Nógrád County

Nógrád county is in Northern Hungary.

Regions

Cities

• 🌍 Balassagyarmat. Former seat of the Nógrád comitatus (county). Balassagyarmat is famous for the traditional Palóc culture.  
• 🌍 Hollókő. A beautiful old preserved village, part of UNESCO World Heritage List  
• 🌍 Rétság. A small town, very good jumping point to the municipality sights  
• 🌍 Salgótarján. A former mining town in the hills with two castle ruins  

Other destinations

Understand

Get in

Get around

See

• 🌍 Bánk (Slovak: Banka) (East of Rétság take a bus from there). Bánki Lake, a small lake. Slovak National Village Museum. Evangelical Late Baroque Church. Events: Lake festivals. Stay: around a dozen small pensions, guesthouses and a three star hotel waiting you. Read more: Rétság#Further_afield 

Salgótarján, downtown

• 🌍 Bátonyterenye (buses and trains to/from Hatvan and Salgótarján). Paloc Country House (19th-century folk style building with local history collection), Maconkai Roman Catholic church, (14th century, Romanesque style); Gyürky-Solymossy Castle (1790) and Castle Park; Kisterenye's Roman Catholic Church (1736); Szúpatak's Lutheran Church (1903), Puszta's Church remnants (1277); Arany (Gold) Hill's (Bronze Age urn cemetery) excavation also with the Rákóczi castle remnants 
• 🌍 Buják (Pásztó 30 km). Buják's Castle ruins, Calvary Hill and St. Anne's Chapel (circa 1800), Kesely meadow, The Roman Catholic Church, Bujáki folk costumes, Sasbérc lookout, Sandstone Cave, Alpine-style HHunting Lodge - inexpensive but excellent accommodation in beautiful surroundings. Egidius-source 
• 🌍 Csesztve (Bus from Balassagyarmat). Madách Mansion and Park 

Diósjenő Mansion

• 🌍 Diósjenő (Daily 6-7 direct buses, 20 min from Rétság or train from Vác to Diósjenő). Sights: Roman Catholic church and Cemetery: built in the 15th century in Gothic style; rebuilt in 1788-89 in Baroque and Neoclassical style. Protestant church: built around 1850 in late Neoclassical style. Five bridges on the Jenő stream. Sváb Mansion, The ornamented building of a Diósjenő landowner, was built in 1906 in the Romantic and Eclectic styles. Cellars and wine press houses. Börzsönyi Nature Conservation Area, the flora of its contents Orchids, Irises, Ferns, and many others. Birdwatchers can find here: Imperial Eagles, Thrushes, Black Storks. Also can see here Lizards, Fire salamanders. Mammals are represented by Red deer, Wild-boar, Roe-Deer, Hare (Hu:Börzsönyi Tájvédelmi Körzet.) Gideon Nagy's tomb, He was a dean of the Reformed pastor in the mid-19th century. He and his wife buried here in a black marble tomb, surrounded by wrought-iron fence. His high school friend was Petofi Sandor, a freedom fighter, Hungarian poet. As an Army officer, fought in the 1848-1849 War of Independence. (Hu: Nagy Gedeon síremléke. Loc:Reformed cemetery garden. Phone: [phone]), - Diósjenői Lake nature protection area, the 28 hectares Jenői Lake exists since primeval times. The lake is a known touristic site with beautiful landscape. The southern shore is bordered by a pine forest. (Hu: Diósjenői-tó tájvédelmi körzet. Loc:two km southeast of Diósjenő), Zsibak-well is very deep. The spring water has iron content. To Do: Line fishing at Jenői Lake, The watercourse is sandy silt with no rocks. Fishing is permitted only from a pier. Carp, pike, catfish are the most common fishes in the lake. Read more: Rétság#Further_afield 

Remains of Drégely Castle

• 🌍 Drégelypalánk (Between Balassagyarmat and Vác. Take a train from either). Sights: the Roman Catholic church from the late Baroque period (~1734) with its relics of Saint Elizabeth (Hu:Barokk templom. Loc:Petőfi Sándor utca), the baroque chapel of St. Vendel (1857) (Hu: Szent Vendel kápolna), the sarcophagus of Szondi György was established in 1988 (Hu:Szondi-szarkofág. Loc: Szondi Park), the ruins of the castle of Drégely (Hu:drégelyi vár. Loc:five km from the village toward Nagyoroszi, perching on 444m high volcanic cone), Szondi Showroom, local historical collection can be seen here about the siege at the castle Drégely in 1552, and items of the brave captain of castle, György Szondi life (Hu:Szondi emlék-kiállítás és Pajta. Loc: Fő út 22. Phone:[phone]. Free of charge.) Hont precipice and ravine valley,-five km west of Drégelypalánk. The valley is surrounded by 20-25m deep ravines. The riverbank of the primeval Ipoly-river preserves the millions years-old fossil 
• 🌍 Horpács (bus from Rétság. - Balassagyarmat approx. 15 km south-west). Szontágh Mansion and Park 
• 🌍 Ipolytarnóc (Szlovak: Ipeľský Trnovec) (bus from Salgótarján, train from Balassagyarmat, Aszód). Fossils Nature Reserve; paleontological exhibition; Roman Catholic Church; St. Ann cemetery chapel; Bory mansion. 
• 🌍 Karancsság (NW of Salgótarján). Catholic Church 
• 🌍 Mátraverebély (Bus from Bátonyterenye, also train too from Hatvan, Salgótarján). Catholic church (Gothic); Szentkút's Catholic Church and St. Mary's Shrine, hermit caves 
• 🌍 Mohora (from Balassagyarmat south 10 km, trains and buses to Aszód, Balassagyarmat). Vay Zichy Palace; Mauks Mansion (Mikszath-memorial place) and the tree of Mikszath; Tolnay Klári's former house and its museum; Mohora's marsh 

Castle remains of Nograd

• 🌍 Nógrád (Russian: Новгород, Novgorod-Ugorsky;[German: Neuburg; Slovak: Novohrad) (south of Diósjenő, between Balassagyarmat and Vác. Take a train from either. Daily 5-6 direct buses, half hour from Rétság.). Dripping-Source, the spring is flowing out from a pipe embedded into a wall of carved stones. Margit-spring a natural monument, the spring has a front wall covered with concrete, with the inscription: Margit-Spring and the year: 1964. Popular among local people as it yields clear and healthy drinking water. Nógrád castle, environment: this is the most famous historical site of Nógrád county. The hill of the castle came into being 15-19 million years ago during the volcanism forming the Börzsöny-mountains. A river bridge pillar, a portion of the gate and a decorated with red marble plaque of Nicholas Bathory (1483) dug out from rock ditch in front of the entrance to the inner castle. Nógrád Game Park, features all game species that can be hunted in the Börzsöny mountains. Folk House, local historical collection , here visible furniture and use objects, his clothes of the local Slovak community from the early 1900s. St. István-Memorial wooden column. Memorial of 1848's Freedom fight. A column beautifully put together using huge stones with a "turul" bird on the top and writing at the front that says "1848-1948." Saint Florian memorial. A colorful statue of St. Florian in a tile covered wooden platform. An old fire engine of the local firemen's association stands next to it. Second World War Memorial, a stone statue on a pedestal with a "turul" bird on top. Conquest monument, a tall wooden column with a falcon on its top grabbing a deer; the midpart of the column is decorated with portraits of the tribal chiefs who brought the Hungarians to the Carpathian basin. Next to the column is a yurt-like wooden building covered with reed. Parish Church, "Mária Mennybemenetele" Parish Church was built in 1757. Evangelical Church - Calvary chapel, set in picturesque surroundings, beautifully small chapel with colored turret and a cross on top. To Do: enjoy the Long-distance trail the 'Countrywide Blue Trail' pass the village. Read more: Rétság#Further_afield 

Nőtincs Lake, Lokos Creek Reservoir

• 🌍 Nőtincs (Slovak: Netejč, German: Nititsch) (limited public bus service from Rétság, 51 km north of Budapest near the European route E77, from Budapest after Szendehely first eastward detour. Nőtincs is at the border of Cserhát and Börzsöny hills). Gurcsány Szcitovoszky Castle park, a nature conservation area, a two hectares garden surrounding the Mansion has been declared protected in order to preserve the old trees and the English Park character. Nőtincs Lake, a nature conservation area. An artificial 40-hectare lake was dammed up in the picturesque Lókos creek valley. The area became protected in order to preserve the fauna and flora settled here. Line fishing. Gyurcsányi-Scitovszky Mansion, is a one-story L-shaped Neo Classical mansion. It is a wide and divided entablature and an amusement park was built in the style of mansions of nobility in the middle of the village in 1809. Roman Catholic Church, was built in the Gothic style in 1415 on the outskirts of the village, in 1720, rebuilt in Baroque style. The church is on a small hill, the main entrance opening from the pop-up tower. - Seholsziget Theme Park, a zoo, forest park, nature protection area, accommodation and horse riding available here, - St. John of Nepomuk and St. Amalia chapel Read more: Rétság#Further_afield 

Ősagárd environment

• 🌍 Ősagárd (Slovak: Agárd) (in Nógrád county, a couple of km est of Nőtincs village. Bus connected with Rétság). Sinkár-brook valley, a geological ruptures in the valley of the Sinkár-brook reveal very ancient layers of Triassic rockplates. Zsömle-cave is a geological rarity of the cave is a hole having a globular shape, which came into being during a dissolution by thermal waters over 200 million years ago. Nine other, smaller caves can be found in the surrounding of the cave. - Village house, local historical and ethnographical collection. Evangelical Church, built in Late Baroque style. Read more: Rétság#Further_afield 
• 🌍 Pásztó (from Hatvan or Salgótarján take bus or train, bus also from Gyöngyös, Szécsény). Paszto Monument City Centre, Catholic Church, Cistercian monasteries and ruins, Pásztói Reservoir, Castle of Cserter Museum 

Romhány, Prónay Palace

• 🌍 Romhány (bus from Rétság 10 km, Salgótarján and Budapest 70 km). Rákóczi memorial tree, Prónay Castle (18th century, Baroque), Stone bridge with three openings (18th century) , Roman Catholic Church (19th century, Neo-classical), Former Laszkári mansion, Turkish hazelnuts tree (a protected natural site), Turul Memorial, Romhányi battle monument. Passed by the Countrywide Blue Tour 

Franciscan Convent, Szécsény

• 🌍 Szécsény (Bus and train from Balassagyarmat). Castle district, Forgách Palace ( Francis Kubinyi Museum , Tu-Th: 10:00-16:00, F-Su: 10:00-18:00, Monday: closed, Ft 1000, (2014)), the Franciscan Monastery (Baroque, Tu-Sa 10:00-16:00, Ft 500), Roman Catholic Church (Gothic), Benczúr Castle, Fire Tower (early 18th century,Tu-Su 10:00-18:00, Ft 400 ), Parliament Place of Szécsény (Borjúpást), Sandor Pinter Memorial Room, Handicraftsman’s House with a Tourinform office 
• 🌍 Szente (Bus from Rétság). Doll Exhibition, 13th century in the Roman Catholic Church (13th century), Palóc houses 
• 🌍 Szanda (Zunda) (Bus from Balassagyarmat). Castle of Szanda ruins, Castle Hill, Palóc houses, Country House, Mary's Chapel 
• 🌍 Tar (Bus from Pásztó). St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church (Romanesque-Gothic style), Buddhist stupa (former Gaal homestead ), Lawrence of Tar fortified manor house. Tuzson Arboretum, approx. 4 hectares, installed around 1898. 
• 🌍 Tereske (Bus from Balassagyarmat, Vác). Catholic church (Gothic). 
• 🌍 Hollókő Landscape Protection Area (Hollókői Tájvédelmi Körzet) (See at 'Hollókő'). 141 hectares. The Hollókői castle with the old village since 1987, the UNESCO World Heritage list can be found. The surrounding area is under nature protection. The Bükki National Park designated around a castle - 'Castle Tour Path' that presents the cultural and natural values ​​of the area. Take a walk or a bike. The Path marked with green and there are twenty three guide plates. Also part of its six museums and exhibition halls. 

Karancs Medves Landscape Protection Area

• 🌍 Karancs Medves Landscape Protection Area (Karancs-Medves Tájvédelmi Körzet) (from Salgótarján NE 5-10 km). This is part of Bükk National Park. Location: administrative border of Bárna, Karancsalja, Karancsberény, Karancslapujtő, Kazár, Mátraszele, Salgótarján és Somoskőújfalu settlements. The marked trails on foot can be visited freely. By bike outside on the roads only with a separate signed roads free to travel There are over 100 separate basalt areas. The most spectacular formations can be viewed on the Szilváskő (so called 'Cathedral organ whistles'). Landscape Protection Area's coat of arms plant: Silene coronaria (or commonly rose campion). Europe's largest beetle can be see here: the Giant Stag beetle. A special geological value of the area the 'Pétervására Sandstone Formation'. Nature conservation demonstration sites and nature trails: Somoskő settlement area; Rock garden of Magyarbánya (outdoor show); Petofi promenade (between Somoskő and Eresztvény ); Bird Park (in Eresztvény's public park); Colliery memorial tunnel; Salgo (medieval castle ruin on a 625 m high basalt cone); Kis Salgo (Witch's Rock, a volcanic basalt formation), Quarries of Eresztvény; Szilváskő's nature trail to lookout tower at the peak of Mt. Karancs - More info: Nógrádi landscape Service - 3100, Karancs Road 78. phone/fax: [phone]; e-mail: [e-mail]. 

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This county was one with Novohrad (Slovakia) in the ancient past, representing one of the first counties of Kingdom of Hungary (since 11th century).