Herdsmen Museum

The Herdsmen Museum cannot be visited in 2023 because of reconstruction.

What does Hortobágy have in common with the pyramids of Egypt, the Grand Canyon and the view of the Danube bank in Budapest? The fact that they are all on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites! This list contains the best of the cultural and natural heritage of humankind. The Hortobágy puszta was included in the list as an example of a cultural landscape representing the harmonious interaction between people and nature, an intimate relationship between the puszta and the shepherds. The ancient knowledge is the still living heritage of shepherds. 

The exhibition created in the former cart shed belonging to the famous csárda (inn) of Hortobágy, offers a playful, interactive introduction to pastoral farming (livestock grazing) and the mysterious world of shepherds’ life. The exhibition helps visitors imagine what it was like to be a shepherd in the days of old and how they work in the Hortobágy region today. Visitors can play a game called “recognize the lamb face,” they can sound the sheep bell, or try out as a shepherd’s trainee. They can find out what grass has to do with making a perfect stew, and why shepherds proudly wear the “cifraszűr” (fancy coat) even today. The Shepherds’ Museum is not about the past, but rather about how the legacy of shepherds helps them and us both today and tomorrow. In the hall of the instant “puszta” experience, you can get a sense of being out in the wilderness for a moment. There is plenty of memories for everyone to take home with them!

Directions: 

By car, at the roundabout on Route 33, near the 72 km post.

Address: 4071 Hortobágy, Petőfi tér 1

GPS: 47.581700, 21.149469

Opening hours:

The exhibition opens in 2024.