Edelény is a town in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Northern Hungary. It is called the gate of Bódva valley because it lies on the lower, broadening part of the river valley. It is 25 km (16 mi) north from county seat Miskolc.

The area has been inhabited since ancient times (Paleolithic stone tools were found here). Edelény was first mentioned in 1299 in the form of Edelin, and Edelyn when Palatine Roland held a general assembly there. From this time on the name of the settlement often appears in deeds and in disputed documents. However, the village of Borsod, which was annexed to the town in the XX th century, was already mentioned in 1108 (Borsod comitatus belonged to the castle of Borsod in the Middle Ages.)

The residents of Edelény worked in agriculture in mediaeval times. In the XV th century Edelény became the property of the Bebek family who made the town thrive. At this time Edelény was converted into a weekly market place in addition to Szendro and Rudabánya. The main road to Torna, Szepes, Krakkó led to Edelény and from Szentpéteren (now Sajószentpéter) it was possible to cross on the Bodva bridge of Edelény, and pay a fee.

After the Turkish invasion, the settlement was abandoned and in 1580-90 it was mentioned as "DESERTED EDELÉNY". It was populated again and remained under the control of the Rákóczi family. In 1700 János Ferenc L' Hullier built a beautiful Baroque castle on the banks of the Bódva with five halls decorated by frescos. The following hundred years, the estate was passed from one family to another until the castle became the property of the Treasury that sold it to the Coburg family.

In 1838 the Coburgs built a sugar factory and opened a brown coal mine for the heating of the factory's steam engines. The Castle became the property of the State after 1945. Thanks to the coal mining, Edelény had a spectacular growth. As a result, two nearby villages were annexed to Edelény: Borsod in 1950 and Finke in 1963.

Edelény got town status in 1986.

Additional Reading: A Guide to Hungary. Book 1, Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen County.