Misplaced Pages

Vértes
Highest point
Peak	Nagy-Csákány
Elevation	487 m (1,598 ft)
Geography
Country	Hungary
Counties	Fejér County and Komárom-Esztergom County
Range coordinates	47°24′N 18°20′E / 47.400°N 18.333°E / 47.400; 18.333
Geology
Orogeny	Transdanubian Mountains
Rock type	Dolomite

Vértes is a mountain range in north-western Hungary, in the Central Transdanubian region, between the ranges Bakony and Gerecse. The Vértes Mountains are part of the Transdanubian Mountains.

Geography

The area of the Vértes occupies 314 km (121 sq mi). It is about 30 km long and 10–15 km wide. The average altitude is above sea level is 350 meters; its highest points are 487 m (Nagy-Csákány), 480 m (Körtvélyes) and 479 m (Csóka-hegy). Geologically the Vértes constitute a fairly uniform structure. On the surface of the entire mountain there are no older rocks than those of the mid-Triassic. The main rock is dolomite—CaMg(CO₃)₂—from the upper Triassic. All the layers are ancient marine deposits.

The Vértes possesses a well-developed valley network (1260 km), but in spite of this spring and rivers are very rare in the mountain. Yearly sunshine duration is around 1950–2000 hours. The average annual temperature above the height of 350 meters is 8.5 °C (in January, −3 °C). The average annual precipitation is between 600 and 700 millimeters. In winter the land is usually snow-covered.

History

According to a legend documented in mediaeval Hungarian chronicles, the Vértes mountains were named after a historical incident: during the unsuccessful campaign of 1051–1052, the withdrawing German troops of Henry III, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, scattered their armours to ease their escape through the mountains; hence the name Vértes (cf. vért, Hungarian for armour).

Gallery

• Vitány castle
• Várgesztes castle
• Csákvár
• Gánt - bauxite mine
• Csókakő

Sources

Béni Kornél–Viszló Levente: A Vértes hegység és környéke, 1996 ISBN 963-04-6683-X

See also

• Transdanubian Mountains
• Geography of Hungary

External links

• KirándulóBlog - Lőrinci Nagykönyvtár túraköre / Farkas Ferenc at the Wayback Machine (archived November 12, 2007)
• Geology of the Carpathian Region, p. 325, at Google Books

v t e Geographical regions of Hungary
West-Hungarian Borderland	Alpokalja Kőszeg Mountains Sopron Mountains Vas Hills Balfi Hills
Little Hungarian Plain	Hanság Fertőzug Neusiedl Basin Rábaköz Szigetköz Marcal Basin Moson Plain Komárom-Esztergom Plain
Transdanubia	Baranya Zala Hills Inner Somogy Outer Somogy Zselic Völgység Szekszárd Hills Baranya Hills Villány Mountains
Transdanubian Mountains	Keszthely Mountains Tapolca Basin Balaton Uplands Bakony Bakonyalja Sokoró Vértesalja Velence Hills Gerecse Mountains Buda Hills Pilis Mountains Visegrád Mountains Vértes Mountains
Transdanubian Hills	Mecsek Outer Somogy Inner Somogy Tolna-Baranya Hills Balaton Basin
North Hungarian Mountains	Börzsöny Cserhát Mátra Mátralába Bükk Zemplén Mountains
Great Hungarian Plain	Bácska Bánát Mezőföld Sárrét Sárköz Drávamellék Kunság (Kiskunság, Nagykunság) Jászság Pest Plain Heves Plain Borsodi-Mezőség Bodrogköz Tiszahát Szatmár Plain Maros-Körös köze Körös-vidék Hortobágy Hajdúság Nyírség Tiszántúl Tiszazug

• Transdanubian Mountains