History and sights of Zalaegerszeg

The geographical environment in which the River Zala and Válicka Stream meet attracted human habitation many centuries ago, since water meant life and the marshlands offered both protection and nourishment.

The settling Hungarians conquered the area in around 900, but they only occupied it sparsely. This settlement was established on the right bank of the River Zala where a dry area stood out of the marshes. It is mentioned in a 1247 charter as Egurscug villa regis (Egerszeg royal village). It must have been a noteworthy place, also demonstrated by the fact the bishop retained the rights of supervision for himself. As early as 1446 it was mentioned as a market town.

During the Turkish era the bishop's mansion on the site of the current county courts was transformed into a border fortress with wooden towers and earth bastions. At the time of the Turkish attacks its significance grew after the fall of the nearby town of Kanizsa in 1600 since the ford across the Zala floodplain and marshland ran here. It became the centre of the small border fortresses of the Zala region. It suffered greatly from the Turkish onslaughts and was even taken in 1664. Once, to avoid it falling into Turkish hands, the defenders set it alight before fleeing. Following the recapture of Kanizsa in 1690 the the town lost its importance and the castle fell victim to the lack of maintenance.

In the early 18th century, the general assemblies of the noble county were held here with increasing frequency and subsequently the county hall was built. The darkest days of town history were in 1826 when most of this market town burnt down in a fire. Development took another upswing after 1850 when the number of local institutions grew and the staff became permanent. This brought about immigration and settlement next to building activities and thus even more work opportunities. Zalaegerszeg gradually became a clerks' town. In 1851, it had 4,000 inhabitants and a post office. Viticulture practised on its fertile lands was considerable.

It was connected to the railway network quite late and in consequence in the 1872 administrative re-structuring it became one of the few county seats that retained the status of a large village. It was granted city status only in 1885.

In the post-World War II industrialisation a crude oil refinery, clothing factory, butter factory, resin factory were established among others, calling for thousands of employees from the nearby villages. The Hungarian Urban Studies Association (Magyar Urbanisztikai Társaság) recognised the town's development with the Hild Prize in 1975. The expanding town today encompasses 17 once independent villages.

SIGHTS

Göcsej Open-air Museuem

Examples of the region's vernacular architecture were rebuilt around the backwaters of the River Zala and an existing watermill.

Visitors enter the open-air village museum via the reception building, a house evoking the old, early 19th century lower gentry homes typical in Western Transdanubia, and in particular in Zala. A special village has been created here of 40 buildings brought from 22 settlements. With its traditional farming, animal husbandry and everyday objects, everything evokes the late 19th, early 20th century Göcsej.

Attached to the museum, the Finno-Ugric Ethnographic Park (Finnugor Néprajzi Park) introduces the architecture and lifestyle of Finno-Ugric people who are closely related to Hungarians linguistically. The park mainly exhibits lodging places from the Khanty and Mansi regions.

Opened in 1968, this was the first regional museum village in Hungary.

Azalea Valley

These exotic plants were first planted as an experiment in this valley which has its own microclimate. In this area radiating a mountainous atmosphere the collection later became like an arboretum.

Göcsej Museum

Alongside the significant ethnographic and archaeological material in the museum is the collection of sculptor Zsigmond Kisfaludi Strobl. The historical exhibition is entitled, 'Centres of Zala County' (Központok Zala megyében).

Zsigmond Kisfaludi Strobl was one of the most important figures in 20th-century Hungarian sculpture. His statues can also be found outside Europe. Also between the two world wars, English aristocrats and even the royal house were among those who commissioned him. Between 1931 and 1937 he worked in Britain on several occasions and made portraits including those of the then Princess Elizabeth (Queen Elizabeth II), and of G.B. Shaw who wrote a note onto the photograph of the portrait, reading "better than the original".

Zsigmond Kisfaludi Strobl's connections to this region stem from him being born in Alsórajk, Zala County. He was made citizen of honour of the city of Zalaegerszeg in 1970. He died on 14th August 1975 in Budapest. His final will was that his artistic legacy should be taken to Zalaegerszeg and it is from this material that the Göcsej Museum opened a permanent exhibition.

The museum, which also has an extensive library open to the public, is accessible to the disabled.

Roman Catholic church of Mary Magdalene

The Baroque parish church built between 1750 and 1760 has 44-metre twin steeples. For more than two centuries they have shown the way towards town centre, and eight clock faces display the time. The wall paintings inside are works of Johann Cimbal.

Master of the Viennese Academy Johann Cimbal painted the ceiling frescos, including the fabulous detail depicting Mary Magdalene. The frescos were painted concurrently with the last phase of construction. Depicted in front of a rugged landscape, the Mary Magdalene of the high altarpiece stands for renunciation of the follies of the world, and for the uplifting of humanity out of transience by means of expiation.

Dedicated to the saintly kings of Hungary, nine side altars were erected in the church. Particularly worthy of attention is the central altar of the north wall on which stands the oldest heritage of the town, a Pieta. Originally white, this statue was erected on the former market place in front of today's hospital and used to be called the White Image. The 17th-century work was later painted.Above the sacristy and the St Sepulchre Chapel there is a grand oratory. The crypt below the nave served as a burial site until 1778. The complete Baroque interior dates from the 18th century.

For centuries this church marked the centre of town. In all likelihood this was the island or peninsula surrounded by the marshlands and the River Zala which provided the site for the original settlement.

Synagogue

Built in 1904 this eclectic synagogue is adorned with Eastern decorative elements. Today it serves as the city's concert hall and exhibition venue. The light streaming through the stained glass windows gives a characteristic mood to the spacious interior.

TV Tower

Built in 1975 the tower measures 100 metres including antennas, 73 metres without. Take the elevator to the cafe at 60 metres and take time to enjoy the view from the lookout terrace below.

On a clear day one can see all the way to the Balaton or even the chain of the Alps from this TV tower erected on the highest point of the Bazita Peak (Bazitai-tető). The city looks beautiful from on high, but perhaps even more beautiful is the intriguing, rolling landscape of Göcsej.

Accommodation in Zalaegerszeg:

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Map of Zalaegerszeg:

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