Geographical conditions

The town of Nyékládháza lies in the North-East of Hungary, 170 km away from Budapest, in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County, 15 km from the biggest town of the region, Miskolc. The Great Hungarian Plain and Bükk Mountains meet here, providing a special atmosphere for the place. In the west you can find the slightly sloped hills of Bükkalja, while in the east a stream called Hejő and several artificial lakes give variety to the great plain that was made even by the rivers Sajó and Hernád through thousands of years. In the Mesozoic and Tertiary eras (220-2 million years ago) an ocean was rippling here and clayey, marly sediments developed. In the glacial periods Sajó and Hernád brought and deposited sand, gravel and silt in a thickness of 50-250 meters. The western part of the region was covered by forests until the end of the 16th century, providing brown forest soil on the hills, while on the eastern part meadow-land was formed on the alluvial deposits.

Closeness to main commercial routes and commercial centres

The favourable natural conditions have always been one of the biggest attractions of the place. Crops could be grown on the fields while grapes and fruits on the favourably positioned slopes of the hills. The forests were good for hunting and providing mast for pigs. Hejő was famous for its crabs as it used to be abounding in water in the past. Several archeological finds prove that the place was inhabited even in the bronze and iron age (more information in History). The good geographical position was another attraction when commerce gained more importance in history, as main commercial routes went through here and several big fairs were held nearby. Unfortunately though the villages of the region were ruined several times in history, first by the Tartars and later by the Turks, leaving the place totally deserted for decades through the centuries, and only the 20th century made it possible for Nyékládháza to achieve a spectacular growth.

Big fresh-water lakes as tourist attraction

Nyékládháza is still one of the most favourably conditioned towns in Borsod County. Its population is still continuously growing (5108 inhabitants at present) due to its great geographical position and the closeness of Hungary's second biggest industrial town, Miskolc. Nyékládháza plays an important role in Hungary's traffic system as main roads no. 3 and 35 converge here as well as main railway lines, and the new motorway M30 found its way right next to town. Nyékládháza has the largest gravel-pit in Hungary, providing the town with several artificial fresh-water lakes, attracting thousands of tourists in the summer months.