Tata and Its Surroundings

From spring to fall, the Old Lake in Tata attracts crowds of people who kayak, sail, swim, walk, bike, and jog enjoying active relaxation. However, this place is not only important for humans. When autumn arrives, the lake undergoes a remarkable transformation, becoming one of Europe’s most unique wetlands in just a few weeks. In September, the geese are absent, but soon they appear in increasing numbers.

They come here to rest from Northern Europe and Siberia, spending long autumn and winter nights in a safe place protected from predators. In the mornings, they fly out to feed in nearby fields and return in the evening. This cycle has been repeated for thousands of years. Their nighttime calls can be heard clearly from the shore, the noise peaking in late November and early December when the largest numbers gather. In 2023, a record number of 67,000 geese spent the night here.

If the lakes do not freeze completely and there is no thick, lasting snow cover, the wild geese remain in the Carpathian Basin throughout the winter. Before a 2018 municipal ban on fireworks, New Year’s Eve celebrations used to scare away a significant portion of the resting birds, causing only a fraction to return in January. Since then, the regulation has helped keep most of the waterbirds, including the wild geese, at the lake. If a harsh winter arrives, they move further south or west, but such winters are becoming rarer.

At the beginning of spring, the geese take off and begin their journey back to their northern breeding grounds, sometimes thousands of kilometers away. In an average year, only high-flying flocks can be seen in the area by the end of March.

Interestingly, in the 1990s, the bean goose was the most abundant species at the lake, but its numbers have drastically declined. Today, the greater white-fronted goose is the most common species. While tens of thousands of bean geese once wintered here, today it is rare to see even a flock of 100 individuals in the Old Lake region.

Wild geese can be observed in many parts of Hungary in the fall and winter, including the Great Hungarian Plain, Lake Fertő and the Balaton region. The Old Lake is unique because the geese gather within an urbanized area, despite their natural wariness of humans. Across their entire migration route, these birds are hunted, but hunting is strictly prohibited on and around the Old Lake.