Nagykanizsa (; , or just Kaniža/Kanjiža; ; ; ; ), known colloquially as Kanizsa, is a medium-sized city in Zala County in southwestern Hungary. It is a city with county rights.
Overview
Nagykanizsa (; , or just Kaniža/Kanjiža; ; ; ; ), known colloquially as Kanizsa, is a medium-sized city in Zala County in southwestern Hungary. It is a city with county rights.
It lies not far from Lake Balaton at the meeting point of five routes. For centuries the town has been a connecting link. Goods from Slavonia were transported to Graz via Nagykanizsa, and the town played an important role in the trade from the Adriatic Sea to the Alpine region, Vienna, and Budapest.
History
The city's oldest Roman-era ruins were excavated in the 1960s. During the Middle Ages, Nagykanizsa became one of the most important strongholds of the Hungarian Kingdom. The fortress had a significant role in the southern shield-line of Hungary, guarding the whole of Western Europe against attacks by the Ottoman Empire.
