The Puszta is a grassland on the Great Plain in the east of Hungary. The Puszta is often referred to as a steppe. The Hungarian word for Puszta literally means "emptiness," which perfectly describes this landscape. In many places, you can see up to 70 km into the distance. 

The Puszta was traditionally used mainly for livestock farming. Shepherds let their herds roam freely, and the csikós (horse herders) traveled across the Puszta with their horses. Today, much of the area has been reclaimed for agriculture. If you would like to learn more about the work of the shepherds and their history, be sure to visit the Shepherds' Museum (Pásztor Múzeum) in Hortobágy.

In the village of Hortobágy, you will find the visitor center. From here, you can book various excursions related to the Puszta. For example, you can explore the Puszta with a safari bus, which takes you through the dry plains. You can also take a narrow-gauge train ride through an area that was once marshland but has now been transformed into fish ponds. By taking both excursions, you can experience two different sides of the Puszta in a relatively short time.