The Kálvária Chapel stands on a hill in the centre of Polgár and is the town’s oldest building. The Roman Catholic church was built in 1856 in the late Neoclassical style. Together, the two buildings offer different points of reference for the town’s history: the chapel’s central location and status as the oldest building shape how it is understood, while the church is identified by its year of construction and style. Visitors choosing Polgár for its architectural history will therefore find two clearly distinct points of reference.
Hajdú-Bihar in a wider context
Within the broader travel destination of Hajdú-Bihar, the Hortobágyi Nemzeti Park – the Puszta World Heritage site offers a distinctive landscape setting. The area covers nearly 75,000 ha in the Great Hungarian Plain in eastern Hungary and, as a cultural landscape, preserves visible evidence of more than 2,000 years of traditional pastoralism. Unlike the buildings in Polgár, this is a vast landscape with a long history of grazing. The Hortobágyi-halastó pond system also has several protected and recognised designations: it is a Ramsar site, an Important Bird Area, part of the World Heritage site and a Natura 2000 site.
Walking routes and wildlife watching
At Hortobágyi-halastó, visitors can choose from walks of 3.6 km, 5.4 km or 10 km; there are no difficult sections. The main difference between the three options is the distance. Hortobágy Wildlife Park showcases the native wildlife of the Hungarian Puszta, including wolves, Przewalski’s horses, vultures and pelicans. A bookable Land Rover safari with an expert guide takes visitors to see wild horses and aurochs. Check the safari booking conditions in advance.
The crane migration is a widely popular event in Hortobágy. Around 1,500 visitors watch the cranes at feeding sites during the day and at their roosting sites at sunset; numbers may vary depending on the season. Another way to experience the Puszta landscape is an approximately 90-minute carriage ride. It offers insights into the area’s natural and cultural heritage, as well as pastoral traditions. Check the current programme before making plans.
Pastoral life and crafts
The Shepherds’ Museum presents the lives of shepherds, along with handmade clothing, tools and decorated personal items. It is housed in a former coach house that belonged to the Hortobágyi Csárda complex. The Körszín exhibition features faithfully recreated workshops for traditional crafts: saddlery, pottery, shoemaking, blacksmithing, hat-making, gingerbread-making and wagon-building. The exhibition at the Hortobágyi Csárda covers the history of the inn, transport across the Puszta and its famous guests; historical dress-up activities and a photo point are also included.
At the visitor centre, the Nature of Hortobágy exhibition presents the landscape’s rich flora and fauna. The World of Cranes offers experience-based learning and entertainment for all ages, including a diorama, tactile objects, quiz questions, a magnetic puzzle and a digital drawing board.
Discover more destinations: Újszentmargita
Go to the main travel overview: Polgári.
