Közép-Tiszai Tájvédelmi Körzet

The area of the Central Tisza Landscape Protection Zone is 9 455.6 hectares, of which 833 hectares are strictly protected. The Landscape Protection Zone falls under the administration of the Hortobágy National Park Directorate.

Location

The strictly protected area includes the Pély Bird Reserve, the Óballa and Vezseny Nature Protection Areas, as well as the Tiszakécske riverside settlement.

Characteristics

The Central Tisza Landscape Protection Zone belongs to the Natura 2000 network, both under the habitat directive and the bird protection directive, including the Tisza floodplain and limestone areas planned for protection. Due to river regulation and the plowing of the protected bank, the natural floodplain wildlife of the former floodplain has been confined to the floodplain area across much of the Tisza valley. Unfortunately, a significant part of the floodplain is occupied by non‑native plants, such as noble willow plantations. Industrial plant cultivation and livestock breeding have pushed aside the traditional forms of floodplain agriculture (fishing, pasture and meadow farming, beekeeping, floodplain fruit growing, etc.), which could be compatible with the preservation of biological diversity.

Flora and Fauna

The landscape protection zone established in 1978 on the floodplain between the Tisza Small Loop and Tiszaug protects, after regulation, 9 500 hectares of secondary landscape formed over about a hundred years. Within this, the Pély Bird Reserve, the Óballa and Vezseny Nature Protection Areas, and the Tiszakécske riverside settlement are strictly protected.

Willow‑poplar riparian forests and the floodplain meadows they surround alternate. The oxbow lakes not only show the former meanders of the river but also are the last witnesses of the once‑vast vanished swamp world. The flats, recharged peat‑rich branch streams, and the shallow waters of the swamp meadows that warm quickly in spring are breeding sites for frogs.

Among the numerous protected and strictly protected plant and animal species living in the Nature Protection Area, the summer crocus, the massive flower clusters of the Tisza riverside marguerite, is certainly worthy of mention. At the beginning of summer the sight of the Tisza flower drawing is striking. Among our strictly protected birds, the black stork, the corncrake, and the brown crake nest here. Among mammals, the otter occurs sparsely around the waters, while the wildcat, as well as many species of weasels and bats can be said to be generally widespread. After the construction of Lake Tisza, herons, bitterns and the marsh harrier settled.

Cultural values

Szolnok, Damjanich Museum: we can become acquainted with the life of the local people from the Stone Age to the present.

Millér, Water Management Museum: placed in a former steam pump building from the last century that has been declared an industrial monument.

Tiszaföldvár, Geographic Museum: mainly awaits its visitors with natural geographic, archaeological, ethnographic and local history material.

Tiszasüly, Roman Catholic church: built in 1490 in Gothic style.

Tiszaroff, Reformed church: built in 1775, its peculiarity is that in this region it unusually has a separate bell tower, which was built in 1762.

Fegyvernek Csonk Tower, built around 1480 in Gothic style.

In Szolnok the downtown Franciscan large church was built in Baroque style, in several phases from 1736 to 1758. Slightly earlier, in 1749, the vow chapel at the corner of Ady Endre Street and Kápolna Street was completed.

In Tiszasüly the Sajfok steam pump, which was originally built in 1878 with an English steam engine and pump, was expanded in 1888 with Hungarian-made equipment.

The Szolnok Millér Pump Plant was built between 1895 and 1998. After its placement outside operation its structure was dismantled, and therefore it is now inoperable. The Water Management Museum is located in its building.

With a memorial column alone in Tiszavárkony they marked the alleged place where in 1059 the "sword and crown" scene took place between King Andrew I and Prince Béla.

In 1514 Dózsa's army crossed the Tisza on the Várkony meadow, and many lads from the opposite bank of Varsány joined those marching to war. On the Tisza bank at Cibakháza the battle of Cibakháza took place on February 24, 1849, where temporarily General Leiningen was also taken prisoner.