The view of the valley of Lillafüred in the Bükk mountains. Although this is not the highest part of the county, the landscape is typical of Hungarian mountains.
The North Hungarian Mountains within the physical subdivisions of Hungary
The North Hungarian Mountains (Hungarian: Északi-középhegység), sometimes also referred to as the Northeast Hungarian Mountains, Northeast Mountains, North Hungarian Highlands, North Hungarian Mid-Mountains or North Hungarian Range,[1][2] is the northern, mountainous part of Hungary. It forms a geographical unity with the Mátra-Slanec Area, the adjacent parts of Slovakia. It is a separate geomorphological area within the Western Carpathians.
The mountains run along the northeastern border of Hungary as well as eastern parts of the Hungarian–Slovak border in broadband from the Danube Bend to the town of Prešov.
Subdivisions
The area consists of the following geomorphological units:
The North Hungarian Mountains begin with the mountain range of Börzsöny, adjacent to the Danube Bend, where it meets the Transdanubian Mountains.
The Börzsöny range is about 600 km2 in area, and mainly of volcanic origin. The highest peak is the Csóványos (938 m).
The next range towards the east is the Cserhát, with the same geological composition as the Börzsöny. Erosion here was more severe: these are mere hills and comprise the lowest part of the North Hungarian Mountains. The highest point is Naszály (654 m).
Kékes, the country's highest peak at 1014 meters, is located in the next range, Mátra. However, the range's average height is only 600 meters, less than that of the neighboring Bükk. Mátra is also of volcanic origin.
Map of the Carpathians. The North Hungarian Mountains are the most southern parts of the territory highlighted in light green.
The Bükk is a limestone range; it has the highest average height in Hungary. It is rich in caves, some of which were inhabited in ancient times.
