Balassagyarmat

A modest town in northern Hungary on the Ipoly river, which forms the border with Slovakia, Balassagyarmat is regarded as the cultural centre of the Palóc people — a Hungarian ethnicity with a distinctive dialect, folklore, and traditions. The town earned the title "Civitas Fortissima" (Bravest City) in 1919, when its citizens and local soldiers drove out occupying Czechoslovak forces. A small central core offers cafés and restaurants, and the town holds an unusual number of historic churches for its size.

• Population13,931
• Nearest water1.2 km
• Nearest mountain5.6 km
• UNESCO within 50 km1