East of Budapest stretches the Alfold, the Great Lowland Plain of Hungary. It is a plain which appears infinite, and is almost absolutely flat, measuring 400 meters from North to South and 200 meters from West to East. It is also the fertile "Granary" of Hungary. The middle district of the Alfold was originally a woodless heath, covered with grass and brambles, called in Hungarian "a Puszta", but in the last few decades however, its aspect has changed completely; the pastures and meadows have been cleared, tilled, and planted with trees; farms have been established on the Pusztas and excellent vines are cultivated on the once arid sand-steppes. The rivers arc dammed, so that they no longer overflow their banks; the roads, owing to a lack of stones, are dusty in summer, and muddy in winter, but a dense network of small railways, intersects the Plain in all directions.

The Alfold is studded with comparatively few towns and villages: and even these are from 10 to 12 kilometres apart, but they are al! well-populated (some have more than 40,000 inhabitants). New colonies and new villages have sprung up, in the immense outskirts of certain districts; and the more enthusiastic becomes the cultivation of the ground, the more the original, primitive character of the Plain disappears. The once so interesting shepherd-life is changing rapidly; the romantic vagabonds (Betyars) of ancient times, have almost disappeared.

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Adapted from Illustrated Description of Hungary and its Capital