The Tapolca Basin is situated in the western part of the Balaton Highlands. The interesting landmarks of the basin are due to the geological formation of the basin. The basin has been populated since ancient times. All conditions of settlement were given: soil capable of being cultivated; sources that never freeze; the lake Balaton rich in fish; forests rich in game; stone, clay, wood and reed to build houses.

Archaeological remnants can be found, which date from the Neolithic age, from the 5th millennium B.C. These remnants are the members of the culture of Trans-Danubian ceramic adorned with lines. The remnants of latter eras following the Neolithic age can be found in the surrounding valleys and hills. „Barbarian” people were conquered by Roman troops in the first century A.D. Traces of the Roman past (tombs, buildings) have been revealed in the town and in the surrounding territories as well. Most roads were built by the Romans, and the settlement’s central role in the basin has developed. Later, the basin got its name after the name of the town. From the era of the settlement of the Hungarians there are remnants of the following people: Huns, eastern Goths, Langobards, and the Avars. The meaning of Tapolca’s name is hot water, which is probably due to the hot fountains springing here.

Hungarians conquered Tapolca in 900 A.D, and the territory belonged to the tribe of Vérbulcsú. Tapolca was first mentioned in a charter at the end of the 12th century. Andrew II donated the settlement to lord lieutenant Turul, who created the centre of his land on the shore of the lake. A church and a mansion were built here as well.

In the first years of the 14th century, the ownership of the territory was subscribed to the Carthausian cloister of Városlőd. In 1378 Tapolca was mentioned as a town. By this time Tapolca has had a right to levy customs, and it has been also a centre of the royal salt chamber. The settlement is a deaconry, a centre for tax-collection and a place for the county assembly. It was also the eastern centre of the historical Zala county and a courthouse. During the 15th century, there have been demolition and rebuilding as well. The threat on the population was constant; however, it never has been abandoned totally. After the battle of Mohács, the fortress of Tapolca belonged to the Bishopric of Veszprém. In the middle of the 17th century, the bishop of Veszprém, György Széchenyi, settled „free men” in Tapolca; he rebuilt the fortress and annexed it. During the Rákóczi war of independence, the settlement was conquered by both parties by turns.

In the 18th century the fortress was dismantled. Its bricks and stones were used to build the parish, the school and the houses of the inhabitants as well. The population of the settlement has been growing, merchants and craftsmen settled in the town, they substantiated and developed further the economic rank of the town. In the war of independence of 1848-49, the settlement of Tapolca also participated with 200 soldiers. The growth in the population resulted in the development of public education. There has been a Roman Catholic school, and the settled Jewish community also built its school and a synagogue. A high school was also beginning to operate, and later exclusive boys’ and girls’ high schools were built.

The economic growth was partly suspended in the 1880’s, when the philoxera species appeared. The vinedresser school, which was opened in 1890, largely contributed to the termination of the epidemic. Later the town became an important wine trade centre. In transportation, the railway between Tapolca and Sümeg, which was built in 1891, had an important role. The town has been growing along the main roads, and became a railway centre. Electric light was introduced in 1905, the hospital was built in 1914. The main touristic sight of the town, the Tavasbarlang, was discovered in 1903. We can see the lake in the cave via rowing boats. The other half of the cave-system is under the hospital, and it is used for curing asthmatic and allergic diseases. The cave’s air is very healthy and clear, there is no physical, chemical and biological pollution.

Tapolca has maintained and even expanded its administrative, economic and cultural role, although after the 2 world wars there have been hard times as well. In 1966, the settlement regained its town rank with the settlement of the centre of the Hungarian bauxite mining. After the annexation of the village, Diszel in 1977, the population of the town grew to 18 000 inhabitants. Infrastructure has been developing constantly; roads, pavements, water and sewage pipes, electric, and telephone systems were built. New schools, kindergartens, libraries, shops and factories were built. Unfortunately, several old buildings did not survive new development plans. After the 1990 change of the regime, the civil society has been strengthened in the town, new institutions developed; however, the economic change did have an effect, a lot of jobs ceased because of privatisation. The development of the hospital was the great investment of these times, buildings of radiology and internal medicine were built.

A strategic goal of the town was to develop tourism; however, at the beginning it had only little success. By the millennium, there has been a spectacular growth, the patriotism of the inhabitants strengthened, local enterprises developed, the local government’s development plans and investments resulted in a spectacular development of the settlement. The educational, cultural and sport infrastructure of the town has been renewed and largely developed. With the purchase of the building of the former Bauxite Culture and Training Centre and the Bureau Building, the town is able to offer cultural events, exhibitions and the events of non-governmental organizations in its own building.

The City Events Hall is a multifunctional place, where mainly sports events are held, but there are certain cultural programmes as well being organized. The City Sports Centre has been renovated, therefore it offers a place to sports and other recreational activities. A new fencing hall was built to acknowledge the traditions of fencing in Tapolca. Here, the sportsmen can prepare themselves in a worthy environment. With using the opening new opportunities of tender, the property of the town augmented with new flats that help young people to begin their lives, and with social flats. The building of the south road has been finished, and new roundabouts were built to facilitate traffic. The inner city, the Malomtó and the Köztársaság Square were renovated in accord with the strategy developing tourism to preserve the values of the city.

The most important investment of Trans-Danubia, the Hotel Pelion**** medical hotel was yielded in the near past. The hotel has a significant effect on the town’s life both directly and indirectly. In the long run it defines the way of development, the rise in the level of services and in city administration. We hope that both the inhabitants and our tourists will benefit from that. There has been a significant step in the fields of environmental development, selective waste collection, sewage treatment and sewerage. For the modernisation of administration and for the better service of citizens, the building of the City Hall has been renovated. The administrative tasks of the local government are carried out according to the need of the citizens, in the frames of a quality assurance system. With our tenders handed in to the operative programmes of the National Development Plan and with providing an attractive environment to development and investment our main goal remains the same: to make Tapolca an important, constantly developing centre in the area, both for the benefit of its inhabitants and the tourists.