Zagreb

Zagreb (pronunciation in serbocroata:[zăviti]( listen)) is the most populous city and capital of Croatia. It is located northwest of the country, between the Sava River and the southern slope of Mount Medvednica, about 122 m. n. m. Within its municipal term, more than 850 000 inhabitants in 2018, making it the fourth largest city in South-Eastern Europe and second by extension. If the border populations are taken into account, the figure of the small metropolitan area amounts to 1 100 000 Loadrons.

The area on which Zagreb sits has been inhabited since the Roman Empire. The oldest site that has been located is the Roman city of Andautonia, located 10 km from the current capital. The term "Zagreb" was recorded for the first time in 1134 to refer to the Archdiocese of Zagreb, founded in 1094, although for centuries there were two different towns: Gradec —with a gold bull since 1242— and Kaptol, where the Cathedral. Both towns were merged in 1851 by order of ban Josip Jelačić to form the current city.

Unlike other cities in the country, Zagreb has a special status as a "city-county", independent of Zagreb County. Administratively it is divided into 17 districts; most are found in the low-lying areas near the Sava River, while the northwestern quarters lie at the foot of Mount Medvednica. Its total extension is 30 km from east to west, and 20 km from north to south.

As the capital of Croatia, Zagreb is home to the central government, public administrations and almost all ministries. Economic activity concentrates most of the industry, business headquarters and research centers, with a system specialized in information technology and in the service sector. It is also the main communications center for Croatia by land and air, being a key point at the crossroads between Central Europe, the Adriatic and the rest of the Balkan Peninsula. It has a wide range of cultural and sporting events.

Toponymy

The name Zagreb was adopted in the 1850s to refer to the unified city, but had been in use since the 18th century XII to refer to the Archdiocese of Zagreb. The first official document that mentions it is a letter written by the Strygonian Archbishop Felician in 1134, in which he referred to the institution as Zagrabiensem episcopatum (Latin for "episcopate of Zagrab"). In fact, the name in Italian (Zagabria) is a derivative of that name. Centuries later, the cartographer Nicolas Sanson described it in its Croatian variant Zagreb, the most widely used internationally and in Spanish.

There is no consensus on the origin of the place name. The most widespread theory is a derivative of the Proto-Slavic word «*grębъ», which means «hill» or «elevation».

The German term Agram was used in the times of the House of Habsburg and today it is an archaism. At the time it had been classified as a place name "of Roman origin", but was actually an Austrian-German revision of the Slavic word *Zugram. In Neo-Latin the terms Agranum, Zagrabia and Mons Graecensis were used, the latter referring to Gradec.

History

The oldest site found in the vicinity of Zagreb is the Roman city of Andautonia, located in the current village of Šćitarjevo, 10 km from the current capital, which has been inhabited since the 16th century I to the V century. The The first mention of the current capital dates from 1094, when King Ladislaus of Hungary founded the Archdiocese of Zagreb in the settlement of Kaptol, which is mentioned in an official document from 1134. The current Zagreb Cathedral could not be inaugurated until 1217. On the other hand, another fortified and independent community of the diocese developed on the neighboring hill of Gradec, which is currently the medieval old town of the capital.

After both towns survived a Tatar invasion in 1242, King Bela IV of Hungary makes Gradec a "royal free city," granting it the golden bull to attract foreign merchants and artisans. Thus Gradec and Kaptol would compete with each other economically and politically, even after the establishment of parliament in 1558 and the appointment of the Archdiocese of Zagreb as the seat of the Banat of Croatia in 1621. Other important milestones were the construction of the current University of Zagreb (1669) and the transfer of the royal council from Varaždin (1776).

Already consolidated as an important enclave of the Kingdom of Croatia within the Habsburg monarchy, in 1851 Ban Josip Jelačić ordered the unification of the towns of Gradec and Kaptol in the current city of Zagreb. Its enhancement also coincides with the rise of the Illyrian movement, framed in romantic nationalism, by which Zagreb became a cultural reference for the population of Croatian origin. The inauguration of the railway in 1862 (between the Slovenian Zidani Most and the Croatian Sisak) motivated a remarkable industrial and demographic growth.

Aspect of King Tomislav's Square (1901).

Mercadillo at the beginning of the centuryXX.

Despite the 1880 earthquake, the city was able to rebuild itself with new buildings and cultural facilities, mostly built to absorb internal migration, which have shaped current urban planning. In the 1930s the population exceeded 180,000.

Between 1941 and 1945, Zagreb was the capital of the Independent State of Croatia, a puppet government of the Third Reich formed after the defeat of the Yugoslav kingdom. After the partisan army liberated the city at the end of World War II, Croatia became part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Zagreb became the capital of the Socialist Republic of Croatia (1945-1990). In all this time the city maintained its demographic growth, and there was a new expansion with residential blocks on the other side of the Sava river. In the late 1990s it was the second most populous Yugoslav city, with 993,000 inhabitants.

Croatia declared its independence in 1991, making Zagreb the capital of the Republic of Croatia. During the war with the Yugoslav army, which lasted four years, the city lived relatively calmly given its geographical position, unlike what happened in border areas such as Dubrovnik. However, in May 1995 there was an artillery attack by the self-proclaimed Serb Republic of Krajina in which seven civilians were killed. The Dayton peace accords in December of the same year consolidated Croatian independence. By then the population had dwindled to 700,000 as most of the Serbs had left the city.

Today, Zagreb is the fourth largest city in Southeast Europe and has established itself as the economic, administrative and cultural center of the Republic of Croatia.

Geography

Aerial view of the high city.

The city is located 120 m above sea level, between the foot of Mount Medvednica and the north bank of the Sava River. The city is located on the Pannonian plain that extends to meet the Dinaric Alps, making it a strategic enclave between central Europe and the Adriatic Sea.

The total area of the city is 641,355 kilometers (399 mi)²

Climate

Zagreb's climate is classified as oceanic (Cfb in the Koppen climate classification system), close to the border with a humid continental climate. Zagreb thus has 4 distinct seasons of the year. Summers are hot and winters are cold, with no clear dry season. The average temperature in winter is 1 °C and in summer it reaches 20 °C. Particularly at the end of May, temperatures rise quite a bit, even reaching over 30 °C. Snowfall is common in the winter months, from December to March, and rain and fog are common in autumn. The highest measured temperature was 40.4º in July 1950, while the lowest was -27,3° in February 1956.

Average climate parameters in Zagreb, Croatia
Month	Ene.	Feb.	Mar.	Open up.	May.	Jun.	Jul.	Ago.	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.	Annual
Temp. max. abs. (°C)	19.4	22.2	26.0	30.5	33.7	37.6	40.4	39.8	34.0	28.3	25.4	22.5	40.4
Average temperature (°C)	3.1	6.1	11.3	16.4	21.3	24.6	26.7	26.2	22.3	16.2	9.3	4.4	15.7
Average temperature (°C)	0.0	1.9	6.2	11.1	15.8	19.2	20.9	20.2	16.1	10.9	5.8	1.4	10.8
Temp. medium (°C)	-4.0	-2.5	0.9	4.9	9.2	12.7	14.2	13.7	10.4	5.8	1.8	-1.9	5.4
Temp. min. abs. (°C)	-24.3	-27.3	-18.3	-4.4	-1.8	2.5	5.4	3.7	-0.6	-5.6	-13.5	-19.8	-27.5
Total precipitation (mm)	48.6	41.9	51.6	61.5	78.8	99.3	81.0	90.5	82.7	71.6	84.8	63.8	856.1
Days of rain (≥ 1 mm)	10.8	10.0	11.2	12.7	13.2	13.6	10.9	10.4	9.8	10.2	12.2	12.1	137.1
Days of snowfall (≥ 1 mm)	6	5	4	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	5	23
Hours of sun	58.8	93.7	140.4	177.7	233.9	244.8	282.4	260.0	186.4	131.2	64.8	45.5	1919.6
Source No. 1: World Meteorological Organisation (UN)
Source No. 2: Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service

Political-administrative organization

The old town hall, seat of the Zagreb City Assembly.

The city of Zagreb has a special status of "city-county" under the Croatian Constitution. This allows it to self-manage government affairs with dual local and county jurisdiction, unlike other Croatian cities that depend on their county. Since 1997 it has been separated from Zagreb County, considered the Zagreb metropolitan area.

The capital is governed by the Zagreb City Assembly (Croatian: Gradska skupština Grada Zagreba), whose representatives are elected every four years by universal suffrage. Within its powers, the Assembly is in charge of the government and administration of the municipality. The body is chaired by the mayor of Zagreb, also by direct election every four years under a system of second round elections, and who functions de facto as a county president.

Zagreb's administration is made up of twelve departments, three offices and three municipal services. They all answer to the mayor.

Zagreb is administratively divided into 17 districts, which are further subdivided into neighborhoods. Each of the districts is administered by a Municipal Board, and its representative is elected by universal suffrage.

Mayors

The following is a list of the mayors of Zagreb since the independence of Croatia in 1991:

Since 2020 the mayor of Zagreb is Zeljko Plecko.

Districts

Zagreb is divided into districts ("gradske četvrti" in Croatian):

Economy

National Bank of Croatia

Croatia's economic activity is heavily centralized in Zagreb. In 2017, the capital accounted for 52% of the turnover and 60% of the total profits nationwide, as well as 35% of Croatian exports and 57% of imports. The banking sector and almost all the country's major companies, as well as several Central European companies, have their headquarters in the capital. These include INA, T-Hrvatski Telekom, HEP, Agrokor and Zagrebačka banka.

The agramite economy depends to a large extent on the service sector, which represents 70% of total profit. The most important industries are the production of machinery and electrical appliances, chemicals, textiles, and food processing. Due to its geographical position, Zagreb is an international business center and essential transport hub at the crossroads of Central Europe, the Mediterranean and the Balkan Peninsula.

According to 2013 data, Zagreb is the county in Croatia with the highest purchasing power parity (PPP, 32,000 euros) and nominal gross domestic product per capita (GDP, €14,423). The minimum monthly salary of an agramita is 6,669 kuna (870 euros), above the national average, and the unemployment rate is 9.5%.

The Zagreb Stock Exchange (ZSE), located in the Eurotower skyscraper, is the only stock exchange in Croatia. It is responsible for both the stock index (CROBEX) and the bond index (CROBIX).

Demographics

Zagreb is by far the largest city in Croatia in terms of area and population. The official 2011 census counted 792,325 residents, although due to a substantial immigrant influx, the number of people residing in the city is much higher.

The Zagreb metropolitan area slightly exceeds 1.1 million inhabitants, when including Zagreb County. The Zagreb metropolitan area accounts for approximately a quarter of the total population of Croatia. In 1997, the city of Zagreb itself was given the special status of County, separating it from Zagreb County, although it remains the administrative center of both.

The majority of its citizens are Croatian, accounting for 93% of the city's population (2011 census). The same census numbers about 55,000 residents belonging to ethnic minorities: 17,526 Serbs (2.22%), 8,119 Bosniaks (1.03%), 4,292 Albanians (0.54%), 2,755 Roma (0. 35%), 2,132 Slovenes (0.27%), 1,194 Macedonians (0.15%), 1,191 Montenegrins (0.15%), and a few more from other smaller communities.

Culture

Zagreb is an important city for animated films. Through its school, the city has given great wealth to world animation cinema. Every year the Zagreb International Animated Film Festival is held in the city.

The city is also home to the University of Zagreb, the oldest in the country and in Southeast Europe. The most important sports venue in the city is the Maksimir Stadium, home of Dinamo Zagreb, with a capacity for 40,000 people.

Transportation

ZET TMK 2200 online 6.

The city's public transport is organized on two levels: the interior of the city is mainly covered by trams, while the outer part is linked to the other network by buses. The public transport company ZET (Zagrebački električni tramvaj, Zagreb Electrified Tram), tram sections, bus tour lines, and most suburban lines are subsidized by the city council. city.

The funicular is located in the sector of the historical places of the city, being exploited mainly as a tourist place. Taxis are available throughout the city, with much higher rates compared to other cities in Croatia. The main train station in the city is Zagreb Central Station.

Tourism

Zrinjevac Park

Zagreb is a tourist destination as well as being a corridor for tourists from Central and Western Europe heading towards the Adriatic Sea. The city has numerous museums, galleries, monuments and parks, which make it attractive. Zagreb is a major traffic hub, with major rail, road and air connections to major European cities and Croatian seaside resorts.

The historic center of the city, the upper town or Gornji grad, the lower town or Donji grad and Kapol, are the main attraction, made up of historic buildings, the cathedral, churches, institutions, restaurants, cafes, etc. Access to the streets and squares can be done on foot from Ban Jelačić Square, or by means of the funicular that leaves from Tomićeva Street. There is a very good connection of trams in the city that take you everywhere.

Places of interest

The cathedral in Zagreb was rebuilt after the 1880 earthquake.

Gornji Grad (Upper Town)

Gornji Grad (High City).

Croatian Art House, created in 1938 by Ivan Mestrovic.

The church of San Marcos, in the Upper City.

Lotrščak Tower.

• The Lotrščak Tower. This tower dates from the centuryXIII and is very close to the station on the cable car. To reach the tower the passengers must go through the zipper train of the upper part of the town of the lower city, and vice versa.

• The Church of Saint Mark (Crkva Svetog Marka): The church is of the centuryXIIIWhen a church was built in the old Gornji Grad. It's been rebuilt frequently. The historical connections of the city with Austria have been documentaryly evidenced. The ceiling with two arms shields dates back to 1880. The interior of the building can be considered as a sculpture, as much of its structure comes from the famous Croatian sculptor Ivan Mestrovic.

• The Stone Gate (Kamenita vrata): From ancient times was the city wall, from the centuryXIII Just the stone gate. A fire in 1731 destroyed much of the neighboring houses, where there was only one image of the Virgin Mary with Jesus, with the door, according to the legend in good condition. Then the stone gate became a small chapel, which still serves as a place of worship for believers.

• The Banal yards (Banski dvori): It was the headquarters of the Viceroy of Croatia in the centuryXVII, it has now ended up being the Ban Palace, which now serves as the seat of the government.

• The Parliament building (Sabor): The Croatian Parliament building was built in 1908 and is located opposite the Ban Palace in St. Mark's Church Square.

• The Museum of the City of Zagreb - Muzey Grada Zagreba: It hosts an ancient Convent of Santa Clara, an old barn and a century towerXII, this museum was built in the north end of the district of Gradec. It displays maps, city views, coat of arms, uniforms and paintings among others.

Kaptol

• The Cathedral of Zagreb (Asunción, formerly St. Stephen, and now the Svetog Stjepana Cathedral): It is the symbol of the city, in the explanade is the Kaptol bears, the Madonnas fountain — with four golden angels and a pillar in which a statue of gold is found.

• The Archbishopric Palace (Nadbiskupska Palaca): The Archbishop's Palace is divided into three parts around Sveti Stjepan Cathedral.

• The Church of San Francisco (Crkva Svetog Franjo): The church has many beautiful glass. In the adjacent monastery was founded in the centuryXIIInear the hermitage of Sveti Franjo.

• The Church of Santa Maria (Crkva svete Marije): It is decorated with baroque altars. In it are mixed baroque and Gothic styles. It is located on the west side of the Dolac market.

• Green Market (Dolac): It is the largest market in the city of Zagreb. Cheese, fruit, vegetables, meat, sausages and baked products are available since 1926. To Ban Jelačić Square you reach the stairs along the "Mercado de las Flores".

• La Plaza Ban Jelačić (Trg bana Jelačića): This central space between the high and the low city, honours with its name Josip Jelačić, a military leader of Croatia and commander of the Order of Mary Teresa, considered a Croatian national hero. The central square was built in the Second World War, and in 1991, before the independence of Croatia, was officially called "Plaza de la República". Due to the central location of the place, it is often used as a meeting point for tourism and excursions. Plaza Ban Jelačić is also a pedestrian zone, as it only allows the entrance of public transport: tram, bus and taxi. It is the commercial and financial center of the city.

Donji Grad (Lower Town)

Croatian National Theatre.

Museum of Contemporary Art.

Art Pavilion.

• The "green vegetables"Zelena Potkova): This architectural set was created by the architect Milan Lenucci. It combines squares and green layers in the urban hull.

• The Botanical GardenBotanički): It is in the connection between the two parts of the "green vegetables" and closes from November to April. The park is approximately 50 000 m2. About 10,000 plant species thrive here, including about 1800 exotic plants from around the world, mainly from Asia. In its beautiful landscaped paths you can walk between the soft woods, artificial waters, gazebos and the greenhouses of the University and enjoy the beauty of a lot of trees designed, bushes, flowers drawn, and ponds with special water plants. In 2000, the park was renovated because some of the trees were infected by parasites.

• The National Theatre of CroatiaHrvatsko Narodno Kazalište): It is the western head of the "green vegetables". Two Viennese architects planned their structure, which was completed in 1895.

• The Archaeological MuseumArheološki Muzej): It shows mainly objects from Croatia. It is at the end of the "Green Herrature". In particular it shows Egyptian and numismatic elements. In the museum there is also an Egyptian mummy, and texts in the Etruscan language. On the other hand, it continues to retain a remarkable collection of Greek vessels.

• The Art Pavilion (Umjetnički paviljon): It is an international art museum and contemporary art exhibition hall.

• The Folklore Museum: It is mainly Croatian crafts. It is located on the left side of the green Herradura.

• The Mimara MuseumMuzej Mimara): Shows donations made by the entrepreneur and restorer Ante Topić Mimara and his wife. At the end of the archeology department there is a collection of sculptures and some paintings.
• The Modern Gallery contains the most complete collection of paintings, sculptures and drawings by Croatian artists of the centuries XIX and XX..

• Outside the city center is the cemetery of Mirogoj: Here are the graves of important Croats.

Parks in Zagreb

• Tomislav King's Monument: Tomislav reigned between 910 and 928. In his honor is this equestrian statue next to a small park, near the main railway station in Zagreb.

• The Zrinski Square (Trg Nikole Šubića Zrinskog): At the end of the "Green Herradura" you can see this park, with a roundabout in the center, is located on Praska Street. A pavilion for artistic events is used in summer. At the north end of the park is a weather station. At the southern entrance there are also several busts of personalities of historical importance.

• Maksimir Park (Maksimir Park): This park, created in 1794, is the largest in southern Europe and also houses the Zagreb Zoo, oak forests, lakes and idyllic meadows. The park is located east of the city.

Other places of interest

• In the city you can see countless places with a lot of visual art, thanks to the hand of many artists from the city little known.
• The center of the city has the consideration of baroque.

• Centar is a major commercial centre in Zagreb. In the heart of the city, it covers an area of 10,000 square meters.

• With 92 meters high, Cibona Tower is one of the highest buildings in the city.

• The Regent Esplanade is one of the most emblematic buildings in Zagreb, and has almost the same importance for the inhabitants of the city as the Cathedral or the National Theatre. The hotel hosted here was important for the Orient Exprés station. Famous characters like Charles Lindbergh, Joséphine Baker or Elizabeth Taylor have been at this hotel.

• It can be found distributed throughout the city the solar system at scale 1:680 000 000, the project called Nine Views draws the attention of any visitor finding small posters all over Zagreb and being the Sun a large metal ball located in the heart of the city. Some planets are located outside it.

Twinned cities

Panorama of Zagreb from the High City