The Novohrad – Nógrád Geopark (NNG), a geopark straddling the border between Hungary and Slovakia, is one of the first transnational geoparks in the world. It is a member of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network and European Geoparks Network.
NNG is located in the Pannonian basin, situated in Central Europe. Covering an area of 1587km2(1251km2 in Hungary and 336km2 in Slovakia), the area spans from the southern edge of the Western Carpathians to the North Hungarian Mountains.[1] [2] It is landlocked and dominated by hills, divided by valleys and basins.
Approximately 150 thousand people live within the geopark, which comprises the administrative area of 63 settlements in Hungary (including urban county Salgótarján) and 28 settlements in Slovakia. This area is also recognized as an important center for the Palóc ethnic group's folk art and living traditions. The rich cultural heritage of the area has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage site with Hollókő located within the confinement of the geopark.[3] The Southern part of the geopark can be reached by car in an hour from the Hungarian capital Budapest. Lučenec is the biggest Slovak city close to the Geopark. Being a transnational geopark, the name comes from the Slovak and Hungarian names of the county, where the geopark is located.
The geological heritage of the Novohrad – Nógrád Geopark has a special significance. The area's stratigraphy represents deposition over the last 30 million years commencing with the initial opening of the Pannonian basin. The geology of the region is the product of a series dynamic of Earth processes. These processes include the collision of accreted terranes resulted in highly complex volcanism spanning 20 million years, the destruction and reactivation of marine basins, burial and the conservation of palaeohabitats.
The outstanding geological heritage of the region is a treasure to both the inhabitants and visitors. Its value was recognized even by earth scientists who started to reveal its secrets three centuries ago, when geological research first began in the area.
Establishing the Novohrad – Nógrád Geopark is a grassroots movement, inspired by enthusiastic locals, has been building on the rich geological, natural and cultural heritage of the area.[4]