On November 29, head to the shores of the Öreg-tó (Old Lake) in Tata and catch one of Europe’s most spectacular wildlife shows: the mass arrival and departure of wild geese. The Tatai Vadlúd Sokadalom (Tata Wild Goose Festival) turns 25 this year, refreshed for its jubilee and drawing serious international attention. It’s the day Hungary’s biggest winter bird festival goes full goose, celebrating the migrants that carry the spirit of the far northern tundra on their wings. Many wintering flocks travel 3,100–3,700 miles from Scandinavia and northern Siberia, showing up from late September and early October, then heading back to their Arctic breeding grounds in March.
The Öreg-tó is a one-of-a-kind rest site: a Ramsar-listed wetland almost entirely embraced by a city. Tata is the City of Waters, where historic architecture and raw nature overlap. Right in the middle of town stands Hungary’s most significant water castle, facing a lakeshore ringed with promenades—prime vantage points for end-of-autumn birding. Here, thousands of geese supply the drama and the soundtrack. We humans? Just the guests.
What makes the Tatai Vadlúd Sokadalom unique in Hungary—and Europe—is the whole set piece. The location sits at the western foot of the Gerecse Mountains, on what used to be a historic ecological corridor and a drained marsh. The “stage” is a baroque small town framing a 0.77–square mile artificial basin. And the cast? Wild geese by the tens of thousands, plus a coalition of state and civil conservationists, the City of Tata, and a host of partners working in sync.
Recent weeks have already seen the first arrivals on waters around Tata. Most are greater white-fronted geese; greylag geese are the next most common. Rarer drop-ins like red-breasted geese and barnacle geese have shown up too. Expect white-tailed eagles, black-headed gulls, and steppe gulls to patrol the scene. Numbers shift fast—populations can jump by several thousand in a matter of days and peak around 65,000 individuals.
This year’s event is more than a milestone—it’s international. The 4th Roundtable of Mayors from Ramsar Cities convenes in Tata the same weekend, with delegations from Iran (Varzaneh), Japan (Niigata), Switzerland (Geneva), Chile (Valdivia), and Belgium (Mechelen). The Ramsar Convention safeguards wetlands worldwide; “Ramsar City” status honors municipalities that protect and promote these landscapes. Delegates will explore the future of wetlands while experiencing firsthand what the Wetland City ethos looks like when thousands of geese lift off at dawn.
Talks, Tours, Live Radio—and No Fireworks
VIP guests include the Ramsar Cities delegations, Hungary’s National Park Directorates, and Nature Parks. Expect illustrated talks and roundtables spanning brand-building and educational programs in Wetland Cities (Varzaneh), lake-centered community initiatives (Niigata), nature and urban life (Geneva), habitat protection education (Valdivia), and wetlands’ role in global biodiversity (ICLEI, Mechelen). English talks come with simultaneous interpretation.
Tata wears conservation as a lifestyle. Here, fireworks yield to the birds’ peace, and noise makes way for the joyous racket of geese. The renewed vadludsokadalom.hu site now streams live goose counts on the Öreg-tó and lets visitors pre-book guided birdwatching tours online. The fresh design aims to make bird and nature protection feel current and cool.
New this year: LÚD FM (x.y MHz) goes on air on festival day with live crosses, interviews, and broadcasts that deliver the atmosphere to anyone joining from home or afar. On the ground, the lineup stretches from bird ringing and kids’ workshops to science talks, conservation demos, a market, and a concert by 30Y, who are stepping up for green causes with their music.
If you’ve ever seen the geese explode into the Tata dawn, you know: this is more than a festival. It’s nature’s party. On November 29, Tata once again becomes the goose capital, where tens of thousands of birds—and with them families, nature lovers, and experts—gather to greet winter and the wild.
The event and all programs are free. Join the celebration and share the thrill of birdwatching.
Friday, November 28 — Warm-Up
Lakeside, next to the “Talks” tent:
– 17:00 Highlights of the autumn night sky — MCE Tatabánya Amateur Astronomy Club and TIT Posztoczky Károly Observatory & Museum
Malom és Kacsa Bistro Café & Event House, hall:
– 18:00 My Wild World! Behind the Scenes of Nature Photography — Csaba Lóki
– 19:00 Give the Water Back to the Land — András Németh
– 20:00 Ornithological updates — birding contest briefing
– 20:15 The Mysterious Birds of Faraway Tierra del Fuego — Szabolcs Kókay
Saturday, November 29 — The Big Day
Lakeside public program:
– 6:00–17:00 Telescope birdwatching with ornithologists
– Dawn KIHÚZÁS: watch thousands of geese fly out — narrated by Zoltán Orbán, MME spokesperson
– 8:15 Official opening of the 25th Tatai Vadlúd Sokadalom
– 8:45 Live link: goose migration in Hungary — updates from internationally significant wetlands
– 10:00 Animal show — Gábor Tóth
– 12:00 Falconry on horseback — Zoltán Krekács, traditionalist falconer
– 13:00 Animal show — Ádám Farkas
– 14:00 MME poison-detection dog demo — Gábor Deák
– 16:00– evening BEHÚZÁS: watch the geese return to roost — narrated by Zoltán Orbán
Guided birding tours (meet at the Bird Ringing stand):
– 9:00 and 13:00 How to bird, what to use? Beginner walk (1 hour) and advanced route with detours (about 3 hours) — led by MME Youth Section
– 10:00 Woodpecker watch — walk among lakeside trees — led by Gerard Gorman, Antal Klébert (English, Wetlands and Woodpeckers)
– 13:00 Local history walk along the Öreg-tó (Old Lake) — led by Dr. Gábor Ballabás, Attila Czumpf, Ferenc Márkus
“Játékház” big tent (9:00–16:00):
– Nature demos, games, observations, crafts — Duna–Ipoly National Park Directorate, Bográcsháton demo, ÖSVÉNY Education Center, Meseposta
“National Parks” big tent (9:00–16:00):
– Stands from Hungary’s National Park Directorates and Nature Parks: habitat and species protection programs, games, exhibits, puzzles, and a heap of knowledge in one place
“Talks” big tent — illustrated talks and discussions (simultaneous interpretation for English talks):
– 9:00 History and status of the Ramsar Convention worldwide — Jay Aldous
– 9:30–11:00 Ramsar City presentations (six short Wetland City talks)
– 11:00 Ramsar sites in Hungary (alkaline lakes, Baradla Cave, fishponds) — András Schmidt
– 11:30 BIRDO Bird Photographer of the Year 2025 — winning images and authors
– 12:00–13:30 Ramsar City presentations in English (six more Wetland City talks)
– 13:30 The Tatai Vadlúd Sokadalom: uniqueness, history, achievements — Péter Csonka
– 14:00 25 years of the Tatai Vadlúd Sokadalom — birthday greeting
– 14:30 Creating habitats in your garden — nature photographer Bence Máté
Stands on the Lakeshore
– Bird ringing at 8:00, 9:00, 9:30, 10:30, 11:30
– National Park Directorates and Nature Parks of Hungary
– Száz Völgy Conservation Association
– Hungarian Ornithological and Nature Conservation Society (MME)
– Hortobágy Conservation Association
– Herman Ottó Institute
– Little Owl Protection Association of Hungary
– Barn Owl Protection Foundation
– Bakony Bat Protection Foundation
– Magosfa Foundation
– Sóstó Conservation Foundation and Wildlife Center
