South from Budapest you enter the Hungarian Southern Great Plains, a low sandy basin between the Danube and Tisza Rivers. Small homesteads litter the plains interspersed with forests, fruit orchards, shallow lakes and meadows.

The land is criss crossed by a myriad of sandy tracks which enable the powerful Hungarian warmbloods to travel at speed over long distances. There are no fences to hinder your route, no gates to open and any vehicles you see will probably be tractors working the fields. You are likely to touch tarmac only once or twice a day as you cross over from one track to another. This must be one of the best places in Europe to explore on horseback and it's no wonder that the Hungarians have such a long tradition of riding.

Although almost completely flat the land changes significantly over short distances.
One minute you may be riding alongside fields of maize and sunflowers then you pass through plantations of peach trees or an acacia forest before emerging on to open grassland where the horses can really show what they are made of.

The riding groups are kept small with a usual limit of five (six in 2011), including your guide, Oliver Christen. Oliver is an Austrian who has spent the last ten years exploring this remote part of Hungary on horseback. He has tremendous knowledge, not only of the current landscape that you ride through but also the characters from the last thousand years of history; the original tribes who invaded from the great steppes to the east; the Haspburg rulers through to the communist era and to modern times.

Hungarians are very proud of their cuisine. During the week you can expect to sample delicious goulashes, home cured hams and local cheeses. Paprika is grown extensively in the area and is the predominant flavouring. Much of the food during your holiday has been grown or reared on the farm. The Hungarian diet is very meat orientated and so unfortunately separate vegetarian meals cannot be provided.

You stay at Virag Tanya, a traditional house with thick adobe walls and a reed thatch roof; warm in winter and cool in summer. The house has been completely renovated to provide a very comfortable yet homely feel. The rooms are decorated with antiques sourced from all over Europe and each bedroom has a private shower or bath. Trails lead out in every direction from Virag Tanya and on each day you ride to an exciting new area.