Tiszaszőlős – Tiszaderzs
On this tour, you can see the local sights, e.g. visiting the Bible museum and the ruins of the Dominican order church, as well as a trip to the port of Tiszaderzsi.
The area around Derzs was settled shortly after the Hungarian conquest by the Tomaj clan, and later the Derzsy clan also acquired property here. Around 1250, the first bricks were laid for an Árpád-era church that provided shelter for Dominican monks. After the Mongol invasion, the village was repopulated. This church miraculously survived the Mongol invasion but was destroyed during the Rákóczi War of Independence. The bricks from the church were scattered by the villagers, and today only a part of the ruins is visible. The patron saint of this church is the Virgin Mary, as is the case with the locals. The church ruins can be found on Ady Endre Street.
In the 18th century, a new Reformed church was built in Tiszaderzs to replace the aforementioned ruined church. One of the village's attractions is the Bible Museum, which contains approximately 600 volumes. It has an ecumenical character, so you can find various versions of the Bible and other religious books in about sixty languages, which were sent to the founder, Reverend Gusztáv Fodor, from different parts of the world. If you contact him in advance, he can share many interesting stories with visitors.
And if your family is visiting Tiszaderzs, it's worth visiting the kangaroo park as well. Here, you can even take a selfie with the Bennett's kangaroos and see many other animals such as alpacas, meerkats, cockatoos, and more. There's also a playhouse for children to enjoy.
The length of the tour is approximately 30 km, but there is an option to cycle to the town of Tiszaderzs from the embankment. The road quality here is not the best, but it is passable with a bicycle.
Starting from the Reformed Tourist Center, make sure to get onto the designated bike path, which is most easily accessed through the gate facing the Main Street and continues on the other side. You can go in two directions: turning left until the next intersection, and then turning right onto Igari Street to reach Route 33, where you can turn onto the bike path to head towards Budapest, bypassing the city center. You can also reach this point by turning right when leaving the Tourist Center and following the road to Kossuth Square (passing the police station and MHB bank) and then turning onto Ady Endre Street, which leads to the roundabout. At the second exit, you should head toward the Mol gas station. The designated bike lane will take you to Halas Square, where you can get onto the bike path that continues along the embankment.
The Tisza Lake – a terrestrial paradise crafted by human hands, but blessed by God – is a unique haven teeming with a remarkable array of flora and fauna. Despite the Tisza Lake celebrating its 50th birthday in 2023, the regulation of the Tisza River dates back 150 years. Initiated by Count István Széchenyi and designed by Pál Vásárhelyi, this process was driven by the increasing floods, the irrigation demands of agriculture, and the need for the development of navigation. During this process, many meanders were cut off, embankments were constructed, and flushing canals were created to ensure the fresh water supply of backwaters. Before the regulation, the region was covered with vast marshlands, which served as excellent hideouts during the Mongol and Turkish invasions and were also used by outlaws to evade the police.
The regulation of the water level is ensured by the Kisköre dam, which can be viewed, for example, during the bicycle tour. The Tisza Lake is the second largest standing water in the Carpathian Basin, and its peculiarity lies in the significant water movement due to the live Tisza on its different sections. Covering an area of 127 square kilometers, it is 27 kilometers long and 6 kilometers wide, and it's divided into multiple basins, one of which is larger than Lake Velence.
Thanks to the construction of the embankment crown, it is possible to cycle around the lake, with the smaller circuit being approximately 70 kilometers, which has been entirely bike-friendly since 2021. For the larger, 95-kilometer circuit, a touring bike is recommended. In some sections, the canal, the bike path, the road, and the railway run parallel to each other. The bicycle tour offers breathtaking views from the Tisza bridges opened in 2021. Along many segments of the embankment, especially between Kisköre and Poroszló, the water surface is entirely visible. The towns surrounding the lake are accessible by road, and from there, you can reach the lakeshores through the harbors. However, the most exciting tour is to explore the embankment by bicycle or through a boat trip.
Several open-water beaches have been established along the lake's shore, among which Sarud's beach stands out. It offers access to the Sarud pool, an ideal place for water sports, and is home to Central Europe's largest water playground. In Dinnyéshát, a true gem awaits with its well-structured beach, shoreline section, a Tiszafüred jetty system for a protected water surface, and a beautifully refurbished lakeshore section, ensuring comfortable and safe swimming.
During water tours, the lake's full beauty unfolds, with numerous waterfowl species that reach their full glory in the bird reserve. The small canals also provide unforgettable scenery. Many harbors offer boat tours, and various types of watercraft are available for rent.
In recent years, several lookout towers have been built, which can only be approached from the water, providing excellent panoramic views of the Tisza Lake.
Turning left at the Albatrosz harbor and following the Örvényi morotva for about 2 km, you'll reach Tiszaörvény. Here, you can see a pump house, which is considered an industrial monument and can be visited on open days. From here, the Horthy Canal departs, and due to its unique design with concrete pillars, it's considered a curiosity in Europe. Riding along the Örvényi flushing canal, you'll reach the live Tisza river. Along its banks, you'll first encounter the Kormorán and then the Szabics harbors, where you can see many floating houses. Further on, you'll come across smaller harbors, including the Katamarán, and below Tiszaszőlős is the Aranyosi harbor. It's worth going down to the water's edge in these harbors to take in the view.
The tour covers approximately 15 km and reaches the Kárász harbor located below Tiszaderzs. At the harbor, you can take wonderful photos on a small pier, and on the other side of the embankment, you can quench your thirst at the campsite's café. For those who have made it this far and want to explore the sights of the village, you can access the village from the road next to the café.
The area around Derzs was inhabited shortly after the Hungarian conquest by the Tomaj clan, and later, the Derzsy clan acquired land here. Around 1250, the first bricks were laid for an Árpád-era church that housed Dominican monks and the settlement was repopulated after the Mongol invasion. This church miraculously survived the Mongol invasion but was destroyed during the Rákóczi War of Independence. The bricks from the church were scattered by the locals, and today, only a portion of the ruins remains. The patron saint of this church, like the locals, is depicted on the Holy Crown. The ruins of the church can be found on Ady Endre Street.
The new Reformed Church of Tiszaderzs was built in the 18th century to replace the previously mentioned ruined church. Here, you can find one of the village's attractions: the Bible Museum, which contains approximately 600 volumes. It has an ecumenical character, so you can find various Bibles and religious books in about sixty languages sent from around the world to the founder, Pastor Gusztáv Fodor. If you contact him in advance, he can share many interesting stories with visitors.
And while you're in Tiszaderzs, it's worth visiting the kangaroo park. Here, you can take selfies with the Bennett kangaroos and see many other animals, such as alpacas, meerkats, cockatoos, and more. A playhouse awaits children as well.
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