UNESCO World Heritage

UNESCO World Heritage Sites, where Outstanding Universal Value is the key concept a site has to comply with to be inscribed in the World Heritage List. This means that the site has a feature that is unique and distinguishes it from any other place on Earth that is relevant for humankind that the World Heritage Council proposed to the World Heritage Program.

The goal of the program is the protection of the cultural and natural heritage of mankind, their registration.

‘Outstanding Universal Value’ is the key concept a site has to comply with to be inscribed in the World Heritage List. This means that the site has a feature that is unique and distinguishes it from any other place on Earth that is relevant for humankind.

The Hungarian Puszta is an exceptional surviving example of a cultural landscape constituted by a pastoral society. The landscape of the Hortobágy National Park maintains intact and visible traces of its traditional land-use forms over several thousand years, and illustrates the harmonious interaction between people and nature.

Hortobágyi National Park – the ‘Puszta’ – was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites

list in 1999.

Hungarian World Heritage Sites received the title ‘Hungaricum’ by law without a separate process, as an acknowledgement of which on 3 December 2013 the Director of Hortobágy National Park received the Statuette Prize at the Budapest Operett Theater.

The emblem symbolizes the combination and interconnection of cultural and natural values: the center square is creation by human hands, while the circle marks nature, and the two are organically connected. The circle shape of the emblem represents the Earth, and is also a symbol of protection and preservation.

The memorial stone plate in the village of Hortobágy, reminding of the UNESCO World Heritage Site title may even be considered foreign to the scenery, but the dacit tuff originating from the Szomolya quarry was also used for the building of the Nine-Arched Bridge.