In the 14th and 15th centuries, Kisvárda was the property of the Várdai family, several of whose members held high religious and secular office. The town lay at the junction of roads linking Munkács, Beregszász, and Szatmár, by way of the Tisza bend, with Királyhelmec, Kassa, and the towns and mining centers of the Szepesség. These transportation links explain why Kisvárda served as an important commercial center.