The Aggtelek National Park

One of the world's most incredible geographical phenomena and Europe's largest stalactite caves, the Baradla Cave in Aggtelek is a World Heritage site. There are over 240 caves that have been mapped under the hilly surface full of earth mounds, ancient furnaces, and ruins of monasteries. Its Hungarian section is 17 km long, and has an underground stream. Guided tours leave from three entrances: from Jósvafő and Lake Vörös are short and medium tours on paved pathways wired with electric lighting. An entrance was also opened to the caves at Jósvafő, an enchanting small village reached along picturesque, winding roads and criss-crossed by the stream Jósva. Two major caves are located here: the 30-m high, 125-m long and 55-m wide Hall of Giants, abounding in stalactites and stalagmites, and the Béke (Peace) Cave, where clean air therapy is offered to asthmatics. Lake Vörös and the other entrance to the Baradla Cave are 2.5 km from here. There is a trail leading to Jósva Spring and a small tarn lake. The 20,000-hectare Aggtelek karst (limestone), an international biosphere reserve since 1979, has a flora and fauna with rare species. Hiking tours and leisurely walks around the villages are excellent ways of learning about local culture.

Beech and oak forests cover theThe exceptionally charming Bükk Highlands, a forest-covered land streams, caves, and magnificent rock formations, with many native animal species is the third national park in Hungary. The most frequented spot of the region is the Szalajka Valley full of wriggling trout.

The Bükk National Park

The huge chalk mass of the Bükk Hills include the Bükk Plateau at a height of 900 m and the rocks Istállóskő, Tar kő, Őr kő, Három kő, Magos kő and Örvény kő rising around it. Archaeological finds are at display at the Szeleta, Istállóskő and Subalyuk caves. There are 850 discovered caves, three of them are open to the public: Anna-barlang and Szent lstván-barlang, rich in stalagmites and stalactites in Miskolc-Lillafüred, and Tavasbarlang in Miskolctapolca.

In the summer, a narrow-gauge railway service departing from Szilvásvárad runs across the splendid 5-km Szalajka Valley, where the Szalajka stream is vaporised into spray as it cascades down the 17-m steps of the Fátyol Waterfall. The Forest Museum reveals the life of charcoal burners. The bones of a tundra deer, cave bears, a prehistoric bison, buffaloes and mammoths were found in a nearby cave of primitive man.
The Lippizaner stud farm of the Viennese Spanish Riding School has its pasture in the neighbouring village Csipkéskút, where an exhibition of the History of Lippizaner Horse Breeding can also be seen. The flora of the Bükk National Park is presented at the Orbán House.