Gyöngyös, Heves, Northern Hungary Region, Hungary

🇭🇺 Gyöngyös is a town in Heves county in Hungary, 80 km (50 mi) east of Budapest. Situated at the foot of the Sár-hegy and Mátra mountains, it is the home of numerous food production plants, including milk production and sausage factories. It is also the home of many vineyards on the slopes of the Sárhegy.

The Art-Nouveau and Baroque buildings around the main square were reconstructed after a disastrous fire started in the local hospital in 1917, destroying a number of buildings housing important Jewish institutions and leaving in all around 8,000 homeless.

Name The meaning of the town's name is "Made of Pearls"; Croats from Hungary call this city Đunđuš. The 16/17th-century historian Miklós Istvánffy wrote that the name of the town comes from the Hungarian word for mistletoe (fagyöngy literally "wood-pearl"), which is abundant in the local woods.

History Gyöngyös was home to a large Jewish community before World War II. In 1942, anti-Jewish laws were adopted in the province, affecting the Jews of the town. Following the occupation of Hungary by the German army in March 1944, 1800 Jews were locked in a ghetto. Some were saved by Hungarian Righteous Among the Nations personnel but most of them were deported to Auschwitz where they were murdered.

Sights to visit There are many monuments and places of interest in the town, such as the Orczy mansion, home of the Mátra Museum, Saint Bartholomew's Church (Saint Bartholomew Church, Gyöngyös, Hungary) in the centre of town, and its Treasury.

Geography Gyöngyös District borders with Bátonyterenye District (Nógrád County) and Pétervására District to the north, Eger District, Füzesabony District and Heves District to the east, Jászberény District (Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok County) to the south, Hatvan District and Pásztó District (Nógrád County) to the west. The number of the inhabited places in Gyöngyös District is 24.

Municipalities The district has 2 towns and 22 villages. • Abasár; • Adács; • Atkár; • Detk; • Domoszló; • Gyöngyös; • Gyöngyöshalász; • Gyöngyösoroszi; • Gyöngyöspata; • Gyöngyössolymos; • Gyöngyöstarján; • Halmajugra; • Karácsond; • Kisnána; • Ludas; • Markaz; • Mátraszentimre; • Nagyfüged; • Nagyréde; • Pálosvörösmart; • Vámosgyörk; • Vécs; • Visonta; • Visznek.