[27.6.2022-30.6.2022]
During our time in Bükk, the Novograd-Nógrád UNESCO Global Geopark was re-evaluated by UNESCO and we had the chance to see for ourselves how such a thing works. This geopark does not belong directly to Bükk National Park Directorate, but they are closely connected. The Novograd-Nógrád is a member of the UNESCO Global Geopark Network and they have to undergo an evaluation every few years to keep their status. The evaluation lasted three days and included different trips in two countries.
The program on 28.6 started with a castle tour. At the beginning we didn't know how the evaluation would go, but after the tour, the sighting of a geosite and the visit of the old village of Hollókő we realized: just because it is a Geopark we don't just look at rocks. The influence of the Geopark actually extends to most areas of public life that are influenced by tourism.
On day 2, the day started with a visit to the Visitor Center in Somoskő and a drive to Slovakia. A special feature of Novograd-Nógrád Geopark is that it stretches over two countries, Hungary and Slovakia. In this case the border is very interesting, the village Somoskő is still in Hungary while the castle is in Slovakia. After the sightseeing and lunch we went to Fil'akovo or Fülek in Hungarian, because so close to the border many places have two names. After visiting the castle in Fil'akovo, we drove to Ipolytarnóc to visit the museum there.
The 3rd and last day we started at the Visitor Center in Baglyaskő. On this day it was especially warm so the subsequent visit to a mine museum was very appreciated by all. After the tour, there was, in my opinion, a very special stop. We visited an excavation site near Rákóczibánya. It was very interesting, there were mainly tombs whose grave goods we could admire more closely and even touch. After that we visited a geological center. It was a research facility with the main focus on fossils, stones and other geological samples. From the outside the building looked very inconspicuous, it was, as we learned later, an old school. However, to allow for a wide range of results and to house many analytical methods, the facility was very modern. There was a 3D printer, a diamond saw, a centrifuge and much more. Before our lunch, we visited a place in Kazár where one could admire wonderful rhyolite tuff. Rhyolite tuff is a rocky volcanic stone composed of rhyolite and tuff. The place was a bit far out, so we were able to experience another attraction of the town, a ride in a military jeep from the 1950s. Unfortunately, we could not participate in the last dinner because of too much logistic effort, but it was still a successful day.
All in all, it was a great honour for us to participate in the reevaluation. It was very interesting and we could visit and attend many things from "normal" sights to the bureaucratic background.
