Körös Area the south-eastern part of the Tisza Region, especially the Körös–Maros National Park, owes its interesting character to the presence of no fewer than five rivers – the Sebes, Fekete-Körös, Fehér-Körös, Berettyó and Maros. The treasures of the area worthy of protection continue to be those connected with water, although gone are the days when there were more boats than carriages, when the unregulated meandering of the rivers created large areas of marshland. Up to the eighteenth century it was boats hewn from a single piece of timber that ruled the area. They were not used solely for going on the water, but also had to go through the marshes. These so-called “mud boats” were pulled by horse or ox.
The rivers are abundant in fish, the river banks are rich in birdlife, and the forests are plentiful in game. Some very special birds can be seen here, for example the bustard; indeed the Dévaványa (F4) Bird Sanctuary (which was opened in 1975) holds the largest population of bustards in all Europe. They are fed in the winter months, and their welfare and exposed nesting places on the Puszta are looked after all year. There is an exhibition giving an account of the bird protection work. Some protected areas are open without restriction, others require a permit. Many ancient skills survive in the Körös area. Traditional baskets are woven in Békés by descendants of the craftsmen of old times, and the hand-knotted carpets of Békésszentandrás (E5) are well known.
In the Southern Great Plain it is difficult to travel any appreciable distance without coming across a thermal bathing establishment. In the Körös area too there are famous spa towns, and visitors might like to try the bathing cures at Füzesgyarmat (F4), Dévaványa or Mezőberény (F5), or the wonderful Gyopárosfürdő at Orosháza (E5); or at the mainly Slovak inhabited Rózsafürdő thermal water beach at Tótkomlós (F6). Or try a Maros medicinal mud pack at the Makó (E6) Thermal Baths in the Maros Valley.
The area is rich in architectural monuments too. At Szabadkígyós (F5) the imposing nineteenth century Wenckheim Palace stands in 57 acres of mature parkland that include Hungary’s biggest hornbeam trees. The gem of Vésztő is the ninth and tenth century remains of the so-called Csolt monastery, unearthed during archaological excavations.

Gyula (F5) one of Hungary’s best known foods – the Gyula sausage – had its humble beginnings in the nineteenth century in the spa town on the Great Plain from which it gets its name. By 1935, the fame of the tasty, spicy sausage had spread, and it won a gold medal at the Brussels World Exhibition. Nowadays it is still made in the locality and according to the original recipe, though now in a large factory. But there’s more to Gyula than its famous sausage! Here is Central Europe’s only surviving mediaval flatland brick-built castle, once part of an island fortress. On pleasant summer evenings there are outdoor theatre performances in the grounds. The nearby internationally famous Castle Baths, fed from medicinal thermal waters, are located in the 20-acre grounds of the baroque-Louis XVI Almásy Mansion. Among the many attractive houses in the town, one especially pleasing attraction is the Hundred-Year-Old Café (Százéves cukrászda), one of Hungary’s best known old coffee houses, dating from 1840 and furnished largely with original pieces. The composer and father of Hungarian opera, Ferenc Erkel, is probably the most famous son of Gyula, but one of the masters of sixteenth century German art, Albrecht Dürer, also has links with the town as his father was born here.

Békéscsaba (F5) having been depopulated during the Turkish rule, Békéscsaba was afterwards settled by Slovaks. One of its most interesting buildings is the nineteenth century towered Slovak “Tájház” or Peasant House. Another is the Lutheran Church, which, with its 230-foot high tower is the largest in Hungary. The most famous master of nineteenth century realist painting, Mihály Munkácsy, studied for a time in the town. And here too, as in neighbouring Gyula, a popular spicy sausage is made – this one is called “Csabai”.

Gyomaendrőd (F4) there are sixteen separate backwaters to the Hármas-Körös, making it an absolute paradise for anglers and water sports enthusiasts. The town is in a protected area and is surrounded by this latticework of waterways. It became known abroad in 1882 because of the Kner Press. The neo-baroque villa of the founder of the firm today houses the Kner Printing Industry Museum. Also worth a visit are the town’s special motorcycle collection and the Tájház Museum with its rich archaological collection.

In Orosháza-Gyopárosfürdő (E5), the ’wonderlake’ system and its surroundings offer a natural bathing site with a relaxing microclimate. The spa provides an opportunity for health care treatment as well as for having some water fun. The town features a unique well-museum.