Protected areas are the museums of nature. The landscape, the plants and the animals feel all right without us. The primary function of national parks, nature reserves and landscape protection areas is to protect natural values but humans cannot be banned from these areas, obviously.

Plan wisely!

Plan your visit to protected areas wisely. Consider the weather conditions, the terrain and the length of the trail. Please also remember that you may cross private land during your walk.

Note that bike and train are the preferred means of transportation for reaching the protected areas; if using a car, make sure that you are not alone in it but accompanied by friends or family. Natural areas should be entered on foot or by other permitted means of transportation.

The use of cars in protected natural areas should be restricted to public roads and some designated forestry roads. Park your car at the designated parking areas. Those who drive or park differently without permission commit infraction and will be fined up to 150,000 Ft.

Protected areas can have strictly protected parts, which are indicated by signs. These parts preserve exceptional natural values; therefore, entrance is allowed only with a written permission of the National Park or with an expert guide.

Do not stray off the trails!

Do not leave the trails during your visit. Hiking trails and study trails of the protected areas have been prepared for the common good of visitors and nature. Leaving the trails will incur disturbance to wildlife.

If walking, biking or riding a horse off the designated trails, you will cut new tracks and erode the vegetation, which promotes the spread of weeds. If you stray off, you threaten the safety of ground-nesting grassland birds and the animals living in the soil, and can damage the vegetation.

Be silent and observant!

Listen to the sounds of nature. Make sure to be as silent as possible and do not disturb wildlife. This will also help you observe the natural behaviour of animals and you will not disturb the other visitors either.

Do not leave a thing behind!

Bring food that is easy to digest and provide you with enough energy, and always remember to bring enough fluid. The most advisable fluid is water because it is also suitable for cleaning and washing, if needed.

You will not find a bin in every corner in protected areas because it would not be possible to empty them on a regular basis.

Wrapping material and packages of foods and drinks should never be thrown away. Paper and plastic that is left behind is not attractive to the eye and degrades slowly or never degrades at all. As a result, they pollute the environment and can be dangerous for wildlife. Several beetles, small mammals and birds died because of getting stuck in bottles, plastic bags and bier cans.

Take the garbage with you and throw it in designated bins at the end of the trip. Your backpack is lighter at the end without the food and drinks, anyway. You only need to carry the packages and wrapping material till the end.

Everyone is allowed to pick wild berries and fruits but remember that others would also like to have a few. Taste only those berries you know well, as several poisonous berries also occur in the region.

If nature calls, do it far from the trails. Make a small hole in the ground and cover it when you finished. Stool and paper left behind provide an ugly view can also spread infections.

Visitors can find benches, resting areas, fire places and high-stands in the freely accessible parts of the National Park. These are made so that they cause no damage or disturbance to wildlife. You can stay at these places for as long as you want.

Tenting, however, is usually not allowed in protected areas; therefore, we recommend overnighting in nearby accommodations.

Careful with fire!

Please always keep yourself up to date about fire restrictions by checking www.erdotuz.hu regularly.

Make fire only in the designated fire places and keep the size of the fire to a minimum. Use fallen dead wood and branches for the fire. Make sure to completely extinguish the fire before leaving. By being careful, you can prevent devastating damages.

When lighting a fire, always adhere the regulations of fire making. Do not use open flame or make fire if fire restrictions are in effect. Do not light fire in droughty conditions and in strong wind.

Everything for the eye, nothing for the hand!

Do not pick flowers during your walk.

A bunch of wild flowers wilts fast; they are more beautiful in their own habitat than in a vase. If you remove the flowers of a plant, it loses its chance to set seed and reproduce that year. If picking the most beautiful specimens of a species, you impair the genetic conditions of the population. Furthermore, several wild flowers are poisonous and can cause rushes or can have other unpleasant effects.

You can find large amounts of mushrooms in the meadows and forests after rain. Some of them are unsuitable for consumption and can be poisonous. If you pick mushrooms, adhere to the rules. You should always have it checked by a mushroom expert before making a meal from them.

Do not tread on mushrooms as they have an important role in nature.

Taking photos is an excellent way to preserve memories from a trip. Take your photos so that you minimize disturbance to wildlife. Do not remove plants for a better composition for the photo. Do not take photos of birds near their nests, if possible, since doing so disturbs them greatly. Nestlings do not survive for long without their parents. Portable bird hides are allowed only with the permission of the National Park.

Keep dogs on a lead!

It is great to go for a walk with your dog; they are also excited by the wild environment. But for this exact reason, keep them on a lead. Doing so serves the interest of both the dog and the wildlife. There are very few dogs that heed the call of their owner if a rabbit jumps and starts running in front of them.

Please remember

The maintenance of protected areas is costly and tiresome. Do not damage the markings of trails, the information signs, benches and resting areas while visiting the National Park. We have made them for your comfort and to provide you with information.

IT IS OUR COMMON INTEREST TO PRESERVE OUR NATURAL HERITAGE!

Thank you for keeping the rules of visiting.