Environment

The ecovillage and its immediate surroundings are located in the southern foreland of the Mátra, in the northern edge of the Great Plain, in the valley of the river Tarna, a 10-minute drive from the M3 motorway. It is at an aristocratic distance from the nearest settlement, Boconád, but easily accessible any time, just over a kilometer away. Surrounded with a 1.5 km long circular embankment the total area of the ecovillage is more than 10 hectares, within an asymmetric lake system and the associated public space located in the center cover 5.2 hectares. 10 detached houses are connected to this with kitchen gardens belonging to each, which are at a discrete distance from each other, on an area of nearly 5 hectares. Outside of the embankment system there is a nearly 200-hectare agricultural land, which is an integral part of the ecovillage and includes organic livestock raising, arable farming, primeur horticulture, fruit production and viticulture. The surface of the estate is slightly undulating, from several points it provides an excellent panorama of the nearby Mátra and the “top” of Hungary, the peak of Kékes. From the asphalt road between Boconád-Heves an asphalt access-road leads to the estate. The estate has its own 270-meter-deep, artesian water well of drinking water-quality, which provides water to the houses and the lake system. The electricity supply of the houses is based on solar energy, but as a backup system there is its own central, conventional electricity generating system (aggregator). The heating system of the houses is based on the utilization of geothermal energy, but the traditional heating system with a tiled stove / fireplace will also be built as a backup system, for which the fuel will be provided by the nearby, self-owned forest.

The 5.2-hectare lake system at the heart of the estate serves as both a fish farm and a leisure center. Its water is provided by artesian water of drinking water quality, coming from a 270-meter-deep well belonging to the ecovillage. There is a landscaped, little island in the lake, which can be accessed via a bridge, in the middle of the lake system a small hill serves as viewpoint. The lake has a tended, regularly fished and periodically re-populated fish stock selected from fish species of the Carpathian Basin: carp, bream, crucian, pike, perch.

There are several permanent restaurants with hot cuisine nearby (Kisvadász Restaurant Boconád, Szőlőkalja Utca 022/57, 3368, Alatka tavern), fishing lakes are available (Alatkai Fishing-Sport Centre, Rab Fishing Lake, Tárasztó Fishing Lake), 10 minutes away in Tarnaméra there is a thermal and beach bath , and horse riding facilities (Kasper equestrian farm) are available within a 10-minute distance. Besides cross-country riding the area is perfectly appropriate for cycling tours as well.