Cserehát - Introduction

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Cserehát an 'island' in the middle of Europe where the natural environment has remained unharmed and the historical relics have prevailed for present and future generations

Cserehát is a characteristically hilly region of 600 square kilometers next to the Slovakian border surrounded by the North-Hungarian Range of Mountains.

Cserehát provides home for 92 thousand people who live in 80 tiny villages and 4 small towns.

Cserehát used to be a wooded area. Though there were cuttings on large areas during the last century, forest coverage is extensive and increasing. the forests have valuable wildlife. The region is outstanding in botanical and zoological, especially ornithological rarities. A part of the region belongs to a nature protection reserve called Aggtelek National Park.

Cserehát has a lot of churches from the 13-14th centuries, a lot of mansions from the 18-19th centuries including one of the most outstanding Baroque manor houses in Hungary with 99 rooms and some original frescos in Edelény and the country-house of the Rákóczi family in Felsovadász, where the reigning monarch of Transylvania was born. The Greek Catholic churches, which are more common here than in other parts of the country, imply special cultural heritage for the area.

Cserehát has preserved its traditional rural architecture. Oblong and low adobe dwelling-houses with wooden porches and thatched roofs give a special atmosphere to the villages.

Cserehát has preserved many of its traditional arts and customs. Traditional customs, such as the dinner after pig-slaughter, Easter sprinkling and egg-painting and the flower-basket in May are still practiced. Traditional food, such as potato noodles, strapachka, bobaika, meat soup from smoked pork, meals from mushrooms, wild fruit jam and syrup, herb tea with local acacia honey, all these delicacies are still being prepared in the kitchens of the families living here.

Cserehát is a traditional agricultural region with animal husbandry and cheese making, agro-forestry and some kinds of timber industry. Specific activities include charcoal making, cabbage growing and sauerkraut production, viticulture, fruit growing and drying and distillation of "palinka" fruit, especially apricots and plums. Existing industries are quarrying and lignite mining near the Bódva valley, food, textile and wood industrial plants and some kinds of handicrafts, such as locksmith's trade, wheel-writhing, trough-making, milling, spinning, carpet- and basket-weaving.

Cserehát offers optimal conditions for animal husbandry, dairy production, growing fruit and vegetables, as well as untouched reserves of medicinal herbs for gathering and processing. There are excellent opportunities for organic agriculture, tourism, forestry, handicrafts, labor intensive industries or services and home businesses. Being not far from the major industrial centers of Miskolc, and Kosice (Slovak) means a great advantage as far as trade is concerned.

Despite these

• Cserehát is one of the most underdeveloped regions in Hungary
• Cserehát has aging and strongly decreasing population.
• Cserehát has a high unemployment rate. The number of the unemployed has increased dramatically since 1990 and amounts to 12,000 people today. Fifty six per cent of the unemployed are under 35.
• Cserehát can provide only poor living conditions for its inhabitants.
• Cserehát is characterized by extremely low wages.

Discover this mysterious region with the help of the Cserehát Tourist Information Centre and the Cserehát Host System!

Tourist map and guidebook available:
Edelény: "Cserehát" Tourist Office, Belvárosi street 1 Tel.fax.:48/525-002

Cserehát VILLAGE ASSOCIATION

a non-governmental non-profit making organization established by local residents and some local enterprises in 1989
Members of the CVA are:

• 52 local governments
• 6 private enterprises
• 3 public institutes and associations
• 95 private persons

Mission of the CVA is to join local and external efforts in order to initiate, co-ordinate, organize, assist and implement regional development projects to achieve sustainable development.
Goals of the CVA are:
Determining, utilizing and developing local resources in order to achieve better income and living conditions for residents and preserving natural and cultural values for the next generation.
Objectives of the CVA are:

• Developing awareness and representing regional interests inside and outside the Cserehát
• Determining local needs and developing regional development strategy
• Monitoring results and effects of regional development
• Developing institutional background for co-ordination in regional development
• Operating a regional information system
• Developing human resources and infrastructure for economy and social development
• Providing technical assistance for local or individual development efforts
• Preparing and implementing regional development projects

Since 1989 the CVA has experienced a mushroom growth: The organisation has increased and developed, the fields of intervention have been extended and the financial budget increased from 0.8 million Ft (app. 5,200 US $) in 1989 to 45 million Ft (app. 30,000 US $) in 2003.
Activities of the CVA can be divided into three main sections:

Development of economy and infrastructure

The CVA has a written regional development strategy. The CVA writes proposals, applies for funds, initiates and organizes local efforts to prepare and implement the economic and infrastructure programs on the basis of the strategy. The CVA has done or run the following projects:

• Running a 'Trade House' in order to assist the market of agricultural and handcraft products and organize employment programs within frame of social economy
  handcrafting
  reconstructing traditional buildings
  herb production
  wheat storage
• Development of tourism
  publishing a tourist map of the region
  organising summer camps for young people
  publishing a brochure and a tourist guide-book
  organising a tourist information centre
  promoting potential rural hosts to develop accommodation facilities
• Development of infrastructure
  building a regional information network
  technical assistance for the local government to start and implement water supply, natural gas, sewage system, phone network development projects as well as road construction
  organising the regional cable TV channel
  operating petrol pumps
  introducing new services for old people
  introducing and promoting the community caretaker system

Raising awareness

The aim is to raise awareness and to make inhabitants realize the backward situation of the Cserehát and the need for improvements in this situation. The most important activities done in this field are the following:

• Giving press conferences and appearing in the media
• Building national and international networks (primarily in the Netherlands, the Slovak Republic and the United States)
• Lectures and publications on professional forums
• Lobbying
• Organizing conferences and nation-wide meetings
• Receiving foreign and national guests

Building social background for local and regional development

The aim is to increase the level of education in the Cserehát to meet the demands of the 'new' labor market and increase abilities to identify and solve problems individually as well as collectively.

Finished and ongoing projects of the CVA are the following ones:

• training agricultural managers
• training water-plant workers
• training local leaders
• organizing computer classes
• introducing the class 'Our region' to local primary and secondary schools
• organizing meetings for teachers
• training rural hosts
• training social workers
• employing community animators

In order to professionalize and co-ordinate its development activities the CVA has established a development agency called Centre for Regional and Economic Development in 1994. Its offices are in a nice mansion in a small village called Gagyvendégi. There are three full-time, two part-time employees and some external experts working at the Centre. The CVA also has a training centre where there is a well-equipped classroom and bedrooms for 15 people.
If you are interested as a tourist or a potential inventor or just want to know more about us and our projects, please contact

THE Cserehát VILLAGE ASSOCIATION

Centre for Regional and Economic Development
Báthori út 9.
3816 Gagyvendégi
HUNGARY
Phone and fax: +36 46 44 61 44 / + 36 46 44 61 01