Nagyberek - Fehérvíz marshland (Fehérvízi láp)
The formation of
the area was the result of a simple geological detachment, whereby the
lake separated the area from the water surface with an offshore bar,
which later became a swamp. Since this area is not particularly
suitable for any kind of agricultural activity, it was never exposed to
the harmful effects of urbanization and has been able to preserve its
intactness and natural beauty. The process of drainage in Nagyberek is
carried out with a system of canals, a total of 216km in length,
through which an annual amount of 20 million m3 of water is pumped into
the lake.
As Nagyberek was covered with an uninterrupted surface
of water until the mid-1800s, the ground still contains a considerable
amount of snail shells. When the wind sweeps across the area, these
shells cause huge damage by literally shaving off the tender shoots. To
prevent this, forest belts have been planted.
Nagyberek has a
narrow-gauge railway network of about 50km in length. It originally
functioned as a means of transporting crops to the standard railway at
Balatonfenyves, but now it serves regular passenger traffic all year
round and is a tourist attraction. The ride to Berek offers a pleasant
time and a lot of experience, such as the beauty of the nature reserve,
a good swim at Csisztafürdő, the row of romantic wine cellars at Táska,
or an excursion to Buzsák. Even if the railway is not a museum railway,
its unique wooden-framed carriages, the tiny locomotives driven by
lorry engines, and the renovated steam locomotive are all worth of
attention.
The ancient marshland has been a conservation area
for more than twenty years now; it is only accessible for the purpose
of scientific research and may be visited by guided tours only. Those
interested in photography are guided through the area on a photo-safari
by the specialists of the Berek Nature Reserve Fund upon request
In
addition to its natural beauty, this area boasts an extremely rich
flora and fauna. Among the 270 bird species living in the close
environs of Lake Balaton, 123 have their habitat or nest here during
the year. You can find great egrets (nagykócsag), small egrets,
Eurasian spoonbills (kanalasgém), grey herons (szürke gém), Eurasian
coots (szárcsa) and bitterns (bölömbika). The most notable predator
bird breeding here is the Western marsh-harrier (barna rétihéja) but
the honey buzzard (darázsölyv) or the white tailed eagle (réti sas) is
not uncommon either. As regards flora, among the many rarities under
protection one can find the marsh pennywort, the marsh violet (mocsári
ibolya) and the Siberian iris (szibériai nőszirom) but you will find
white waterlilies (fehér tündérrózsa), early marsh orchids (hússzínű
ujjaskosbor) and marsh helleborines (mocsári nőszőfű), too.
Due
to environmental factors, the number of species and single organisms in
the flora of the nature reserve is changing constantly. Nagyberek is
also a paradise for hunters, where the stock of deer is excellent, but
the roe and the wild boar in the swamps can also be spotted. In
addition, the area is abundant in pheasants.
Together with Balaton and Kis-Balaton, the area plays a key role in bird migration.
For more information on photo Safaris, please call: (+36 30) 969-2781
