Nógrád (, ; ) is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

() of

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

. It sits on the northern edge of Hungary and borders

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

Description

Nógrád county lies in northern Hungary. It shares borders with Slovakia and the Hungarian counties Pest,

Heves Heves is a small town in eastern Hungary. About 100 km east of Budapest, Heves lies at the northern extreme of the Great Hungarian Plain, just south of the Mátra and Bükk hills and west of the Tisza River. Heves gave its name to Heves Cou ...

and Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén. The capital of Nógrád county is

Salgótarján Salgótarján (; , German: ''Schalgau'') is a city with county rights in Hungary, the capital of Nógrád County, north-eastern Hungary, making it the third least populous county capital. The nearby Salgó Castle is a well-known tourist attra ...

. Its area is 2,544 km². It is the smallest county by population and the second smallest by area (after Komárom-Esztergom). Nógrád is famous for its historic architecture of ancient Gothic churches and stone castles dated to the 13th century. Some historic landmarks includes the

Salgó Castle Salgó Castle is a Hungary, Hungarian stronghold near Salgótarján, Nógrád County, Nógrád county, 120 km from Budapest. Originally built as a tower by the Kacsics clan in the 13th century to withstand the Mongol invasion of Europe, Mongol in ...

and several baroque buildings constructed in the 18th century and the Vay, Teleki. Much of the northern border of the county is formed by the river Ipoly. The mountain ranges

Börzsöny Börzsöny (; or ''Novohradské hory'', New City Mountains) is a mountain range in Northern Hungary. Its tallest peak is the Csóványos with . It is the westernmost member of the North Hungarian Mountains, which belongs to the Inner Weste ...

, Cserhát and

Mátra The Mátra () is a mountain range in northern Hungary, between the towns Gyöngyös and Eger. The country's highest peak, Kékestető (1014 m), belongs to this mountain range. Formation Pre-volcanic formations The formation of the Mátra ...

lie partly in the county. Due to the mountains, the county is characterised by small villages nestled in the valleys. The two largest settlements are

Balassagyarmat Balassagyarmat (Hungarian: ; formerly ''Balassa-Gyarmath''; ; or ) is a town in northern Hungary. It was the seat of the Nógrád County, Nógrád Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary), comitatus. Balassagyarmat is the capital city of Palóc country as ...

, the former county seat, and Salgótarján, which has become a center of industry in the early 20th century due to coal mines nearby.

History

Nógrád (-Hungarian, in Latin: ''comitatus Neogradiensis'', in German: ''Neuburg'' or ''Neograd'', in Slovak: ''Novohrad'') was also the name of a historic administrative county (

comitatus Comitatus may refer to: *Comitatus (warband), a Germanic warband who follow a leader * ''Comitatus'', the office of a Roman or Frankish comes, translated as count. * ''Comitatus'', translated as county, a territory such as governed by medieval cou ...

) of the

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from 1000 to 1946 and was a key part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526-1918. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coro ...

. The name stems from the former Nógrád castle ( - this name is still used in Slovakia as well as the informal designation of the corresponding territory, now located in southern

and in northern

). In turn, Novohrad means "new castle" in Slovak.

Demographics

In 2015, it had a population of 195,923 and the

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was 77/km².

Ethnicity

Besides the Hungarian majority, the main minorities are the Roma (approx. 15,000), Slovak (2,500) and German (1,000). Total population (2011 census): 202,427
Ethnic groups (2011 census): Identified themselves: 192,438 persons: *

Hungarians Hungarians, also known as Magyars, are an Ethnicity, ethnic group native to Hungary (), who share a common Culture of Hungary, culture, Hungarian language, language and History of Hungary, history. They also have a notable presence in former pa ...

: 172,946 (89.87%) *

Gypsies {{Infobox ethnic group , group = Romani people , image = , image_caption = , flag = Roma flag.svg , flag_caption = Romani flag created in 1933 and accepted at the 1971 World Romani Congress , ...

: 15.177 (7.89%) *

Slovaks The Slovaks ( (historical Sloveni ), singular: ''Slovák'' (historical: ''Sloven'' ), feminine: ''Slovenka'' , plural: ''Slovenky'') are a West Slavic ethnic group and nation native to Slovakia who share a common ancestry, culture, history ...

: 2,644 (1.37%) *Others and indefinable: 1,671 (0.87%) Approx. 26,000 persons in Nógrád County did not declare their ethnic group at the 2011 census.

Religion

Religious adherence in the county according to 2011 census: *Catholic – 112,640 (

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

– 112,241;

Greek Catholic Greek Catholic Church or Byzantine-Catholic Church may refer to: * The Catholic Church in Greece * The Eastern Catholic Churches The Eastern Catholic Churches or Oriental Catholic Churches, also known as the Eastern-Rite Catholic Churches, Ea ...

– 389); *

Evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...

– 7,858; *

Reformed Reform is beneficial change. Reform, reformed or reforming may also refer to: Media * ''Reform'' (album), a 2011 album by Jane Zhang * Reform (band), a Swedish jazz fusion group * ''Reform'' (magazine), a Christian magazine Places * Reform, Al ...

– 4,167; *Other religions – 3,672; *

Non-religious Irreligion is the absence or rejection of religious beliefs or practices. It encompasses a wide range of viewpoints drawn from various philosophical and intellectual perspectives, including atheism, agnosticism, religious skepticism, ration ...

– 24,717; *

Atheism Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the Existence of God, existence of Deity, deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the ...

– 1,740; *''Undeclared'' – 47,633.

Regional structure

Politics

The Nógrád County Council, elected at the 2024 local government elections, is made up of 15 counselors, with the following party composition:

Presidents of the General Assembly

Municipalities

Nógrád County has 1 urban county, 5

towns A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

and 125 villages. ;City with county rights (ordered by population, as of 2011

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

) *

(37,262) – county seat ;Towns * Coa Hungary Town Balassagyarmat big

(16,397) *

Bátonyterenye Bátonyterenye is a town in Nógrád County, Hungary, under the Mátra mountain range, beside of the Zagyva river. As of 2022 census, it has a population of 11,296 (see Demographics). The town located beside of the (Nr. 81) Hatvan–Fiľakovo ra ...

(12,841) *

Pásztó Pásztó is a town in Nógrád County, Hungary, beside of the Zagyva river and the Kövicses creek, between the Mátra and Cserhát mountain ranges. As of 2022 census, it has a population of 8664 (see Demographics). The town located beside of ...

(9,689) *

Szécsény Szécsény is a town in Nógrád county, Hungary. Etymology The name comes from the Slavic ''sečь'': cutting (''Sečany''). 1219/1550 ''Scecen''. History The valley of the Ipoly and especially the area of that around Szécsény was inhabite ...

(5,962) *

Rétság Rétság is a small town in Nógrád (county), Nógrád county, in Hungary. Location Rétság is located north of the capital Budapest on the E77 European main road, halfway between Vác and Balassagyarmat. The town is located at the border of C ...

(2,822) ;Villages *

Alsópetény Alsópetény () is a village and municipality in Nógrád County, Hungary. References

Populated places in Nógrád County {{Nograd-geo-stub ...

Alsótold Alsótold is a village and municipality in the comitat of Nógrád, Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to th ...

Bánk Bánk is a village and municipality in the comitat of Nógrád, Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the nor ...

* Bárna * Becske * Bercel *

Berkenye Berkenye () is a village in Nógrád County, Hungary, near the country's border with Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, ...

* Bér * Bokor * Borsosberény * Buják * Cered * Csécse * Cserháthaláp * Cserhátsurány * Cserhátszentiván * Csesztve *

Csitár Csitár () is a village and municipality in the comitat of Nógrád, Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to t ...

Debercsény Debercsény is a village and municipality in the comitat of Nógrád, Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to t ...

* Dejtár * Diósjenő * Dorogháza * Drégelypalánk * Ecseg * Egyházasdengeleg * Egyházasgerge *

Endrefalva Endrefalva is a village in Nógrád county, Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to t ...

* Erdőkürt * Erdőtarcsa *

Érsekvadkert Érsekvadkert is a village in Nógrád County, Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania t ...

Etes Etes is a village in Nógrád County, Hungary. References External links Street map
Populated places in Nógrád County {{Nograd-geo-stub ...

* Felsőpetény * Felsőtold * Galgaguta * Garáb * Herencsény *

Héhalom Héhalom is a village in Nógrád County, Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the e ...

Hollókő Hollókő () is a village in northern Hungary, located in Nógrád County. The village, which was constructed in the 13th century and developed in the 18th and 19th centuries, is a well-preserved ethnographic village of the Palóc people, with tra ...

* Hont * Horpács * Hugyag *

Iliny Iliny is a village in Nógrád county, Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the ea ...

* Ipolyszög *

Ipolytarnóc Ipolytarnóc () is a village in Hungary, Nógrád county. There is a fossil site close to it, the Ipolytarnoc Fossils Nature Conservation Area. Fossils Sometimes referred to as the "Prehistoric Pompeii", Ipolytarnóc is the location of 23 to 17 m ...

* Ipolyvece * Jobbágyi * Karancsalja * Karancsberény * Karancskeszi * Karancslapujtő * Karancsság *

Kazár Kazár is a village in Nógrád County, Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the ...

* Kálló * Keszeg * Kétbodony * Kisbágyon * Kisbárkány * Kisecset * Kishartyán * Kozárd * Kutasó * Legénd * Litke * Lucfalva * Ludányhalászi * Magyargéc * Magyarnándor * Márkháza *

Mátramindszent Mátramindszent is a village in Nógrád County, Hungary, in the Mátra mountain range, at the bottom of the north side of the Galya-tető peak. The Mindszenti creek flows through the settlement. As of 2022 census, it has a population of 707 (see ...

Mátranovák Mátranovák is a village in Nógrád County, Hungary. The Bárna creek flows through the settlement. As of 2022 census, it has a population of 1551 (see Demographics). The village is located 10.2 km from (Nr. 84) Kisterenye–Kál-Kápolna r ...

* Mátraszele *

Mátraszőlős Mátraszőlős is a village in Nógrád County, Hungary, under the Cserhát mountain ranges, beside of the Hévíz creek. As of 2022 census, it has a population of 1454 (see Demographics). The village located beside of the main road 21 and 3.0 k ...

Mátraterenye Mátraterenye is a village in Nógrád County, Hungary. The Zagyva river flows through the settlement. As of 2022 census, it has a population of 1661 (see Demographics). The village is located 7.1 km from (Nr. 84) Kisterenye–Kál-Kápolna railw ...

* Mátraverebély * Mihálygerge * Mohora * Nagybárkány * Nagykeresztúr * Nagylóc *

Nagyoroszi Nagyoroszi is a village in Rétság district of Nógrád county, in northern Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukrai ...

Nemti Nemti is a village in Nógrád County, Hungary, beside the Zagyva river. As of 2022 census, it has a population of 675 (see Demographics). The village is located beside the (Nr. 84) Kisterenye–Kál-Kápolna railway line, 6.6 km from the main r ...

* Nézsa * Nógrád * Nógrádkövesd * Nógrádmarcal * Nógrádmegyer * Nógrádsáp * Nógrádsipek *

Nógrádszakál Nógrádszakál is a village and commune in Nógrád County, Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeas ...

* Nőtincs * Őrhalom * Ősagárd * Palotás * Patak * Patvarc * Piliny * Pusztaberki * Rákóczibánya * Rimóc * Romhány *

Ságújfalu Ságújfalu is a village in Nógrád County, Northern Hungary Region, Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to t ...

* Sámsonháza * Somoskőújfalu * Sóshartyán * Szalmatercs * Szanda * Szarvasgede * Szátok * Szendehely * Szente * Szécsénke * Szécsényfelfalu * Szilaspogony *

Szirák Szirák () is a village in Nógrád County, Northern Hungary Region, Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to th ...

* Szuha *

Szurdokpüspöki Szurdokpüspöki is a village in Nógrád County, Hungary, beside of the Zagyva river, under the Mátra mountain ranges. As of 2022 census, it has a population of 1756 (see Demographics). The village located beside of the (Nr. 81) Hatvan–Fiľa ...

* Szügy *

Tar Tar is a dark brown or black viscous liquid of hydrocarbons and free carbon, obtained from a wide variety of organic materials through destructive distillation. Tar can be produced from coal, wood, petroleum, or peat. "a dark brown or black b ...

* Terény *

Tereske Tereske is a village in Rétság District of Nógrád county, Hungary. Etymology The name is of Slavic origin - ''Trška'', see also e.g. Trška Gora ("a vineyard hill") in Slovenia. 1205-1235 ''Abbas de losco Triskay (Triskai) mosanerio''. T ...

* Tolmács * Vanyarc *

Varsány Varsány is a village in Nógrád County, Hungary with 1,635 inhabitants (2014). Location The village is located in Nógrád county, approximately 100 kilometres northeast from Budapest, the capital of Hungary and 21 kilometres from Hollókő. ...

* Vizslás * Zabar

Gallery

File:Beszterce lakótelep full.jpg,

, the capital of the county File:Hollókő Ófalu Fő utca (részlet).jpg,

village File:Diósjenő,_Hungary_-_panoramio_-_Kaszás_Tibor.jpg, Tourist path in the

near Diósjenő File:V. Forgách-kastély (6807. számú műemlék).jpg, Forgách Mansion in

File:Cserhát_Mountains,_north_of_Hollókő.JPG, The Cserhát mountain range File:Szentkúti római katolikus templom (Nagyboldogasszony) (6722. számú műemlék) 3.jpg, Our Lady church in Mátraverebély File:Salgó várrom (6785. számú műemlék).jpg,

File:Teleki Mansion, Hungary.jpeg, Teleki Mansion in

References

External links

Official site
in Hungarian
Nógrád Megyei Hírlap (nhc24.hu) - The county portalPhotos from Nograd County
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nograd Counties of Hungary