The Keleti-főcsatorna — or Eastern Main Canal — is a 98-kilometre waterway cutting through the heart of the Hungarian Great Plain, connecting the River Tisza at Tiszalök with the Berettyó river at Bakonszeg. It is a remarkable blend of engineering heritage and living nature, offering cyclists, anglers and nature lovers a quiet, rewarding escape into flat but surprisingly rich lowland scenery.

Running along the fringe of the famous Hortobágy puszta, the canal passes through wide fields, pastures and agricultural land typical of the Hajdúhát region. Rows of trees and shelterbelts planted after the canal's inauguration in 1956 bring welcome greenery to this otherwise forest-sparse landscape. In spring and summer the banks burst with common reeds, yellow water-lilies and floating aquatic plants, while the calm water mirrors vast open skies. Autumn brings mist and a contemplative stillness that is deeply characteristic of the Hungarian lowlands.

• Tiszalök — starting point at the canal headworks; cycling along the bank southward is easy and accessible year-round, difficulty: easy
• Hajdúnánás, Balmazújváros, Hajdúszoboszló, Berettyóújfalu — multiple roadside access points at bridges along the route

• The canal serves as a drinking water source — swimming is not permitted
• Fishing is very popular; a valid Hungarian fishing licence is required
• Towpath tracks are unpaved — a touring or mountain bike is recommended
• Lakes fed by the canal near Debrecen (Macsi-Balcsi, Látóképi-tó) are popular leisure destinations

An impressive 42 fish species have been recorded in the canal, including rare rheophilic species such as barbel, nase, and the endemic Hungarian bullhead — making it a vital ecological corridor for the entire Tisza region.