Bélmegyer brings together two distinct themes: the landscape of Bélmegyeri Fáspuszta and the history of its hunting lodges. Access conditions are also important when planning your visit. The central, strictly protected part of Fáspuszta is not accessible because of its small size and vulnerability. Wenckheim Castle is closed to visitors and can only be viewed from outside the fence. Before your trip, check the national park’s latest notices and the castle’s access status.

Nature and protection in Fáspuszta

Bélmegyeri Fáspuszta covers 644 hectares as part of the national park; 82 hectares of it are strictly protected. It is one of Hungary’s last intact salt oak forests. Scattered across the salt pasture are pedunculate oaks several centuries old and old wild pear trees. It is also home to one of the world’s strongest known populations of the endangered moth species Gortyna borelii, also called the “great burnet moth.” The pasture landscape, old trees and rare moth each give the protected area a distinct natural character.

Hunting lodges and history

Wenckheim Hunting Lodge in Fáspuszta was built by Béla Wenckheim between 1855 and 1862, to plans by Miklós Ybl. Remnants of the former English landscape garden and trees over 100 years old remain around Wenckheim Castle. A memorial in Fáspuszta commemorates the soldiers from the surrounding farmsteads who fell in the First World War.

Kárászi Hunting Lodge, a romantic-eclectic hunting lodge dating from the 1860s, also stands on the outskirts of Bélmegyer. It has a five-hectare park, one hectare of which is protected. If you plan to visit the park, check the latest access information beforehand.

Getting there, the White Willow and a cycling route

Bélmegyer can be reached by road from Békés, Mezőberény or Vésztő. Check the latest road and public transport connections before setting out. The locally protected white willow “Öreg hölgy,” also called “Idős Fehér Hölgy,” stands on the road from Vésztő to Bélmegyer. It is considered the oldest white willow in Békés County.

A 2026 event organizer’s listing shows a 100 km road cycling route for the Körös-100 challenge ride passing through Bélmegyer. Before planning, check the next event date before including the route in your trip.

Seasonal activities

At the Disznótoros program at Bélmegyeri Hunting Lodge, guests can make sausages and bake bread themselves. Pheasant hunts are also offered there from mid-November to the end of February, as well as hunting opportunities for roe deer, fallow deer, mouflon and partridge. Check seasonal availability and booking conditions with the provider in advance.

Choose accommodation based on your travel focus

Then check the location and current availability of each hotel to make sure it suits your travel plans.

More nature destinations in the wider Békés destination

In the wider Békés destination, the Jégmadár Water Nature Trail follows a roughly one-kilometer stretch of the Szarvas–Békésszentandrás oxbow lake. It starts at the pier of the Körösvölgyi Animal Park. Eight floating buoy stations introduce visitors to the oxbow lake and its wildlife and plant life. The trail is accessible only by canoe or boat and is intended primarily for canoeists and rowboaters without an expert guide.

Discover more destinations: Békés, Mezőberény, Köröstarcsa, Doboz.

Back to the overview of the wider destination: Békési.