Discover Neuburg

The old village of Hollókő is a Palóc settlement in Nógrád County in northern Hungary and is considered a deliberately preserved, living example of rural life before the 20th-century agricultural revolution. Of particular natural-science interest is the Ipolytarnóc Fossils Nature Reserve: this world-famous fossil site, protected since 1944, preserves evidence of a prehistoric world destroyed by a volcanic catastrophe 17 million years ago. The Boszorkány-kő geological nature trail also brings Earth’s history to life, here through basalt volcanism from 2.4 to 5.2 million years ago.

At Boszorkány-kő, you can trace the variety of rocks formed by a small fissure volcano. These include sediment inclusions torn up from the depths, curved lava slabs and basalt columns formed by weathering. The nature trail is located in the Karancs-Medves Landscape Protection Area, established in 1989 and currently covering 6,928.6 hectares. If you are interested in geological formations and how they came about, you will find a different focus here than at a fossil site.

At the Ipolytarnóc Fossils Nature Reserve, shark teeth, petrified trees, leaf impressions and fossilized animal tracks are among the preserved evidence of the prehistoric world. The reserve is also a gateway to the transboundary UNESCO Global Geopark Novohrad-Nógrád. Guided tours along the Geological Nature Trail are scheduled to depart hourly from 9:30 a.m.; you will need a ticket for a specific departure time. This scheduled tour is a practical point to consider when planning your visit.

The Geocsodák House in Salgótarján combines interactive exhibitions and lectures on geology with more than 30 accessible hiking trails featuring information boards. You can explore the trails independently or with a hiking guide. This lets you tailor a visit to your interests, focusing on the exhibition, the trails or both. Another walk follows Petőfi sétány from Somoskő Castle to Salgó Castle.

Hollókő is a deliberately preserved example of rural life in the past. For literature enthusiasts, the Madách Imre Memorial House in Csesztve features a permanent exhibition on the history of the Madách family, centered on The Tragedy of Man. The park of the Madách manor is a protected natural area where visitors can walk and relax.

In Horpács, the permanent literary-history exhibition at the Mikszáth Kálmán Memorial Museum is titled “MIKSZÁTH.” The Pásztó Museum, with its permanent and temporary exhibitions, is housed in a Baroque Cistercian monastery building rebuilt in 1717–1718. One of its special displays features a medieval glassworks and blacksmith’s workshop: designed as an open-air exhibition, it is considered a unique industrial-history monument in Hungary.

The Kubinyi Ferenc Museum is located in Szécsényi Castle Park. Its permanent exhibitions include archaeology and natural history, a Körösi-Csoma memorial exhibition, and an exhibition on the history of Szécsény Castle. The Szécsényi Franciscan Church and Monastery can be visited on a guided tour. According to tradition, the Rákóczi Hall is associated with Francis II Rákóczi sleeping there during the 1705 Diet.

Mátraverebély-Szentkút was solemnly declared a national shrine by Cardinal Primate Péter Erdő in 2006 during the pilgrimage for the Feast of the Assumption. You can reach Szentkút from Route 21 via Mátraverebély, then take a 5 km access road into the Szentkút Valley. The Eresztvényi Visitor Centre is set in a forest beside a playground; it also offers a panorama of Salgó Castle. The reasons to visit therefore vary considerably: pilgrimage history, a view, or geological and cultural-history exhibitions each offer a distinct focus.

For further orientation, you can explore the subregions of RétságiRétsági, SzécsényiSzécsényi and BalassagyarmatiBalassagyarmati, as well as PásztóiPásztói, BátonyterenyeiBátonyterenyei and SalgótarjániSalgótarjáni. If you would like to compare destinations further afield, you can also find pages about Borsod-Abaúj-ZemplénBorsod-Abaúj-Zemplén and PestPest.

What can you see on the Boszorkány-kő geological nature trail?

The trail illustrates basalt volcanism and features, among other things, sediment inclusions, curved lava slabs and weathered basalt columns.

When do the guided tours at the Ipolytarnóc Fossils Nature Reserve start?

Guided tours along the Geological Nature Trail are scheduled to depart hourly from 9:30 a.m. You will need a ticket for a specific departure time.

Can you visit the Szécsényi Franciscan Church and Monastery?

Yes. Visits are available on a guided tour.

How do you get to Szentkút?

The route goes from Route 21 via Mátraverebély, then along a 5 km road into the Szentkút Valley.

For the main travel overview: Hungary.