The Zemplén Natural Preserve - with its villages, churches, castles - is one of our most colourful, most diverse protected areas. The gateway to the mountains is the town of Szerencs. There is a museum in the 13th century Rákóczi Castle, which displays a valuable exhibition of 825,000 postcards. From Szerencs a tour can be made into the Zemplén Hills.

The starting point of a network of 2,000-km of hiking trails crossing the country, the 894-m high Nagy Milic is the summit of a 3-million-year-old range of volcanic hills. The line of the state frontier winds along its highest peaks at a height of 600 to 800 m. 2,400 hectares of the 25,000-hectare Zemplén Protected Landscape Area is strictly protected. Its fauna includes the imperial and the golden eagles, lynxes and wolves, and among its flora are various kinds of orchids. Other unusual sights are rocks up to the size of a room, remnants of ice-age stone oceans (Boldogkőújfalu).
  
The Mátra Hills

Hungary's highest point is Kékestető, the 1,014-m summit of the Mátra. The 38-m lookout on top of a 187-m television tower gives a superb panorama. Winter sport facilities include ski slopes 300 and 2,400 m long, a ski-jump and lifts. The high number of sunshine days makes it a perfect place for a climatic health resort. The health centre at Kékestető is open all year round as is the hotel at nearby Galyatető (964 m, the second highest point in the country).