The Duna-Dráva National Park was established along the Danube
and Dráva rivers, covering an area of some 50.000 hectares.
Water played the main role in the formation of its natural
landscape. The two rivers and their water resulted in the
development of a great variety of habitats, where a colourful
ecosystem can be found. Almost the whole of the national park is
located in an area, which was formerly a flood-plain. The Danube
region The protected area is located along the Danube, from the
mouth of the Sió canal to the Southern border of the country.
Gemenc and Béda-Karapancsa can be found here, which belong to
the Great Plain. At this stage, the steepness of its bed is
reduced, resulting in a slower speed, so the river becomes here
of a middle stage character. It used to meander, building bars
of sand and silt, changing its bed all the time. The over-
developed curves were naturally crossed, so dead channels or
lakes at deeper locations were formed. The management of the
river changed profoundly this situatio