The city of Hospet was built by king Krishna Deva Raya in memory of his mother Nagalambika. The original city which was built in 1520 AD was called Nagalapuram. The local people called it Hosa Pete, meaning new city. It served as a gateway to travellers coming from Goa and West Coast. Due to its proximity to the Hampi ruins, Hospet is frequented by travellers and tourists and has excellent accommodation facilities ranging from economy to luxury hotels.
Hospet is a six hour journey from Bangalore. Situated near the ruins of Hampi, which are relics of the erstwhile Vijayanagaram kingdom, Hospet receives a lot of visitors including photographers, painters and artists who take inspiration from the beautiful ruins for their work. Another important tourist destination is the Tungabhadra Dam which boasts of breathtaking natural beauty and rich flora and fauna.
Hospet serves as a transit base to Hampi and hence is well connected by roads. There are a number of inter-state buses that connect Hospet with cities such as Jodhpur, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Vasco and Bangalore. The nearest railway station is the Hospet Railway Station and the nearest airport is situated in the city of Hubli.
