Bakony : Balaton Geopark in Hungary.

Abstract

Two UNESCO Global Geoparks were established in Hungary. This paper presents the Bakony - Balaton Geopark, located in the western part of the country, predominantly within the Transdanubian Range. It includes uplands and low-elevation mountains of North Bakony, South Bakony, Balaton Uplands and Keszthely Mountains, with basins situated in between, as well as Lake Balaton itself. Geologically, the dominant part of the territory is underlain by Mesozoic sedimentary rocks, mainly limestones and dolomites. Other significant rock formations are Eocene limestones, Mio-Pliocene sediments of the Pannonian Sea and end-Neogene basalts. Karst phenomena, residual volcanic hills, fossil sinter cones and river gorges are the most characteristic geomorphological features of the Geopark. Forty-five geosites have been recognized in the Geopark, although access facilities and interpretative content the Geopark is also rich in cultural heritage and its southern part counts as the major touris