The folk arts of Hajdú-Bihar county are highly varied and very rich. Throughout the centuries, Hajdú-Bihar County has laid the foundations of the ways to preserve, cultivate folk culture. Pottery is a craft still pursued today, similarly to the making of the ancient black ceramics in Nádudvar; or honey-cake making in Debrecen and Hajdúböszörmény. The white embroidery of Furta and Kissárrét is renowned beyond the borders of the county. Around Debrecen, Derecske and Nádudvar, there are a lot of masters of the art of making and decorating the traditional furry coats for shepherds. Plaiting was introduced to Hajdúnánás in the 1800s; the products of these masters were sold across Hungary. People of Hajdúnánás made hats, rugs and bags from the plaits. Wicker baskets were used on a day-to-day basis in the peasant household of the past former centuries; the inhabitants of Bojt emerged to be the most famous masters in this art in the county. The Hajdúböszörmény craftsmen were excellent harness-makers. The colts arts have been revived, as well. Colts flasks are made at artistic standards even today. In addition to them, bullwhips, leather boxes and pocket-knife sleeves are also popular among tourists. The products of the craftsmen of the old traditions are still to be seen on the large folk arts fairs of Debrecen and Hortobágy looking back on centuries of tradition.

Hajdú-Bihar welcomes its guests with traditional Hungarian dishes and a unique atmosphere – the gastronomy of the Great Plain and its surroundings are known far and wide. For example the debreciner pair of sausages are to be found on the menu of almost every restaurants on five continents. The sausages are prepared according to the original recipe: they are slightly smoked, then cooked in hot water; they are delicious either with pickled horse-radish or mustard, and in addition they are essential ingredients of other specialties of the region, for instance the trimmed meat of Debrecen, and also give a special taste to the local stuffed cabbage. This stuffed cabbage cannot be confused with any other kinds of dishes of other regions; the secret of this dish is that the meat in the cabbage is a mixture of pork, beef and turkey. Most of the dishes of the region are unique, because they are prepared from the meat of the animals bred here on the Hortobágy. The goulash, meat stew and paprika stew have distinct tastes if made from the meat of grey cattle or the Racka sheep. The meat broth with paste and cooked vegetables of Hajdúság is unforgettable if it is made of Mangalica meat, and is enriched by hand-made paste. Speaking of paste, we should not forget about “lebbencs”. This kneaded paste is a very important ingredient in the majority of the important dishes of the shepherds, namely “slambuc”, to which only potatoes and bacon are added. The restaurants cultivating the gastronomic traditions of the region offer such broth or the goulash made of beef, vegetables, potatoes as soup, the meat-filled pancakes of Hortobágy style as a starter, the stuffed cabbage of Debrecen, Hortobágy roast meat or turkey prepared in various ways for the main course. Another characteristic of the gastronomy of the region is the heavy use of spices; restaurants offer prune or peach “palinka” and the wide ranges of dry wines of the Plain. Shepherd dishes (“slambuc”, sheep-stew and goulash) prepared over open fire are unique Hungarian specialties, too.

Tourists can find comfortable hotels and homely pensions, village inns, atmospheric city terraces and restaurants that are perfect for relaxation and recuperation. Our bathing and water resort complexes, medicinal and thermal baths are renowned worldwide; our uniquely Hungarian nature protected areas, Ligetalja, the small villages of the wooded grassland, Hortobágy, areas on the banks of River Tisza known as a fishing paradise, as well the water world of Sárrét offer promise great experiences, entertainment and relaxation to all generations. Visit Hajdú-Bihar County, where You can encounter traditional home-made dishes, incomparable natural attractions, atmospheric landscapes, curative thermal waters and unforgettable adventures!

Hajdú-Bihar county offers various programs and events throughout the year. Apart from the international cultural and sports events in Debrecen: Debrecen Flower Parade, Carnival Week, Civic Promenade, Debrecen Spring Festival, Jazz Days, the Bridge Fair of Hortobágy, the International Hortobágy Equestrian Days, the events of the Ligetalja Cultural Days, the folk music meeting in Nyíradony, the Stumpy Days of Hajdúhadház, the Meeting of Bridesmen in Földes, the traditional Bihar Famr Overseer Days in Berettyóújfalu, the Morotva Youth Days, village days, bath balls, festivals of craftsmanship and folk music, exhibitions, vintage festivals and the celebration of St. Stephen’s day, the programs of the Heyduck towns to cultivate their traditions attract millions of visitors to our county. A lot of villages attract guests with show-jumping and coach-riding races with atmospheric ranger shows, folk music and dancing, as well as folk arts fairs. Moreover, visitors can choose from various gastronomic events: its worth tasting the food prepared on the Turkey Days of Debrecen, “Morzsóka” Festival of Bihar, the Hajdúbagos Watermelon Festival or the national bio-food cooking championship in Balmazújváros. More and more people come to Hajdú-Bihar every year to see the Hajdúszoboszló Biofood and Wine Festival, a Sheep- and Slambuc-Cooking Feast, the National Goulash-Cooking Competition and Shepherds’ Meeting, as well as the Debrecen Wine Parade.