Cserehát, Hill region in northeastern Hungary

Cserehát is a hill region in northeastern Hungary that stretches in a triangular shape between the Bódva and Hernád rivers, with elevations reaching around 250 to 300 meters. Several streams including Rakaca, Vadász-patak, and Sás-patak flow through its valleys and can swell after heavy rainfall.

The region belonged to the Aba clan after the Hungarian conquest, with Abaújvár as its centre; by the 1200s royal estates here were settled with royal servants such as hunters (Alsó- and Felsővadász) and cooks (Szakácsi). The Premonstratensian monastery at Jászó, founded in the 12th century by King Könyves Kálmán, was fortified in 1255 and later besieged by Bethlen István in 1619. From the 1550s Ottoman raids burned Szikszó in 1558 and 1577, and an army of 11,000 was repelled at the Battle of Szikszó in 1588.

The name Cserehát refers to the once vast sessile oak (Quercus petraea) forests that covered the hills; these were almost completely cleared, and today only younger oak stands and planted acacia and poplar remain. The region is one of Hungary's characteristic small-village areas, and Greek Catholic churches scattered through the villages recall the Slovak and Ruthenian settlers who repopulated the area in the 18th century.

The region is best explored on foot or with local knowledge, as the valleys and streams create a varied landscape to navigate. After heavy rainfall, caution is needed since streams can swell quickly and some paths may become impassable.

The name Cserehát refers to the once vast chestnut oak (cser) forests that covered the hills; almost nothing of the old stands survives, and today acacia and planted poplar groves dominate. The highest point is Kecske-pad (Irotai-tető) at 340 m, north of Irota; the lowest, near Szikszó, is 115 m.