand appearance could be on the coat of arms of Bihar steppe. Marsh Harrier can be seen almost everywhere, it often goes hunting to the agricultural fields. Filling up the emergency reservoir of Körmösdpuszta in 1997 brought series of surprises for the birdwatchers. Thousands of wild goose appeared during their migration northward. White-fronted Goose was seen in bigger mass than the Bean Goose. Once the rare Red-breasted Goose was seen here. Almost all the migrating ducks can be seen here, even the Common Scoter favouring the deeper waters, the Velvet Scoter and the real uniqueLong-tailed Duck. All the breeding grebes of Hungary occur: Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe,Red-necked Grebe and the Black-necked Grebe. As a rarity, Slavonian Grebe also was noticed on the reservoir. Nesting of the Tufted Duck is proved only here in the region. Whenever we visit the reservoir we have always new experience. We can take delight in watching birds in the way we don't disturb them because the reservoir is so big that the birds are in the safe distance.Dalmatian Pelicans also occur since the reservoir is undisturbed enough. In the middle of the reservoir there is a farm house, only the forked upright of the shadoof is visible. The area was used as a pasture before the filling up, so the former sheep farm today is a home of a gull's colony. Bat species typical of the mountain region also occur here. It is surprising first but the explanation is simple: the nearest mountains are 70-80 km far from here. Bihar and Királyerdő provide with winter place, the margin areas of the lowland provide with summer habitats. During the spring and autumn migration of the bats it is not big distance. The biggest population ofGreater Horshoe Bats live here at the foots of the Bihar mountains. We can meet colonies ofGeoffroy's Bats hanging down from the beams of attics. Serotine Bats harbour in narrow cracks of old churches. In almost every settlement we can find Grey Long-eared Bats dwelling in attics, towers or hollows of trees. They hide their long ears under their wings. During winter they harbour in cellars usually. Being unharmed it becomes confidential roommate.
4. Cultural heritage and historic buildings
The landscape protection area of Bihar Plain lays on the administrative area of 33 settlements of Hajdú-Bihar county. The architecture of Bihar settlements follows the borders of nature. In the Sárrét region thatched houses with porch line up looking on the street. In the southern part of the region there are barns, granaries, pillars made of stone besides the houses looking on the street.
Here we survey only some of the huge amount of memories of the 33 settlements:
Bihar Museum - Berettyóújfalu
It is the museum of the Bihar landscape and man. Permanent and temporary exhibition let us know the past and present of Bihar.
Herpály tower - close to Berettyóújfalu
Ruins of the former St. Paul provostal church was built of bricks in the XII. century. It has semicircular arch rim.
Memorial house and tomb of György Bessenyei - Bakonszeg
György Bessenyei (1747-1811), the excellent writer and philosopher of the Hungarian enlightenment lived in his last decades in the nearby settlement Pusztakovácsi which belongs to Bakonszeg settlement now.
Memorial house of Sándor Szűcs - Biharnagybajom
Sándor Szűcs (1903-1982) the famous ethnographer "did the most to protect the values of the past of the Sárrét region".
In this settlement there is a Blacksmith Museum too.
Country house - Nagyrábé
It is situated in the park of the community house. It gives a survey of the life of local people.
At Füstpuszta settlement a 300 year-old Pedunculate Oak tree stands in the park of the former palace being run as a hotel today.
Bocskai castle - Nagykereki
It is single-storey, neo-classical mansion today, with quadratic ground-plan and cylindrical corner turret. It has permanent exhibition.
Erdődy mansion - Esztár
The single-storey neo-classical mansion was built around 1820.
Monastery - Gáborján
Close to Gáborján settlement a monastery of the Arpadian age (897-1301) was excavated.
Rhédey mansion - Zsáka
The owner of the region and this mansion was the Rhédey family since the XVII. century.
