Mezohegyes

Mezőhegyes is renowned for its horse breeding and the stud estate established in 1785. Most of its heritage buildings are also connected to horse breeding and peasant agriculture.

The town was presumably named after the slightly raised land it was built on, the name signifying 'Sloping Field'. The unusual coat of arms of the town depicts a rearing horse and a triumphal arch. These symbols refer to the most significant turning point in the history of the town which had been deserted during the Turkish times. Recovery started when Emperor Joseph II established a military stud here to supply the army of the Habsburg Empire. This stud first focused on the Spanish bloodline and wild horses but, from 1816 onwards, it acquired international fame by popularising the Nonius, a breed of Norman origin excellently suited to both military and civilian purposes.

From the 1830's agricultural production started at the extensive army estate. Thus Mezőhegyes became the example of a consciously established and developed agro-industry unique in the Great Plain. In 1869 the stud and the estate became the property of the Hungarian Treasury.

The Mezőhegyes breeding stock suffered serious losses twice. In 1919-20 Romanian occupants took away most of the stock while in 1944 the horses were delivered to Germany and only a fraction of their original number was returned.

In 1962 the central government required the stud to focus on the breeding of trotting and show jumping horses, thus the traditional Mezőhegyes mares and stallions were moved to the Hortobágy and to Greater Cumania. The Nonius breeding stock however was left intact.

Many inhabitants of the settlement, granted city status in 1989, still live in the large farmsteads on the outskirts. Although most of the sights are within the atmospheric town, it is also worth spending time in the surroundings.

In 1984 the settlement was awarded the Hild Medal of the Hungarian Urban Studies Association for preservation of its architectural heritage.

How to get there:
By car take Route 5 to Kiskunfélegyháza then follow Route 451 to Szentes and Orosháza. On leaving Orosháza turn south. Approaching from the north, take Route 4 then Route 47. By train take the Békéscsaba-Kétegyháza-Mezőhegyes-Újszeged, Mezőtúr-Orosháza-Mezőhegyes or Battonya-Mezőhegyes line.