Kaposvár

This city, populated for thousands of years, is situated on the gentle knolls of Somogy County south of Lake Balaton. It is often called the capital of Somogy County and was named after the castle located near the river Kapos.

Recently Kaposvár has become a favourite destination for tourists. The city neither belongs to the area of Lake Balaton, nor to the cities of Mecsek. Although it is situated between the two regions, it serves both of them.

The attractiveness of the city increased after the construction of several pedestrian precincts in the city centre. These streets meet in Kossuth Lajos Square, where colourful oleanders and open patios invite both the locals and visitors. In scorching weather lots of people stop for a rest and sit down on the side of the gurgling fountain in the square. Above the fountain the Church of Our Lady can be seen, which now serves as the Episcopal cathedral. The unique city hall, on the opposite side, represents the neo-renaissance style.

The city takes its name from the castle, which was transformed from an earth castle into one made of stone in the 15th century, and that is how it became a landmark in the area. However, the Turks occupied it in a mere five days in 1555 and held it for almost a century and a half. The castle stood until the 18th century, when it was destroyed during the Rákóczi led war of revolution. This was the period when the Habsburgs destroyed most of the Hungarian castles on the grounds of preventing any further rebellion.

One of the city’s oldest sights is the Benedictine Abbey founded in 1061. The ruins of this can be found above the Valley of the River Kapos, on top of Castle Hill.

Besides all of these several other sights are to be mentioned. For instance the Golden Lion Pharmacy built in 1774, where Rippl-Rónai worked as an apothecary’s assistant. The Csokonai Inn, which used to be the main building of the estates of the Esterházy princes. Last but not least, as a peculiarity, the time-signalling house built on Kossuth Square in 1913.