Pély combines protected salt flats and birdlife with an unusually tangible history of water engineering. Local points of interest include the Szikesei, the Pélyi Madárrezervátum and the Pély-Ludas nature trail, as well as the Sajfok lock, the pumping station and art in the village. A stay here is therefore centred above all on landscape conservation, the history of technology and local culture.
Salt Flats and Bird Reserve
The Szikesei of Pély form a nature reserve within the Hevesi Füves Puszták Landscape Protection Area and are among its most valuable areas. Their distinctive character, as well as their plant and animal life, is similar to that of Hortobágy. The Pélyi Madárrezervátum lies in the Tisza floodplain and is a prominent area of the Közép-Tiszai Landscape Protection Area. This places two different landscape settings side by side: the saline areas of one protected area and the Tisza floodplain of the other. For nature enthusiasts, this marks a clear distinction between salt habitats and river floodplains.
Nature Trail and Birdwatching Hide
The Pély-Ludas nature trail explains habitat development, conservation objectives, management tasks and challenges in the Hevesi Füves Puszták Landscape Protection Area. It is therefore concerned not only with the landscape, but also with how its habitats are developed and protected. Visiting the Csipkebogyós birdwatching hide requires advance registration; check the current arrangements before your visit.
Lock and Pumping Station
The Sajfok lock was built in 1862, and its original commemorative plaque is still visible. The Sajfok pumping station for inland water drainage began operating in 1878 with an English steam engine; machines manufactured in Hungary were added in 1879. It was Hungary’s first pumping station for inland water drainage, is still operational and is a valuable water engineering heritage site. The dates mark different milestones: 1862 relates to the lock, while 1878/79 relates to the pumping station’s operations and machinery.
Art in the Village
The 19th-century statue of Nepomuki Szent János is considered the municipality’s only monument. Artists who supported Pély also enriched the village with several public sculptures and artworks. Alongside the technical heritage, the village therefore features a historic statue and a broader artistic presence.
In the Wider Destination of Heves
In the wider destination of Heves, the Hevesi Füves Puszták Landscape Protection Area covers 16,114 hectares in the southern part of Heves County. It was designated in 1993; expansions in 2005 and 2008 brought it to its present size. Also within the wider destination, the Ilona-völgyi nature trail along the Ilona stream offers a different focus: the 6.5-kilometre route passes the geological features of the Eastern Mátra Mountains and traces of former ore mining. While Pély’s nature is defined by saline areas and the Tisza floodplain, this trail focuses on geology and historic ore extraction. Also in the wider destination of Heves, the Heves County section of the Országos Kéktúra includes the ascent of Kékestető, Hungary’s highest point; visitors can enjoy winter sports on the mountain in winter.
Discover more destinations: Tiszanána, Heves, Kisköre.
Back to the wider destination overview: Hevesi.
