East Cserháti Protected Landscape Area, Landscape park in Nógrád County, Hungary

East Cserháti Protected Landscape Area covers 6,916 hectares west of Pásztó, roughly between Hollókő, Márkháza, Ecseg and Bokor. It is built from four pyroxene andesite types, mainly agglomerates and tuffs, and holds Hungary's most complete Miocene sequence. Cool slopes carry beech, warm slopes oak, dry ridges scrub forest and streams alder.

The protected area was established in 1989 to preserve its geological and natural features. Remains of old fortifications and castles, including Ilonavár fortress, are scattered across the region from ancient settlement periods.

The area's main cultural traces are prehistoric fortified settlements and medieval castle ruins, such as the circular earthwork at Kerek-bükk, Ilonavár at Ecseg and Fejérkő castle near Sámsonháza. The name Cserhát refers to the turkey oak (cser) woods that form the zone's zonal forest community.

Trails with information boards run through the area, with Buda Hill in Sámsonháza serving as a good starting point for visitors. Some zones are strictly protected and require permits to enter.

The area holds one of Hungary's most complete sequences of Miocene rock layers, making it valuable for studying ancient geological formations. Fossils and rock strata here reveal millions of years of earth history.