The North Hungarian Mountains (sometimes also referred to as Northeast Hungarian Mountains, Northeast Mountains, North Hungarian Highlands, North Hungarian Mid-Mountains or North Hungarian Range, Hungarian: Északi-középhegység) is the northern, mountainous part of Hungary. It forms a geographical unity with the Mátra-Slanec Area, the adjacent parts of Slovakia. It is a separate geomorphological area within the Western Carpathians. The mountains run along in Northeast Hungary, and along the eastern parts of the Hungarian-Slovak border in a broad band from the Danube Bend to the town of Prešov.
The area consists of the following geomorphological units:
Ranges of the adjacent Mátra-Slanec Area in Slovakia:
The North Hungarian Mountains begin with the mountain range of Börzsöny, adjacent to the Danube Bend, where it meets the Transdanubian Mountains.
The Börzsöny range is about 600 km² in area, and mainly of volcanic origin. The highest peak is the Csóványos (938 m).
The next range towards the east is the Cserhát, with the same geological composition as the Börzsöny. Erosion here was more severe: these are mere hills and comprise the lowest part of the North Hungarian Mountains. The highest point is the Naszály (654 m).
Kékes, the country's highest peak at 1014 metres, is located in the next range, Mátra. However, the range's average height is only 600 metres, less than that of the neighbouring Bükk. Mátra is also of volcanic origin.
The Bükk is a limestone range; it has the highest average height in Hungary. It is rich in caves, some of which were inhabited in ancient times.