Salgotarjan

Northern Hungarian county capital in forested hills near the Slovak border and ruined hilltop castles.

Salgotarjan is the capital of Nógrád County in northern Hungary, sitting close to the Slovak border in a valley surrounded by forested hills. The town was once an industrial centre known for coal mining and glassmaking; much of that industry has gone, leaving a slightly faded but characterful provincial city. The story is well told at the Hungarian Mining Museum, which preserves a working section of the old underground workings.

The surrounding area is scenically attractive, with the ruins of Salgó Castle visible on a hilltop above the town and the more atmospheric Somoskő Castle just across the Slovak border. Hikers and cyclists will find the Nógrád hills — Karancs is the highest peak — worthwhile territory, and the Slovak border crossing makes Salgótarján an easy stepping stone between the two countries.

Guide

Getting There

Salgótarján is roughly 120 kilometres northeast of Budapest, an easy two-hour drive on the M3 motorway and the road north past Hatvan. By rail, direct trains run from Budapest Nyugati station several times a day, taking around two and a half hours.

For travellers coming from Slovakia, the Lučenec–Salgótarján road crossing at Somoskőújfalu is the closest border point, with no major queues at any hour.

Guide

Things to Do

The two basalt-perched castles north of town — Salgó and Somoskő — are the area's signature sights, both accessible on half-day hikes from the city. The Karancs–Medves protected landscape extending across the Slovak border is good walking country, and the Hungarian Mining Museum gives the social history that explains the town's existence. None of these is a major tourist draw, which is part of the appeal: you will often have the trails and the castles largely to yourself.