Get to know the Hungarian counties – Part2

In Part 1, readers could get to know the first 9 counties in Hungary (in alphabetic order). Part 2 covers the remaining 10 Hungarian counties.

Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok County

Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county lies in the Central region of Hungary. Two rivers flow through the county: Tisza and Kőrös. The capital of the county is Szolnok. The county used to be called Szolnok county (before 1990). The county is named after the city of Szolnok and after the Ossetians (Jasz) and Cumans (Kun) who settled in this region.

Tiszavirág Bridge, Szolnok
Photo: www.iszolnok.hu

Szolnok is located on the banks of the Tisza, at the heart of the Great Hungarian Plain. Its location made the city an important cultural and economic crossroad. Main sights in Szolnok are the Airplane Museum, the Beer Museum and Manufactory, the Synagogue and the Tiszavirág Bridge.

Komárom-Esztergom County

Komárom-Esztergom county is situated in the Central Transdanubian Region. IT shares a border with Slovakia. The county seat is Tatabánya. The Szelim cave and the forest park of Gerecse Mountain are popular tourist attractions in Tatabánya.

The city of Esztergom is also located in Komárom-Esztergom county. Esztergom was the capital of Hungary between the 10^th and the mid-13^th century. The Esztergom Basilica is one of the tourists’ favourite sights in Hungary. The Esztergom Basilica is the seat of the Catholic Church in Hungary, and it is the largest church and the tallest building in Hungary.

Esztergom Basilica
Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org by Gábor Bejó

Nógrád County

Nógrád county lies in Northern Hungary. The county shares borders with Slovakia. The mountain ranges Börzsöny, Cserhát and Mátra lie partly in the county. Due to the mountains, the county is characterised by small villages. The two most significant settlements are Balassagyarmat, the former county seat, and Salgótarján, the current county seat.

Pest County

Pest county is situated in Central Hungary. The county surrounds the national capital: Budapest. The majority of the county’s population lives in the suburbs of Budapest. The county shares a border with Slovakia. The Danube flows through the county. The capital of Pest County is Budapest. However, Budapest and the county are administratively separate. It is planned to separate the capital from the county by 2020 completely.

Somogy County

Somogy county is located in the South-Western part of Hungary, on the border with Croatia. The county stretches between the Dráva and the southern shore of Lake Balaton. It is the most sparsely populated Hungarian county. The capital of Somogy county is Kaposvár. The Csiky Gergely Theatre in Kaposvár is one of the most famous and most big theatres in Hungary.

Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County

Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county is located in North-Eastern Hungary. The county shared borders with Slovakia, Ukraine, and Romania. The capital of Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county is Nyíregyháza. Nyíregyháza is the seventh-largest city in Hungary.

Nyíregyháza Zoo is one of the most popular zoos in the country, it is also one of tourists’ favourite Hungarian sights to visit.

Photo: Facebook.com/sostozoo

Tolna County

Tolna county lies in the central region of Hungary, on the West bank of the Danube. The capital of Tolna county is Szekszárd. The Szekszárd Wine Region is well-known for its Kadara red wine. Tourists can have wine tastings in the several famous wineries of the region.

Vas County

Vas county is situated in Western Hungary. The county shares borders with Austria and Slovenia. The capital of Vas county is Szombathely which is the 10^th largest city in the country. Szombathely is also the oldest city in Hungary, it is known as the birthplace of Saint Martin of Tours. Main sights in the county include the Szombathely Synagogue, the Őrség National Park, the arboretum in Sárvár and the Ferenc Nádasdy Museum in Sárvár. There are also several thermal baths in the county.

Őrség National Park Photo: www.orseg-szallas.hu

Veszprém County

Veszprém county lies in Western Hungary. The county covers the Bakony hills and the Northern shore of Lake Balaton. The capital of Veszprém county is Veszprém which is also called the city of the queens. Main sights: Fire-watch tower, Veszprém Cathedral and the Castle Hill.

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Zala County

Zala county is situated in South-Western Hungary. The county is named after the Zala River. It shares borders with Croatia and Slovenia. The capital of Zala county is Zalaegerszeg. Its area is 3,784 square kilometres. Lake Balaton lies partly in the county. Main sights in Zalaegerszeg are the Roman Catholic church, Hevesi Sándor Theatre, Göcsej Museum and the Bazita Peak TV Tower.

Featured image: Commons.wikimedia.org By Peppe83