The stud farm and horse breeding give Mezőhegyes a clear cultural and historical theme. For planning purposes, it is important to know that visits to the stud farm are organized as a bookable group program. The town also has several listed buildings.

Stud Farm Visits and Horse History

During a guided visit, groups can tour the central stud farm yard with its riding hall and commandant’s house. A bookable program at stud farm yard No. 20 also includes insights into the traditional keeping of Nonius and Gidrán breeding mares, as well as a visit to renovated buildings with more than 230 years of history. The stud farm regularly welcomes groups from spring to late autumn. Guided tour packages are intended for groups of at least ten people; the date and group size must be agreed when booking.

Mezőhegyes is considered the birthplace of the three historic Hungarian horse breeds Nonius, Gidrán and Furioso. The breeds’ origins and insights into the keeping of Nonius and Gidrán breeding mares offer two concrete perspectives on the town’s horse history. If you are interested in this focus, you can take the seasonal group program and its booking conditions into account when planning your trip.

Historical Details in the Town

In the courtyard of the Mezőhegyes stud farm stands a protected plane tree of Indian origin, planted in 1819. It is a single, precisely dated natural monument in the stud farm yard and adds an older botanical heritage to the historic buildings.

Mezőhegyes is also home to the listed buildings Centrál, Kantár and bolondtornyok. Their names offer further points of reference for exploring the town’s architectural heritage, though they are separate from the guided stud farm program.

Nature Attractions in the Broader Travel Destination of Békés

The broader travel destination of Békés also has its own nature attractions. The Körösvölgyi Animal Park is located in Anna-liget in Szarvas, in a 26-hectare grove. Along the approximately two-kilometre walking path are bird aviaries, animal houses, wetlands and spacious enclosures. The Sterbetz István Bustard Conservation Visitor Centre in Réhely near Dévaványa offers a different focus: in Hungary, visitors can only experience great bustards up close there. Guided tours, birdwatching, nature photography, themed programs and astronomical demonstrations can be requested there.

Another option in the broader travel destination of Békés is the Jégmadár Water Nature Trail. It begins at the Körösvölgyi Animal Park pier and runs along an approximately one-kilometre section of the Szarvas–Békésszentandrás oxbow lake. Eight floating buoy stations introduce visitors to the oxbow lake and its animal and plant life, particularly canoeists and rowers without expert guidance. The trail is accessible only by canoe or boat. This clearly distinguishes it from the walking path in the animal park: a watercraft is needed for this route. The Mágor-pusztai Trail is slightly more than 500 metres long and presents the natural and cultural-historical values of the protected area.

Discover more travel destinations: Füzesgyarmat.

See the broader travel overview: Békés.