Discover Szeghalom

Szeghalom combines seasonally organized tours, a nearby nature reserve, and local architecture and exhibition themes. These different highlights provide a practical guide to deciding whether the town is right for your stay.

Nature and activities in Szeghalom

At Várhelyi Youth Camp, rowing, horseback riding, and cycling tours are organized for small and large groups from early spring to late autumn. Planning therefore depends on the season and the type of activity you want; specific arrangements may vary.

In the nearby Szeghalmi KÉK-tó Nature Reserve, the bed of Kék-tó is crescent-shaped and mostly covered with marsh vegetation. The organized tours at the camp and the nature reserve, with its distinctive landscape, therefore offer two different experiences.

Architecture and city history

The Reformed Church of Szeghalom was built in the Baroque-Copf style and has a Greek cross floor plan. Its architectural style and floor plan describe two different aspects of the same building.

The collection at the Nagy Miklós Városi Könyvtár és Sárréti Muzeális Gyűjtemény includes four exhibition areas: old professions, peasant life, crafts, and a local history exhibition about 900 years of Szeghalom. The city’s history, with its different themes, thus complements the distinctive architectural form of the Reformed Church.

More highlights in the wider Békés destination

Beyond Szeghalom, the wider Békés destination offers additional natural and cultural highlights. The Körösvölgyi Animal Park in Anna-liget, Szarvas, is set in a 26-hectare grove. A walking trail of about two kilometers passes bird aviaries, animal houses, wetlands, and spacious enclosures. The Jégmadár Water Nature Trail offers a different experience: it starts at the park’s landing stage and follows a one-kilometer stretch of the Szarvas–Békésszentandrás oxbow lake. Eight floating buoy stations introduce visitors to the oxbow lake and its flora and fauna. The trail is intended mainly for canoeists and rowboat users without an expert guide, and can only be reached by canoe or boat. The two routes therefore differ clearly in how visitors get around: a walking trail through the grove or access by water.

At the Sterbetz István Bustard Conservation Visitor Centre in Réhely, near Dévaványa, visitors can see great bustards up close—the only place in Hungary where this is possible. Expert-guided tours, birdwatching, nature photography, themed programs, and astronomy presentations are available on request. The Réhely Trail starts and ends at the visitor centre. The Mágor-pusztai Trail is just over 500 meters long and introduces visitors to the natural and cultural-historical values of the protected area. The trails therefore have different defining features: the Réhely Trail’s starting and ending point, and the Mágor-pusztai Trail’s length and themes.

Kardoskúti Fehértó is an internationally recognized wetland and has been protected under the Ramsar Convention since 1979. Two observation towers make it easier to watch the birdlife. The Kardoskúti Bird Migration Museum uses an interactive exhibition to explore bird migration and the region’s distinctive flora and fauna. Another seasonal highlight is Bihari Táj Nap, held every year on the third weekend of May. Visitors can see wild orchids growing in the Ugrai Meadow, learn about the birdlife of the Biharugra fishponds on an expert-guided tour, and take part in other educational and cultural programs. If you are traveling specifically for the festival, check the exact event dates in advance.

Discover more destinations: Vésztő, Dévaványa.

Back to the wider travel overview: Szeghalomi.