Attractions

"Down on the Miraged Hortobágy" – Goes the Song. But What Is a Mirage? A mirage is an atmospheric phenomenon typically observed on warm summer days, usually between 9 a.m. and 3-4 p.m.

It can occur on any flat terrain where the lower air layer becomes significantly heated. The temperature increases dramatically from top to bottom. At the boundary between the two air layers of different temperatures—one optically rarer and the other denser—light rays from distant objects are completely reflected.

As Mór Jókai eloquently described:
“…the mirage sometimes lifts the images of places lying below the horizon, which cannot even be seen with a telescope, high into the air, making it seem as if the Hortobágy is filled with cities. At other times, it appears as though two herds are grazing, one above the other...”