Three fascinating places in Hungary with prehistoric fossils
Change language:
If there is a Ross Geller somewhere in you, and you have a fascination for prehistoric fossils, look no further! There are three unique places for you in Hungary: Ipolytarnóc, Szilvásvárad, and Gyöngyös.
Femina collected three fascinating places you can visit in Hungary if you are interested in prehistoric fossils.
The Prehistoric Pompeii in Ipolytarnóc
Ipolytarnóc is located in Nógrád county, Hungary, and it is well-known worldwide in palaeontology circles. It is only 140 km from Budapest, located close to the Slovakian border.
What can you see here?
- seaside sand interspersed with shark’s teeth
- huge, petrified trees from a subtropical jungle
- leaf impressions of exotic plants
- footprints of monsters
- remains caked together in the hot flow of volcanic tuff
17-million-year-old fossils were found here. A volcanic catastrophe destroyed the environment of ancient Ipolytarnóc 20 million years ago. The grey volcanic rock (rhyolite tuff) demolished the paleohabitat. However, it contains the charred remnants of the ancient vegetation. It is also called the Prehistoric Pompeii.
Read alsoMuseologist stole from the Hungarian National Museum
The renowned nature conservation area got protection status in 1944. In front of the Visitor Centre, there is a seven million-year-old white cypress and redwood-relative fossil tree trunk, rescued from the Bükkábrány lignite open-pit mine.
