Zagreb Introduction

Zagreb is the capital city of Croatia. The city's population was 973,667 in 2005. It is situated between the southern slopes of Medvednica mountain and the northern bank of the Sava river at an elevation of 120 m above sea level, located at 45°48'N 15°58'E.

Its favourable geographic position in the southwestern part of the Pannonian Basin, which extends to the Alpine, Dinaric, Adriatic and Pannonic regions, provides an excellent connection for traffic between Central Europe and the Adriatic Sea.

The traffic position, concentration of industry, scientific and research institutions and industrial tradition underlie its leading economic position. Zagreb seats central state administrative bodies and almost all government ministries.

Zagreb Weather

The coastal region enjoys a Mediterranean climate with hot dry summers and mild winters (minimum winter temperatures are around 4°C/39°F and summers average around 26°C/79°F). Inland a continental climate is predominant with hot summers and cold winters.

Zagreb Attractions

Andautonia Archaeological Park

Near the village of Scitarjevo, close to Zagreb, are the remains of the ancient Roman town of Andautonia which have been excavated and provide a fascinating tourist attraction. Andautonia was a prominent administrative, economic, cultural and religious centre about 400 years ago. Archaeologists are still excavating the site, but visitors can view a 26,910 square foot (2,500 sq m) area of the Roman City including parts of the main street, city baths, colonnades and side streets. Tourists can also visit the present-day village of Scitarjevo, which offers examples of typical rural farms with their characteristic wooden houses.

Croatian History Museum

The building that houses Croatia’s history is itself a part of that history. Sited in the historical town centre, it is the beautiful Baroque palace, Vojkovic-Orsic-Rauch, built at the end of the 18th century and formerly the private residence of three successive baronial families. In the late 1930s the palace became the residence of Zagreb’s mayors, before being designated as a repository for the historical relics of the city. It currently houses more than 140,000 artefacts in various collections, from stone monuments to fine art, religious artefacts to heraldry. The exhibitions are not permanent but constantly changing so that all the collections get an airing

Croatian National Theatre

The building housing the Croatian National Theatre is as much a national treasure as the world-class dramatic, opera, music and ballet productions that take place on its stage. Construction began on the theatre building in 1894. Croatian painter Vlaho Bukovac painted the ceremonial curtain while Viennese artist Alexander Goltz decorated the ceiling of the auditorium. The building was officially opened by Austro-Hungarian emperor Franz-Joseph I at the end of 1895. The theatre is constantly busy with full performing arts programmes.

Zagreb History

While the human habitats were present at the wider city area since the Neolithic (including the well-preserved Roman town of Andautonia), it was in 1094 that the Hungarian King Ladislaus founded a bishopric on the Kaptol hill. An independent secular community developed on a neighbouring hill Gradec (Gric). The settlements suffered greatly under the Mongol invasion of 1242, but when they abruptly left, King Bela IV declared Gradec a royal autonomous city in order to attract foreign artisans.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the two communities actively tried to best each other - economically and politically. The bishopric would excommunicate Gradec, which might respond by burning Kaptol. They only worked together for the occasional large commercial venture - such as the three annual fairs each lasting two weeks. These two mediaeval hills, Gradec and Kaptol, finally merged into one community, Zagreb, in the early 17th century. They now form the cultural centre of the modern city as its economic centre has shifted southward since. The bishopric of Kaptol has since become the Archbishopric of Zagreb.

The construction of the railway embankment (1860) enabled the old suburbs to merge gradually into Donji Grad, characterized by a regular block pattern that prevails in Central European cities. This bustling core hosts many imposing buildings, monuments, and parks as well as a multitude of museums, theatres and cinemas.

Working class quarters emerged between the railway and the Sava, whereas the construction of residential quarters on the hills of the southern slopes of Medvednica was completed between the two World Wars.

The area between the railway and the Sava saw much new construction after the Second World War. After the mid-1950s, construction of new residential areas south of the Sava river began, resulting in Novi Zagreb (New Zagreb). The city also expanded westward and eastward, incorporating Dubrava, Podsused, Jarun, and Blato among other settlements.

The cargo railway hub and the international airport Pleso were built south of the Sava river. The largest industrial zone (Žitnjak) in the southeast represents an extension of the industrial zones on the eastern outskirts of the city, between the Sava and Prigorje region.

Urbanized lines of settlements connect Zagreb with the centres in its surroundings: Sesvete, Zaprešic, Samobor, Dugo Selo and Velika Gorica. Sesvete is the closest one to become a part of the conurbation and is in fact already included in the City of Zagreb rather than Zagreb county, which excludes the city.