Novohrad - Nograd Geopark
Encyclopedia
The Novohrad – Nograd Geopark (NNG) is an international Geopark
in the Pannonian basin, situated in Central Europe
. Covering an area of 1.587 square kilometre, it straddles the border between Hungary
and Slovakia
and is the first transnational Geopark in the world. The area spans from the southern edge of the Western Carpathians to the North Hungarian Mountains.
It is landlocked and dominated by hills, divided by valleys and basins. Approximately 150 thousand people live within the Geopark.
. 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 outstanding geological heritage of the region is a treasure to both the inhabitants and visitors. It’s value was recognised even by earth scientists who started to reveal it’s secrets three centuries ago, when the geological research first began in the area.
In January 2009 the Novohrad – Nógrád Geopark applied for the European Geoparks Network
membership and received the title in 2010. It became the member of the Global Geoparks Network as the globe's first transborder geopark. The main gateway of the geopark is the Ipolytarnóc
Fossils site.
This grassroots movement, inspired by enthusiastic locals, has been building on the rich geological, natural and cultural heritage of the area.
Geopark
A Geopark is defined by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in its UNESCO Geoparks International Network of Geoparks programme as follows:...
in the Pannonian basin, situated in Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
. Covering an area of 1.587 square kilometre, it straddles the border between Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
and is the first transnational Geopark in the world. The area spans from the southern edge of the Western Carpathians to the North Hungarian Mountains.
It is landlocked and dominated by hills, divided by valleys and basins. Approximately 150 thousand people live within the Geopark.
Inhabitants
The Paloc ethnic group inhabits the geopark, which comprises the administrative area of 63 settlements in Hungary and 28 settlements in Slovakia. The Southern part of the Geopark can be reached by car in an hour from the Hungarian capital BudapestBudapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
. Lučenec
Lucenec
Lučenec is a town in the Banská Bystrica Region of south-central Slovakia. Historically, it was part, and in the 18th century the capital, of the Nógrád county of the Kingdom of Hungary. In 1918, as a result of the Treaty of Trianon, it became a part of Czechoslovakia...
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.
Geology
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 terrains 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. It’s value was recognised even by earth scientists who started to reveal it’s secrets three centuries ago, when the geological research first began in the area.
History
The idea of linking geosites on both sides of the border as a common geotourism project was born in 1998. The Bükk National Park Directorate (Hungary) and the Cerova Vrchovina CHKO (Slovakia) were the lead partners of it. The main geopark project started in 2005 to the initiative of the Slovak side and the database of the area was accomplished on both sides by the end of 2007. The headquarters of the Slovakian part was established in Filakovo in early 2008.In January 2009 the Novohrad – Nógrád Geopark applied for the European Geoparks Network
European Geoparks Network
The European Geoparks Network, often known as the EGN, is a trans-national partnership of Geoparks across Europe formed in 2000 to provide mutual support to established and prospective Geoparks across the continent...
membership and received the title in 2010. It became the member of the Global Geoparks Network as the globe's first transborder geopark. The main gateway of the geopark is the Ipolytarnóc
Ipolytarnóc
Ipolytarnóc is a village in Hungary, Nógrád county. There is a fossil site close to it, the Ipolytarnoc Fossils Nature Conservation Area.-Ipolytarnoc fossils:...
Fossils site.
This grassroots movement, inspired by enthusiastic locals, has been building on the rich geological, natural and cultural heritage of the area.