Kisvarda

Place description

The name of the town originates from the Hungarian word for fortress and means a minor town with a fortress. The adjective ‘Kis’ (small) in the name of Kisvárda differentiates it from Nagyvárad, that is 200 km from the town.
Civic development provided a new momentum in the life of Kisvárda. The dynamism of the development is characterised by the fact that the population of the town had quintupled within a century. Banks, industrial and commercial enterprises appeared at Kisvárda and commerce was booming. Thanks to this development, the urbanisation level of Kisvárda is four times as high today as the county average and the rate of people employed in industry is double that of the dynamically developing county seat, Nyíregyháza.
Kisvárda was raised to the rank of city in 1970. Economic development was not lagging behind, several plants and factories settled at Kisvárda. In addition to its economic role, the cultural life of Kisvárda is also outstanding today; it has been the venue of one of the most well-known theatrical festivals of Europe, the Festival of Hungarian Theatres across the Border since 1989.

Tourist attractions in the town and surrounding areas:

Fortress – part of the National Heritage since 1990
Rétköz Museum – one of the nicest buildings in the city, a former synagogue
Roman Catholic Church