The city of Miskolc sits in a valley region on the eastern side of the Bukk mountain range. Miskolc is eastern Hungary's largest city, and the fourth largest in the nation. The population has been increased as several towns and villages outlying the city were joined to the city.
The region is beautiful and rich, one of the longest continuously populated sites in all of Europe - more than 70,000 years in all. There is archeological evidence that there were human settlements there from paleolithic times onwards. When the Hungarian settlers arrived here, there were already settled people in the region.
By the early Middle Ages, Miskolc was already an established town, having been given its name in the early 12th century by the Miskoc people who resided there. In 1356 it was declared a city by King Louie (Lajos) the First. Because it was located on important trade routes, it became an important center for trade. By the start of the 15th century, it had 2000 citizens - a decent size for the time. After the Turkish occupation it gained a reputation for being a center of viticulture, but more importantly, for industry, a reputation it kept through the centuries.
In its long history, Miskolc has faced its share of troubles and has always come back. In 1544, the Turkish forces burned much of the city down, and then what was left of the population had to submit to Turkish rule until the late 1600's. After a few decades of relative quiet, it was hit hard at the start of the 1700's, first by the stationing of Rakoczi's forces, and by the Austraians looting and again burning the city down in 1706. There were several cholera outbreaks through the centuries, killing vast percentages of its citizens. Floods destroyed many buildings, but they were rebuilt better than ever.
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In 1724 the county decided to build the capital building there, and by the end of the 18th century there were more than 14,000 citizens. In the next centuries the city built various public buildings, such as a town hall, a stone theater, a synogogue, and numerous schools and churches. They were among the first cities in the country to install gaslights, telephones, and public transportation in the forms of trains and trolleys.
The World Wars seriously affected the population of Miskolc, as the population waxed and waned due to the deaths of the men who fought in the wars, the killing of much of the Jewish population in concentration camps, and various diseases brought on by poverty. On the other hand, the region had an influx of refugees from outlying regions of Hungary that were given to other countries by the treaty of Trianon. When the Communist regime took over, Miskolc retained its reputation as a center of industry through the centuries, when it reached its peak during the Soviet occupation, as did the population, which capped at about 200,000 people in the 1980's.
Since the end of the Communist rule, Miskolc has attempted to bolster its reputation as a cultural and tourist destination - and there are many sights to see, from thermal baths located in a cave (Barlangfurdo) to castles and palaces, theaters, parks, and historic buildings. It is also located in an extremely scenic, mountainous region of the country. There is a zoo which orginated in 1355 by King Louis. (It went through many incarnations into the zoo it is today, which opened in 1983, when volunteers took it upon themselves to build it within 100 days.) The University of Miskolc is one of the few universities in the country to be located on a distinct campus instead of in buildigns scattered through the town. It is also a center for sports, and has many new facilities and teams, including soccer, basketball, ice hockey, and American football.
In 2011, the census recorded slightly under 168 thousand citizens, 95% of which were Hungarian, 2% Roma, and the rest of other ethnic backgrounds.
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