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Zagreb ( , , , ) is the
capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...
and
largest city The United Nations uses three definitions for what constitutes a city, as not all cities in all jurisdictions are classified using the same criteria. Cities may be defined as the cities proper, the extent of their urban area, or their metropo ...
of
Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...
. It is in the northwest of the country, along the
Sava The Sava (; , ; sr-cyr, Сава, hu, Száva) is a river in Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally th ...
river, at the southern slopes of the
Medvednica Medvednica () is a mountain in central Croatia, just north of Zagreb, and marking the southern border of the historic region of Zagorje. The highest peak, at is Sljeme. Most of the area of Medvednica is a nature park (''park prirode''), a type ...
mountain. Zagreb stands near the international border between Croatia and Slovenia at an elevation of approximately
above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''. The comb ...
. At the 2021 census, the city had a population of 767,131. The population of the Zagreb urban agglomeration is 1,071,150, approximately a quarter of the total population of Croatia. Zagreb is a city with a rich history dating from
Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
times. The oldest settlement in the vicinity of the city was the Roman
Andautonia Andautonia was a Roman settlement located on the southern bank of the river Sava, located in the modern-day village of Šćitarjevo, southeast of the city of Zagreb, Croatia. Andautonia was located in the Roman province of Pannonia, on the Rom ...
, in today's Ščitarjevo. The historical record of the name "Zagreb" dates from 1134, in reference to the foundation of the settlement at Kaptol in 1094. Zagreb became a
free royal city Royal free city or free royal city (Latin: libera regia civitas) was the official term for the most important cities in the Kingdom of Hungary from the late 12th centuryBácskai Vera – Nagy Lajos: Piackörzetek, piacközpontok és városok Magy ...
in 1242. In 1851
Janko Kamauf Janko Kamauf (1801–1874) was the last city magistrate of Gradec and the first mayor of Zagreb, Croatia. He saw the unification of Gradec, Kaptol and several surrounding villages into Zagreb by ban Josip Jelačić in 1850 and remained the ci ...
became Zagreb's first mayor. Zagreb has special status as a Croatian administrative division - it comprises a consolidated city-county (but separate from
Zagreb County Zagreb County ( hr, Zagrebačka županija) is a county in Northern Croatia. It surrounds, but does not contain, the nation's capital Zagreb, which is a separate territorial unit. For that reason, the county is often nicknamed "Zagreb ring" ( hr, z ...
), and is administratively subdivided into 17 city districts. Most of the city districts lie at a low elevation along the valley of the river Sava, but northern and northeastern city districts, such as
Podsljeme Podsljeme () is a city district situated in the foothills of Zagreb's mountain Medvednica and its name stands for "under Sljeme" (Sljeme is the peak of the Medvednica Medvednica () is a mountain in central Croatia, just north of Zagreb, and ...
and
Sesvete Sesvete () is the easternmost city district of Zagreb, Croatia. With a total population of 70,009 (as of 2011) it is the most populated district as well as the largest by area (165.255 km2). The settlement population is 54,085. Administrative ...
districts are situated in the foothills of the
Medvednica Medvednica () is a mountain in central Croatia, just north of Zagreb, and marking the southern border of the historic region of Zagorje. The highest peak, at is Sljeme. Most of the area of Medvednica is a nature park (''park prirode''), a type ...
mountain, making the city's geographical image quite diverse. The city extends over east-west and around north-south. Zagreb ranks as a global city, with a Beta − rating from the
Globalization and World Cities Research Network The Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC) is a think tank that studies the relationships between world cities in the context of globalization. It is based in the geography department of Loughborough University in Leicestershi ...
. The transport connections, concentration of industry, scientific, and research institutions and industrial tradition underlie its leading economic position in Croatia. Zagreb is the seat of the
central government A central government is the government that is a controlling power over a unitary state. Another distinct but sovereign political entity is a federal government, which may have distinct powers at various levels of government, authorized or dele ...
, administrative bodies, and almost all
government ministries Ministry or department (also less commonly used secretariat, office, or directorate) are designations used by first-level Executive (government), executive bodies in the Machinery of government, machinery of governments that manage a specific se ...
. Almost all of the largest Croatian companies,
media Media may refer to: Communication * Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data ** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising ** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass el ...
, and scientific institutions have their headquarters in the city. Zagreb is the most important transport hub in Croatia: here
Central Europe Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the area' ...
, the Mediterranean and
Southeast Europe Southeast Europe or Southeastern Europe (SEE) is a geographical subregion of Europe, consisting primarily of the Balkans. Sovereign states and territories that are included in the region are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia (al ...
meet, making the Zagreb area the centre of the road, rail and air networks of
Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...
. It is a city known for its diverse economy, high
quality of living Quality of life (QOL) is defined by the World Health Organization as "an individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards ...
,
museums A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...
, sporting, and entertainment events. Major branches of Zagreb's economy include
high-tech High technology (high tech), also known as advanced technology (advanced tech) or exotechnology, is technology that is at the cutting edge: the highest form of technology available. It can be defined as either the most complex or the newest te ...
industries and the
service sector The tertiary sector of the economy, generally known as the service sector, is the third of the three economic sectors in the three-sector model (also known as the economic cycle). The others are the primary sector (raw materials) and the second ...
.


Name

The etymology of the name ''Zagreb'' is unclear. It was used for the united city only from 1852, but it had been in use as the name of the Zagreb Diocese since the 12th century and was increasingly used for the city in the 17th century. The name is first recorded in a charter by
archbishop of Esztergom In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdioc ...
Felician, dated 1134, mentioned as ''Zagrabiensem episcopatum''. The older form of the name is ''Zagrab''. The modern Croatian form ''Zagreb'' is first recorded in a 1689 map by
Nicolas Sanson Nicolas Sanson (20 December 1600 – 7 July 1667) was a French cartographer who served under two kings in matters of geography. He has been called the "father of French cartography." Life and work He was born of an old Picard family of Sco ...
. An even older form is reflected in Hungarian ''Zabrag'' (recorded from c. 1200 and in use until the 18th century). For this, Hungarian linguist Gyula Décsy proposes the etymology of ''Chabrag'', a well-attested
hypocorism A hypocorism ( or ; from Ancient Greek: (), from (), 'to call by pet names', sometimes also ''hypocoristic'') or pet name is a name used to show affection for a person. It may be a diminutive form of a person's name, such as ''Izzy'' for I ...
of the name ''
Cyprian Cyprian (; la, Thaschus Caecilius Cyprianus; 210 – 14 September 258 AD''The Liturgy of the Hours according to the Roman Rite: Vol. IV.'' New York: Catholic Book Publishing Company, 1975. p. 1406.) was a bishop of Carthage and an early Chri ...
''. The same form is reflected in a number of Hungarian toponyms, such as
Csepreg Csepreg (German: ''Schapring; Croatian: Čepreg'') is a town in Vas County, Hungary. It is the largest town on the Répce River. The current mayor of the town is Zoltán Horváth, elected on November 13, 2019. Although tourism, particularly ca ...
.Décsy, Gyula in: Jean-Claude Boulanger (ed.) ''Actes du XVIe Congrès international des sciences onomastiques: Québec, Université Laval, 16–22 août 1987 : le nom propre au carrefour des études humaines et des sciences sociales'', Presses Université Laval (1990),
p. 202
The name might be derived from Proto-Slavic word *''grębъ'' which means hill, uplift. (However, note Serbo-Croatian ''brȇg'' < Proto-Slavic *''bergъ'', which also means '(smaller) hill', and ''za brȇg'' 'to ''or'' toward the hill' for the seemingly metathesized variant in Hungarian, ''Zabrag'' – possibly modified from assumed *''Zabreg'' because of Hungarian vowel harmony.) An Old Croatian reconstructed name *''Zagrębъ'' is manifested through the German name of the city Agram. The name ''Agram'' was used in German in the Habsburg period; this name has been classified as "probably of Roman origin" but according to Décsy (1990) it could be an
Austrian German Austrian German (german: Österreichisches Deutsch), Austrian Standard German (ASG), Standard Austrian German (), or Austrian High German (), is the variety of Standard German written and spoken in Austria. It has the highest sociolinguistic p ...
reanalysis of ''*Zugram''. In
Middle Latin Medieval Latin was the form of Literary Latin used in Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Western Europe during the Middle Ages. In this region it served as the primary written language, though local languages were also written to varying deg ...
and
Modern Latin New Latin (also called Neo-Latin or Modern Latin) is the revival of Literary Latin used in original, scholarly, and scientific works since about 1500. Modern scholarly and technical nomenclature, such as in zoological and botanical taxonomy ...
, Zagreb is known as ''Agranum'' (the name of an unrelated Arabian city in
Strabo Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-sighted that he could see ...
), ''Zagrabia'' or ''Mons Graecensis'' (also ''Mons Crecensis'', in reference to ''Grič'' (Gradec)). In Croatian
folk etymology Folk etymology (also known as popular etymology, analogical reformation, reanalysis, morphological reanalysis or etymological reinterpretation) is a change in a word or phrase resulting from the replacement of an unfamiliar form by a more famili ...
, the name of the city has been derived from either the verb '' za- grab-'', meaning "to scoop" or "to dig". One folk legend illustrating this derivation ties the name to a drought of the early 14th century, during which
Augustin Kažotić Blessed Augustin Kažotić ( it, Agostino Casotti, hu, Kazotics Ágoston; 1260 – 3 August 1323) was a Dalmatian-Croatian Roman Catholic prelate and professed member from the Order of Preachers who served as the Bishop of Lucera from 1322 unti ...
(c. 1260–1323) is said to have dug a well which miraculously produced water. In another legend, a city governor is thirsty and orders a girl named Manda to "scoop" water from the Manduševac well (nowadays a fountain in Ban Jelačić Square), using the imperative: ''Zagrabi, Mando!'' ("Scoop, Manda!").


History

The oldest settlement located near today's Zagreb was the Roman town of
Andautonia Andautonia was a Roman settlement located on the southern bank of the river Sava, located in the modern-day village of Šćitarjevo, southeast of the city of Zagreb, Croatia. Andautonia was located in the Roman province of Pannonia, on the Rom ...
, now Ščitarjevo, which existed between the 1st and the 5th century AD. The first recorded appearance of the name Zagreb is dated to 1094, at which time the city existed as two different city centers: the smaller, eastern Kaptol, inhabited mainly by
clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...
and housing
Zagreb Cathedral , native_name_lang = , image = Zagreb Cathedral 2020.jpg , imagesize = , imagelink = , imagealt = , landscape = , caption =Zagreb Cathedral in 2020, ...
, and the larger, western Gradec, inhabited mainly by craftsmen and merchants. Gradec and Kaptol were united in 1851 by ban Josip Jelačić, who was credited for this by naming the main city square,
Ban Jelačić Square Ban Jelačić Square (; hr, Trg bana Jelačića) is the central square of the city of Zagreb, Croatia, named after Ban Josip Jelačić. The official name is Trg bana Jelačića. The square is colloquially called ''Jelačić plac''. It is locat ...
in his honor. During the period of
former Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yu ...
, Zagreb remained an important economic centre of the country, and was the second largest city. After Croatia declared independence from Yugoslavia, Zagreb was proclaimed its capital.


Early Zagreb

The history of Zagreb dates as far back as 1094 A.D. when the Hungarian King Ladislaus, returning from his campaign against
Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...
, founded a diocese. Alongside the bishop's
see See or SEE may refer to: * Sight - seeing Arts, entertainment, and media * Music: ** ''See'' (album), studio album by rock band The Rascals *** "See", song by The Rascals, on the album ''See'' ** "See" (Tycho song), song by Tycho * Television * ...
, the canonical settlement Kaptol developed north of
Zagreb Cathedral , native_name_lang = , image = Zagreb Cathedral 2020.jpg , imagesize = , imagelink = , imagealt = , landscape = , caption =Zagreb Cathedral in 2020, ...
, as did the fortified settlement Gradec on the neighbouring hill; the border between the two being the Medveščak stream. Today the latter is Zagreb's Upper Town ( Gornji Grad) and is one of the best preserved urban nuclei in Croatia. Both settlements came under
Tatar The Tatars ()Tatar
in the Collins English Dictionary
is an umbrella term for different
attack in 1242. As a sign of gratitude for offering him a safe haven from the Tatars the Croatian and Hungarian King Béla IV bestowed Gradec with a
Golden Bull A golden bull or chrysobull was a decree issued by Byzantine Emperors and later by monarchs in Europe during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, most notably by the Holy Roman Emperors. The term was originally coined for the golden seal (a ''bull ...
, which offered its citizens exemption from county rule and autonomy, as well as its own
judicial system The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...
.


16th to 18th centuries

There were numerous connections between the Kaptol diocese and the free sovereign town of Gradec for both economic and political reasons, but they weren't known as an integrated city, even as Zagreb became the political center and, representing both Croatia,
Slavonia Slavonia (; hr, Slavonija) is, with Dalmatia, Croatia proper, and Istria, one of the four historical regions of Croatia. Taking up the east of the country, it roughly corresponds with five Croatian counties: Brod-Posavina, Osijek-Baranja ...
and
Dalmatia Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see #Name, names in other languages) is one of the four historical region, historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of ...
, first convened at Gradec. Zagreb became Croatian capital in 1557, with city also being chosen as the seat of the
Ban of Croatia Ban of Croatia ( hr, Hrvatski ban) was the title of local rulers or office holders and after 1102, viceroys of Croatia. From the earliest periods of the Croatian state, some provinces were ruled by bans as a ruler's representative (viceroy) an ...
in 1621 under ban
Nikola IX Frankopan Nikola IX Frankopan (1584 - 15/16 April 1647) was a Croatian magnate who served as Ban of Croatia from 1617 until 1622. He was a member of the Tržac branch of the Frankopan noble family. Biography As a son of Gašpar I Frankopan and Katarina Le ...
. At the invitation of the
Croatian Parliament The Croatian Parliament ( hr, Hrvatski sabor) or the Sabor is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of Croatia. Under the terms of the Croatian Constitution, the Sabor represents the people and is vested with legislative power. The Sabor ...
, the
Jesuits The Society of Jesus ( la, Societas Iesu; abbreviation: SJ), also known as the Jesuits (; la, Iesuitæ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
came to Zagreb and built the first
grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented secondary school ...
, the St. Catherine's Church and monastery. In 1669, they founded an academy where philosophy, theology, and law were taught, the forerunner of today's
University of Zagreb The University of Zagreb ( hr, Sveučilište u Zagrebu, ; la, Universitas Studiorum Zagrabiensis) is the largest Croatian university and the oldest continuously operating university in the area covering Central Europe south of Vienna and all of ...
. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Zagreb was badly devastated by fire and the plague. In 1776, the royal council (government) moved from
Varaždin ) , image_photo = , image_skyline = , image_flag = Flag of Varaždin.svg , flag_size = , image_seal = , seal_size = , image_shield = Grb_Grad ...
to Zagreb and during the reign of
Joseph II Joseph II (German: Josef Benedikt Anton Michael Adam; English: ''Joseph Benedict Anthony Michael Adam''; 13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg lands from November 29, 1780 unt ...
Zagreb became the headquarters of the
Varaždin ) , image_photo = , image_skyline = , image_flag = Flag of Varaždin.svg , flag_size = , image_seal = , seal_size = , image_shield = Grb_Grad ...
and
Karlovac Karlovac () is a city in central Croatia. According to the 2011 census, its population was 55,705. Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County. The city is located on the Zagreb- Rijeka highway and railway line, south-west of Zagre ...
general command.


19th to mid-20th century

In the 19th century, Zagreb was the center of the
Croatian National Revival The Illyrian movement ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Ilirski pokret, Илирски покрет; sl, Ilirsko gibanje) was a pan-South-Slavic cultural and political campaign with roots in the early modern period, and revived by a group of young Croatian inte ...
and saw the erection of important cultural and historic institutions. In 1850, the town was united under its first
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
Janko Kamauf Janko Kamauf (1801–1874) was the last city magistrate of Gradec and the first mayor of Zagreb, Croatia. He saw the unification of Gradec, Kaptol and several surrounding villages into Zagreb by ban Josip Jelačić in 1850 and remained the ci ...
. The first railway line to connect Zagreb with
Zidani Most Zidani Most (; german: Steinbrück) is a settlement in the Municipality of Laško in eastern Slovenia. It lies at the confluence of the Sava and Savinja rivers. The area is part of the traditional region of Styria. It is now included with the r ...
and
Sisak Sisak (; hu, Sziszek ; also known by other alternative names) is a city in central Croatia, spanning the confluence of the Kupa, Sava and Odra rivers, southeast of the Croatian capital Zagreb, and is usually considered to be where the Posavin ...
was opened in 1862 and in 1863 Zagreb received a
gasworks A gasworks or gas house is an industrial plant for the production of flammable gas. Many of these have been made redundant in the developed world by the use of natural gas, though they are still used for storage space. Early gasworks Coal ...
. The Zagreb
waterworks Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavors or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes. Public water supply systems are crucial to properly functioning societies. Thes ...
was opened in 1878. After the
1880 Zagreb earthquake The 1880 earthquake which struck Zagreb, and is also known as The Great Zagreb earthquake, occurred with a moment magnitude of 6.3 on 9 November 1880. Its epicenter was in the Medvednica mountain north of Zagreb. Although only one person was kill ...
, up to the 1914 outbreak of
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, development flourished and the town received the characteristic layout which it has today. The first horse-drawn
tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
was used in 1891. The construction of the railway lines enabled the old suburbs to merge gradually into
Donji Grad Donji grad ("Lower Town") may refer to: * Donji grad, Zagreb, Croatia * Donji grad, Osijek, Croatia * Donji Grad, Zemun, Serbia See also * Gornji Grad (disambiguation) * Stari Grad (disambiguation) * Novi Grad (disambiguation) * Grad (toponymy) ...
, characterized by a regular block pattern that prevails in
Central Europe Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the area' ...
an cities. This bustling core hosts many imposing buildings, monuments, and parks as well as a multitude of museums, theatres, and cinemas. An
electric power plant A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the generation A generation refers to all of the people born and living at about the same time, rega ...
was built in 1907. Since 1 January 1877, the
Grič cannon Grič may refer to: In Bosnia and Herzegovina: *, a settlement in the municipality of Kotor Varoš * Grič, Donji Vakuf, a settlement in the Municipality of Donji Vakuf In Croatia: * Grič, Zagreb, a part of Zagreb * Grič, Zagreb County, a villa ...
is fired daily from the
Lotrščak Tower The Lotrščak Tower ( hr, Kula Lotrščak, ) is a fortified tower located in Zagreb, Croatia, in an old part of town called Gradec or Gornji grad (Upper Town). The tower, which dates to the 13th century, was built to guard the southern gate of th ...
on Grič to mark midday. The first half of the 20th century saw a considerable expansion of Zagreb. Before World War I, the city expanded and neighborhoods like
Stara Peščenica Stara Peščenica () is a neighborhood located in the northwestern corner of the Peščenica – Žitnjak administrative city district of Zagreb, Croatia. It is bordered by Zvonimirova Street and the J. F. Kennedy Square on the north, Budakova Stree ...
in the east and
Črnomerec Črnomerec () is one of the city districts of Zagreb, Croatia. It is located in the western part of the city and has nearly forty thousand inhabitants. History Archeological findings from Donja Kustošija show evidence of early stone age settl ...
in the west were created. After the war,
working-class The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colou ...
districts such as
Trnje Trnje () is a district in the City of Zagreb, Croatia. According to the 2011 census, the district had 42,282 residents. It is located in the central part of the city, south of Donji grad across the railway (Zagreb Main Station), east of Trešnje ...
emerged between the railway and the
Sava The Sava (; , ; sr-cyr, Сава, hu, Száva) is a river in Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally th ...
, whereas the construction of residential districts on the hills of the southern slopes of
Medvednica Medvednica () is a mountain in central Croatia, just north of Zagreb, and marking the southern border of the historic region of Zagorje. The highest peak, at is Sljeme. Most of the area of Medvednica is a nature park (''park prirode''), a type ...
was completed between the two World Wars. In the 1920s, the population of Zagreb increased by 70 percent – the largest demographic boom in the history of the town. In 1926, the first
radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...
in the region began broadcasting from Zagreb, and in 1947 the
Zagreb Fair Zagreb Fair ( hr, Zagrebački velesajam) is a complex of exhibition pavilions in Zagreb, Croatia. The company which operates the venue carries the same name. The Zagreb Fair is the main venue in Zagreb for trade shows and fairs. Every year more t ...
was opened. During World War II, Zagreb became the capital of the
Independent State of Croatia The Independent State of Croatia ( sh, Nezavisna Država Hrvatska, NDH; german: Unabhängiger Staat Kroatien; it, Stato indipendente di Croazia) was a World War II-era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Fascist It ...
, which was backed by
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
and the
Italians , flag = , flag_caption = The national flag of Italy , population = , regions = Italy 55,551,000 , region1 = Brazil , pop1 = 25–33 million , ref1 = , region2 ...
. The history of
Zagreb in World War II When World War II started, Zagreb was the capital of the newly formed autonomous Banovina of Croatia within the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, which remained neutral in the first years of the war. After the Invasion of Yugoslavia by Germany and Italy on ...
became rife with incidents of regime terror and resistance sabotage, and the Ustaša regime had thousands of people executed during the war in and near the city. The city was taken by the Partisans at the end of the war. From 1945 until 1990, Zagreb was the capital of the
Socialist Republic of Croatia The Socialist Republic of Croatia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Socijalistička Republika Hrvatska, Социјалистичка Република Хрватска), or SR Croatia, was a constituent republic and federated state of the Social ...
, one of the six constituent socialist republics of the
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yug ...
.


Contemporary era

The area between the railway and the Sava river witnessed a new construction boom after World War II. After the mid-1950s, construction of new residential areas south of the Sava river began, resulting in
Novi Zagreb Novi Zagreb () is the part of the City of Zagreb located south of the Sava, Sava river. Novi Zagreb forms a distinct whole because it is separated from the northern part of the city both by the river and by the levees around Sava. At the same time ...
(Croatian for ''New Zagreb''), originally called "Južni Zagreb" (''Southern Zagreb''). Today Novi Zagreb is divided in two
city districts A City district is a designated administrative division that is generally managed by a local government. It is used to divide a city into several administrative units. City districts are used in Russia (raion), Pakistan and Croatia ( hr, gradsk ...
:
Novi Zagreb – zapad Novi Zagreb – zapad (, "Novi Zagreb – west") has the status of a city district ( hr, gradska četvrt) in Zagreb, Croatia and as such has an elected council. According to the 2011 Croatian census, Novi Zagreb – zapad had 58,103 residents. ...
(''New Zagreb – West'') and
Novi Zagreb – istok Novi Zagreb – istok (, "New Zagreb – east") is a district in Zagreb, Croatia. Within this district in the neighborhood of Travno lies Mamutica, which was built to be the largest communal housing block in southeast Europe. Mamutica towers a ...
(''New Zagreb – East'') The city also expanded westward and eastward, incorporating Dubrava, Podsused,
Jarun Jarun (local pronunciation: ) is a neighborhood in the southwestern part of Zagreb, Croatia. It was named after Lake Jarun, formed by the Sava River, now located on the southern edge of the neighborhood. Lake The lake is the location of the Jar ...
, Blato, and other settlements. The cargo railway hub and the
international airport An international airport is an airport with customs and border control facilities enabling passengers to travel between countries around the world. International airports are usually larger than domestic airports and they must feature longer ...
Pleso Zagreb Franjo Tuđman Airport ( hr, Zračna luka Franjo Tuđman Zagreb) or Zagreb Airport ( hr, Zračna luka Zagreb) () is an international airport serving Zagreb, Croatia. It is the largest and busiest airport in Croatia. In 2019 it handled 3. ...
were built south of the Sava river. The largest industrial zone (Žitnjak) in the south-eastern part of the city represents an extension of the industrial zones on the eastern outskirts of the city, between the Sava and the Prigorje region. Zagreb also hosted the
Summer Universiade The Universiade is an international multi-sport event, organized for university athletes by the International University Sports Federation (FISU). The name is a portmanteau of the words "University" and "Olympiad". The Universiade is referred t ...
in 1987. This event initiated the creation of pedestrian-only zones in the city centre and numerous new sport infrastructure, lacking until then, all around the city. During the 1991–1995
Croatian War of Independence The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between Croat forces loyal to the Government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY)—and the Serb-controlled Yugosl ...
, it was a scene of some sporadic fighting surrounding its JNA
army barracks Barracks are usually a group of long buildings built to house military personnel or laborers. The English word originates from the 17th century via French and Italian from an old Spanish word "barraca" ("soldier's tent"), but today barracks are u ...
, but escaped major damage. In May 1995, it was targeted by Serb
rocket artillery Rocket artillery is artillery that uses rocket explosives as the projectile. The use of rocket artillery dates back to medieval China where devices such as fire arrows were used (albeit mostly as a psychological weapon). Fire arrows were also us ...
in two rocket attacks which killed seven civilians and wounded many. An urbanized area connects Zagreb with the surrounding towns of
Zaprešić Zaprešić () is a town in Hrvatsko zagorje, Zagreb County in Croatia. It has a population of 19,644 inhabitants in the town proper, with 25,223 in the administrative area. The town's metropolitan area, which encompasses the seven neighbouring m ...
,
Samobor Samobor () is a city in Zagreb County, Croatia. It is part of the Zagreb metropolitan area. Administratively it is a part of Zagreb County. Geography Samobor is located west of Zagreb, between the eastern slopes of the Samobor hills ( hr, Samo ...
,
Dugo Selo Dugo Selo is a town in Zagreb County, Croatia. Geography Dugo Selo (lit. ''Long Village'') is a 20 km drive from Zagreb city centre. The town covers an area of 51 km² and it consists of numerous settlements. The summit of the hill M ...
, and
Velika Gorica Velika Gorica (; meaning "Great Vineyard/Forest") is the largest and most populous city in Zagreb County, Croatia. According to the 2011 census the city itself has a population of 31,341, while the municipality has a population of 63,517 inhabita ...
. Sesvete was the first and the closest area to become a part of the
agglomeration Agglomeration may refer to: * Urban agglomeration, in standard English * Megalopolis, in Chinese English, as defined in China's ''Standard for basic terminology of urban planning'' (GB/T 50280—98). Also known as "city cluster". * Economies of agg ...
and is already included in the City of Zagreb for administrative purposes and now forms the easternmost city district. In 2020 the city was hit by a 5.5 magnitude earthquake. Various buildings in the historic downtown area were damaged. The city's iconic cathedral lost the cross off of one of its towers. This earthquake was the strongest one to affect the city since the destructive
1880 Zagreb earthquake The 1880 earthquake which struck Zagreb, and is also known as The Great Zagreb earthquake, occurred with a moment magnitude of 6.3 on 9 November 1880. Its epicenter was in the Medvednica mountain north of Zagreb. Although only one person was kill ...
.


Area and population development


Geography


Climate

The climate of Zagreb is classified as an
oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...
(
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
''Cfb'') with significant continental influences, very closely bordering on a
humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...
(''Dfa''/''Dfb'') as well as a
humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
(''Cfa''). Zagreb has four separate seasons. Summers are generally warm, sometimes hot. In late May it gets significantly warmer, temperatures start rising and it is often very warm or even hot with occasional afternoon and evening thunderstorms. Heatwaves can occur but are short-lived. Temperatures rise above on average 14.6 days each summer. Rainfall is abundant in summertime, falling mainly during thunderstorms. With 840 mm of precipitation per year, Zagreb is Europe's ninth wettest capital, receiving less precipitation than
Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...
but more than
Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
,
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
or
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. Compared to these cities, however, Zagreb has less rainy days, but the annual rainfall is higher due to heavier showers occurring mainly in late spring and summer. Autumn in its early stage often brings pleasant and sunny weather with occasional episodes of rain later in the season. Late autumn is characterized by a mild increase in the number of rainy days and a gradual decline in temperature averages. Morning fog is common from mid-October to January, with northern city districts at the foothills of the
Medvednica Medvednica () is a mountain in central Croatia, just north of Zagreb, and marking the southern border of the historic region of Zagorje. The highest peak, at is Sljeme. Most of the area of Medvednica is a nature park (''park prirode''), a type ...
mountain as well as south-central districts along the
Sava The Sava (; , ; sr-cyr, Сава, hu, Száva) is a river in Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally th ...
river being more prone to longer fog accumulation. Winters are relatively cold, bringing overcast skies and a precipitation decrease pattern. February is the driest month, averaging 39 mm of precipitation. On average there are 29 days with snowfall, with the first snow usually falling in early December. However, in recent years, the number of days with snowfall in wintertime has decreased considerably. Springs are generally mild and very pleasant with sporadic weather changes and are somewhat windier than other seasons. As the season progresses, sunny days become more frequent, bringing higher temperatures. Sometimes cold spells can occur, mostly in springtime's early stages. The average daily mean temperature in the winter is around (from December to February) and the average temperature in the summer is . The highest recorded temperature at the Maksimir weather station was in July 1950, and lowest was in February 1956. A temperature of was recorded on the since defunct Borongaj Airfield in February 1940.


Cityscape

The most important historical high-rise constructions are
Neboder 1 Ilica Street ( hr, Neboder u Ilici, Ilički neboder, meaning "Skyscraper in Ilica") is a building located in Ilica Street overlooking Ban Jelačić Square in the Lower Town area of Zagreb, Croatia. In Croatian, the building is colloquially know ...
(1958) on
Ban Jelačić Square Ban Jelačić Square (; hr, Trg bana Jelačića) is the central square of the city of Zagreb, Croatia, named after Ban Josip Jelačić. The official name is Trg bana Jelačića. The square is colloquially called ''Jelačić plac''. It is locat ...
,
Cibona Tower The Cibona Tower in a high-rise building located in the center of Zagreb, Croatia on Dražen Petrović Square 3, near the Savska and Kranjčevićeva street intersection. It was built in 1987. Technical information It is 92 meters (307 feet) tall ...
(1987), and
Zagrepčanka Zagrepčanka is a high-rise office building located in Zagreb, Croatia. The address is Savska 41, on the Savska Road and Vukovar Avenue intersection. Technical information Zagrepčanka is ranked 4th by height (1st when you include the antenn ...
(1976) on Savska Street,
Mamutica Mamutica (English: Female mammoth) is the largest building (by volume) in Zagreb and Croatia, as well as one of the largest apartment blocks in Europe. This apartment complex was built by Industrogradnja in 1974, and designed by prof. Đure Mirk ...
in Travno (
Novi Zagreb – istok Novi Zagreb – istok (, "New Zagreb – east") is a district in Zagreb, Croatia. Within this district in the neighborhood of Travno lies Mamutica, which was built to be the largest communal housing block in southeast Europe. Mamutica towers a ...
district, built in 1974) and
Zagreb TV Tower OIV Tower Sljeme is a 169-metre (563 ft) tall TV and radio tower built of reinforced concrete on the summit of the 1035 metre (3450 ft) tall peak Sljeme of the Medvednica mountain north of Zagreb, Croatia. Zagreb TV Tower was built in ...
on Sljeme (built in 1973). In the 2000s, the City Assembly approved a new plan that allowed for the many recent high-rise buildings in Zagreb, such as the Almeria Tower, Eurotower,
HOTO Tower HOTO Business Tower is a modern business building in Zagreb, Croatia. It was built in 2004 as the first skyscraper after the Croatian War of Independence. It is located to the west of the Savska street, between the Cibona Tower and Zagrepčanka. ...
,
Zagrebtower Zagrebtower is a building in Zagreb, Croatia, located in the neighborhood of Sigečica, on the Radnička Road. It was completed in late 2006. It is an elliptical, 22-story, office tower with adjacent 8-story office building which includes an un ...
and one of the tallest skyscrapers
Sky Office Tower Sky Office Tower is a dual business tower, elliptically shaped, located in Zagreb, Croatia, north of the Zagrebačka Avenue, near the intersection with Zagrebačka cesta. The office tower was completed in 2012. It is one of the few high-rise co ...
. In
Novi Zagreb Novi Zagreb () is the part of the City of Zagreb located south of the Sava, Sava river. Novi Zagreb forms a distinct whole because it is separated from the northern part of the city both by the river and by the levees around Sava. At the same time ...
, the neighbourhoods of Blato and Lanište expanded significantly, including the
Zagreb Arena The Arena Zagreb is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Zagreb, Croatia. The site also includes a building complex, the Arena Complex (Arena Center), making it one of the largest shopping-entertainment centers in the city. The arena is used fo ...
and the adjoining business centre. Due to a long-standing restriction that forbade the construction of 10-story or higher buildings, most of Zagreb's high-rise buildings date from the 1970s and 1980s and new apartment buildings on the outskirts of the city are usually 4–8 floors tall. Exceptions to the restriction have been made in recent years, such as permitting the construction of high-rise buildings in Lanište or Kajzerica.


Surroundings

The wider Zagreb area has been continuously inhabited since the prehistoric period, as witnessed by archaeological findings in the
Veternica cave Veternica is a cave located on the Medvednica mountain, north of Zagreb, Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beauti ...
from the
Paleolithic The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic (), also called the Old Stone Age (from Greek: παλαιός ''palaios'', "old" and λίθος ''lithos'', "stone"), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone too ...
and excavation of the remains of the Roman Andautonia near the present village of Šćitarjevo. Picturesque former villages on the slopes of Medvednica, Šestine, Gračani, and Remete, maintain their rich traditions, including folk costumes, Šestine umbrellas, and
gingerbread Gingerbread refers to a broad category of baked goods, typically flavored with ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon and sweetened with honey, sugar, or molasses. Gingerbread foods vary, ranging from a moist loaf cake to forms nearly as crisp as ...
products. To the north is the
Medvednica Medvednica () is a mountain in central Croatia, just north of Zagreb, and marking the southern border of the historic region of Zagorje. The highest peak, at is Sljeme. Most of the area of Medvednica is a nature park (''park prirode''), a type ...
Mountain ( hr, Zagrebačka gora), with its highest peak Sljeme(1,035 m), where one of the tallest structures in Croatia,
Zagreb TV Tower OIV Tower Sljeme is a 169-metre (563 ft) tall TV and radio tower built of reinforced concrete on the summit of the 1035 metre (3450 ft) tall peak Sljeme of the Medvednica mountain north of Zagreb, Croatia. Zagreb TV Tower was built in ...
is located. The Sava and the
Kupa The Kupa () or Kolpa ( or ; from la, Colapis in Roman times; hu, Kulpa) river, a right tributary of the Sava, forms a natural border between north-west Croatia and southeast Slovenia. It is long, with its border part having a length of and th ...
valleys are to the south of Zagreb, and the region of
Hrvatsko Zagorje Hrvatsko Zagorje (; Croatian Zagorje; ''zagorje'' is Croatian for "backland" or "behind the hills") is a cultural region in northern Croatia, traditionally separated from the country's capital Zagreb by the Medvednica Mountain. It comprises ...
is located on the other (northern) side of the Medvednica hill. In mid-January 2005, Sljeme held its first World Ski Championship tournament. From the summit, weather permitting, the vista reaches as far as
Velebit Velebit (; it, Alpi Bebie) is the largest, though not the highest, mountain range in Croatia. The range forms a part of the Dinaric Alps and is located along the Adriatic coast, separating it from Lika in the interior. Velebit begins in the nor ...
Range along Croatia's rocky northern coast, as well as the snow-capped peaks of the towering
Julian Alps The Julian Alps ( sl, Julijske Alpe, it, Alpi Giulie, , ) are a mountain range of the Southern Limestone Alps that stretch from northeastern Italy to Slovenia, where they rise to 2,864 m at Mount Triglav, the highest peak in Slovenia. A large pa ...
in neighboring
Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
. There are several lodging villages, offering accommodation and restaurants for hikers. Skiers visit Sljeme, which has four ski-runs, three ski-lifts, and a chairlift. The old
Medvedgrad Medvedgrad (; Croatian for ''bear-town''; hu, Medvevár) is a medieval fortified town located on the south slopes of Medvednica mountain, approximately halfway from the Croatian capital Zagreb to the mountain top Sljeme. For defensive purposes ...
, a recently restored medieval
burg The German word Burg means castle. Burg or Bürg may refer to: Places Placename element * '' -burg'', a combining form in Dutch, German and English placenames * Burg, a variant of burh, the fortified towns of Saxon England Settlements * Burg, Aa ...
was built in the 13th century on Medvednica hill. It overlooks the western part of the city and also hosts the ''Shrine of the Homeland'', a memorial with an
eternal flame An eternal flame is a flame, lamp or torch that burns for an indefinite time. Most eternal flames are ignited and tended intentionally, but some are natural phenomena caused by natural gas leaks, peat fires and coal seam fires, all of which can ...
, where Croatia pays reverence to all its heroes fallen for
homeland A homeland is a place where a cultural, national, or racial identity has formed. The definition can also mean simply one's country of birth. When used as a proper noun, the Homeland, as well as its equivalents in other languages, often has ethni ...
in its history, customarily on
national holiday National holiday may refer to: * National day, a day when a nation celebrates a very important event in its history, such as its establishment *Public holiday, a holiday established by law, usually a day off for at least a portion of the workforce, ...
s. The ruined medieval fortress
Susedgrad Susedgrad Castle ( Hungarian: ''Szomszédvár''), or earlier also only Sused, is a ruined medieval fortress on the far-western hill of mount Medvednica, while also marking the far-western part of modern-day Zagreb, Croatia. Position As written ...
is located on the far-western side of Medvednica hill. It has been abandoned since the early 17th century, but it is visited during the year. Zagreb occasionally experiences earthquakes, due to the proximity of Žumberak-
Medvednica Medvednica () is a mountain in central Croatia, just north of Zagreb, and marking the southern border of the historic region of Zagorje. The highest peak, at is Sljeme. Most of the area of Medvednica is a nature park (''park prirode''), a type ...
fault zone. It's classified as an area of high seismic activity. The area around Medvednica was the epicentre of the
1880 Zagreb earthquake The 1880 earthquake which struck Zagreb, and is also known as The Great Zagreb earthquake, occurred with a moment magnitude of 6.3 on 9 November 1880. Its epicenter was in the Medvednica mountain north of Zagreb. Although only one person was kill ...
(magnitude 6.3), and the area is known for occasional landslide threatening houses in the area. The proximity of strong seismic sources presents a real danger of strong earthquakes. Croatian Chief of Office of Emergency Management Pavle Kalinić stated Zagreb experiences around 400 earthquakes a year, most of them being imperceptible. However, in case of a strong earthquake, it's expected that 3,000 people would die and up to 15,000 would be wounded.


Demographics

Zagreb is by far the largest city in Croatia in terms of area and population. The 2021 census counted 767,131 residents. Zagreb
metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...
population is slightly above 1.0 million inhabitants, as it includes the
Zagreb County Zagreb County ( hr, Zagrebačka županija) is a county in Northern Croatia. It surrounds, but does not contain, the nation's capital Zagreb, which is a separate territorial unit. For that reason, the county is often nicknamed "Zagreb ring" ( hr, z ...
. Zagreb metropolitan area makes approximately a quarter of a total
population of Croatia The demographic characteristics of the population of Croatia are known through censuses, normally conducted in ten-year intervals and analysed by various statistical bureaus since the 1850s. The Croatian Bureau of Statistics has performed this t ...
. In 1997, the City of Zagreb itself was given special County status, separating it from Zagreb County, although it remains the
administrative centre An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located. In countries with French as administrative language (such as Belgium, Lu ...
of both. The majority of its citizens are
Croats The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, G ...
making up 93% of the city's population (2011 census). The same census records around 55,000 residents belonging to
ethnic minorities The term 'minority group' has different usages depending on the context. According to its common usage, a minority group can simply be understood in terms of demographic sizes within a population: i.e. a group in society with the least number o ...
: 17,526
Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language. The majority of Serbs live in their na ...
(2.22%), 8,119
Bosniaks The Bosniaks ( bs, Bošnjaci, Cyrillic: Бошњаци, ; , ) are a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Southeast European historical region of Bosnia, which is today part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who share a common Bosnian ancestry ...
(1.03%), 4,292
Albanians The Albanians (; sq, Shqiptarët ) are an ethnic group and nation native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, culture, history and language. They primarily live in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Se ...
(0.54%), 2,755
Romani Romani may refer to: Ethnicities * Romani people, an ethnic group of Northern Indian origin, living dispersed in Europe, the Americas and Asia ** Romani genocide, under Nazi rule * Romani language, any of several Indo-Aryan languages of the Roma ...
(0.35%), 2,132
Slovenes The Slovenes, also known as Slovenians ( sl, Slovenci ), are a South Slavic ethnic group native to Slovenia, and adjacent regions in Italy, Austria and Hungary. Slovenes share a common ancestry, culture, history and speak Slovene as their n ...
(0.27%), 1,194 Macedonians (0.15%), 1,191
Montenegrins Montenegrins ( cnr, Црногорци, Crnogorci, or ; lit. "Black Mountain People") are a South Slavic ethnic group that share a common Montenegrin culture, history, and language, identified with the country of Montenegro. Genetics Accordin ...
(0.15%), and a number of other smaller communities.


City districts

Since 14 December 1999 City of Zagreb is divided into 17
city districts A City district is a designated administrative division that is generally managed by a local government. It is used to divide a city into several administrative units. City districts are used in Russia (raion), Pakistan and Croatia ( hr, gradsk ...
(''gradska četvrt'', pl. ''gradske četvrti''): City districts are subdivided in 218 local committees as primary units of local self-government.


Settlements

The city itself is not the only standalone settlement in the City of Zagreb administrative area – there are a number of larger urban settlements like Sesvete and Lučko and a number of smaller villages attached to it whose population is tracked separately. There are 70 settlements in the City of Zagreb administrative area:


Politics and government

Zagreb is the capital of the
Republic of Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...
, its political center and the center of various state institutions. On the St. Mark's Square are the seats of the
Government of the Republic of Croatia The Government of Croatia ( hr, Vlada Hrvatske), formally the Government of the Republic of Croatia ( hr, Vlada Republike Hrvatske), commonly abbreviated to Croatian Government ( hr, hrvatska Vlada), is the main executive branch of government ...
in the Banski Dvori complex, the
Croatian Parliament The Croatian Parliament ( hr, Hrvatski sabor) or the Sabor is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of Croatia. Under the terms of the Croatian Constitution, the Sabor represents the people and is vested with legislative power. The Sabor ...
(Sabor), as well as the
Constitutional Court of the Republic of Croatia The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Croatia ( hr, Ustavni sud Republike Hrvatske) is an institution that acts as the interpreter and guardian of the Croatian Constitution and which monitors the conformity of laws with the Constitution as ...
. Various ministries and state agencies are located in the wider area of the City of Zagreb.


City governance

The current mayor of Zagreb is
Tomislav Tomašević Tomislav Tomašević (; born 13 January 1982) is a Croatian politician, activist, environmentalist and political scientist who is serving as List of mayors of Zagreb, mayor of Zagreb since 2021. He is one of the leaders of the local Zagreb is OUR ...
(' We can!'), elected in the
2021 Zagreb local elections The 2021 Zagreb local elections were the elections for the 53rd mayor of Zagreb, the two deputy mayors, the 47 members of the Zagreb Assembly, the councils of districts and the local committees. It was part of the Croatian local elections, which ...
, the second round of which was held on 30 May 2021. There are two deputy mayors elected from the same list, Danijela Dolenec and Luka Korlaet. The
Zagreb Assembly The City Assembly of the City of Zagreb is the lawmaking body of the Croatian capital of Zagreb. It consists of 47 members who were elected by universal suffrage and secret ballot at 2017 elections for a term of four years. The assembly meets at ...
is composed of 51 representatives, elected in the 2021 Zagreb local elections. The
Zagreb Assembly The City Assembly of the City of Zagreb is the lawmaking body of the Croatian capital of Zagreb. It consists of 47 members who were elected by universal suffrage and secret ballot at 2017 elections for a term of four years. The assembly meets at ...
is composed of 51 representatives, elected in the 2021 Zagreb local elections. According to the
Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of Legal entity, entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When ...
, the city of Zagreb, as the capital of Croatia, has a special status. As such, Zagreb performs
self-governing __NOTOC__ Self-governance, self-government, or self-rule is the ability of a person or group to exercise all necessary functions of regulation without intervention from an external authority. It may refer to personal conduct or to any form of ...
public affairs of both
city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
and
county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
. It is also the seat of the
Zagreb County Zagreb County ( hr, Zagrebačka županija) is a county in Northern Croatia. It surrounds, but does not contain, the nation's capital Zagreb, which is a separate territorial unit. For that reason, the county is often nicknamed "Zagreb ring" ( hr, z ...
which encircles Zagreb. The city administration bodies are the
Zagreb City Assembly The City Assembly of the City of Zagreb is the lawmaking body of the Croatian capital of Zagreb. It consists of 47 members who were elected by universal suffrage and secret ballot at 2017 elections for a term of four years. The assembly meets at ...
(''Gradska skupština Grada Zagreba'') as the representative body and the
mayor of Zagreb This article contains a list of people who have served as mayor of Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, or president of the Zagreb Assembly. List See also *List of mayors in Croatia References External links Grad Zagreb - svi gradonačelnici
(''Gradonačelnik Grada Zagreba'') who is the executive head of the city. The City Assembly is the representative body of the citizens of the City of Zagreb elected for a four-year term on the basis of
universal suffrage Universal suffrage (also called universal franchise, general suffrage, and common suffrage of the common man) gives the right to vote to all adult citizens, regardless of wealth, income, gender, social status, race, ethnicity, or political stanc ...
in
direct elections Direct election is a system of choosing political officeholders in which the voters directly cast ballots for the persons or political party that they desire to see elected. The method by which the winner or winners of a direct election are cho ...
by
secret ballot The secret ballot, also known as the Australian ballot, is a voting method in which a voter's identity in an election or a referendum is anonymous. This forestalls attempts to influence the voter by intimidation, blackmailing, and potential vote ...
using
proportional system Proportionality, proportion or proportional may refer to: Mathematics * Proportionality (mathematics), the property of two variables being in a multiplicative relation to a constant * Ratio, of one quantity to another, especially of a part compare ...
with
d'Hondt method The D'Hondt method, also called the Jefferson method or the greatest divisors method, is a method for allocating seats in parliaments among federal states, or in party-list proportional representation systems. It belongs to the class of highest- ...
in a manner specified by law. There are 51 representatives in the City Assembly, among them the president and vice-presidents of the assembly are elected by the representatives. Prior to 2009, the mayor was elected by the City Assembly. It was changed to direct elections by majoritarian vote (
two-round system The two-round system (TRS), also known as runoff voting, second ballot, or ballotage, is a voting method used to elect a single candidate, where voters cast a single vote for their preferred candidate. It generally ensures a majoritarian resul ...
) in 2009. The mayor is the head of the city administration and has two deputies (directly elected together with him/her). The term of office of the mayor (and his/her deputies) is four years. The mayor (with the deputies) may be recalled by a referendum according to the law (not less than 20% of all electors in the City of Zagreb or not less than two-thirds of the
Zagreb Assembly The City Assembly of the City of Zagreb is the lawmaking body of the Croatian capital of Zagreb. It consists of 47 members who were elected by universal suffrage and secret ballot at 2017 elections for a term of four years. The assembly meets at ...
city deputies have the right to initiate a city referendum regarding recalling of the mayor; when a majority of voters taking part in the referendum vote in favor of the recall, provided that majority includes not less than one third of all persons entitled to vote in the City of Zagreb, i.e. of persons in the City of Zagreb
electoral register An electoral roll (variously called an electoral register, voters roll, poll book or other description) is a compilation that lists persons who are entitled to vote for particular elections in a particular jurisdiction. The list is usually broke ...
, the mayor's mandate shall be deemed revoked and special mayoral by-elections shall be held). In the City of Zagreb the
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
is also responsible for the state administration (due to the special status of Zagreb as a "city with county rights", there isn't a State Administration Office which in all counties performs tasks of the central government). City administration offices, institutions and services (18 city offices, 1
public institute In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...
or
bureau Bureau ( ) may refer to: Agencies and organizations *Government agency *Public administration * News bureau, an office for gathering or distributing news, generally for a given geographical location * Bureau (European Parliament), the administrat ...
and 2
city services Municipal services or city services refer to basic services that residents of a city expect to the city government to provide in exchange for the taxes which citizens pay. Basic city services may include sanitation (both sewer and refuse), water, ...
) have been founded for performing activities within the self-administrative sphere and activities entrusted by the state administration. The city administrative bodies are managed by the principals (appointed by the mayor for a four-year term of office, may be appointed again to the same duty). The City Assembly Professional Service is managed by the secretary of the City Assembly (appointed by the Assembly). Local government is organised in 17
city district A City district is a designated administrative division that is generally managed by a local government. It is used to divide a city into several administrative units. City districts are used in Russia (raion), Pakistan and Croatia ( hr, gradsk ...
s represented by City District Councils. Residents of districts elect members of councils.


International relations


Twin towns – sister cities

Zagreb is twinned with the following towns and cities: *
Bologna Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...
, Italy ''(since 1963)'' *
Mainz Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main (river), Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-we ...
, Germany ''(since 1967)'' *
Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
, Russia ''(since 1968)'' *
Tromsø Tromsø (, , ; se, Romsa ; fkv, Tromssa; sv, Tromsö) is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Tromsø (city), city of Tromsø. Tromsø lies ...
, Norway ''(since 1971)'' *
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
, Argentina ''(since 1972)'' * Kyoto, Japan ''(since 1972)'' * Lisbon, Portugal ''(since 1977)'' * Pittsburgh, United States ''(since 1980)'' * Shanghai, China ''(since 1980)'' * Budapest, Hungary ''(since 1994)'' * La Paz, Bolivia ''(since 2000)'' * Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina ''(since 2001)'' * Ljubljana, Slovenia ''(since 2001)'' * Podgorica, Montenegro ''(since 2006)'' * Tabriz, Iran '' (since 2006)'' * Ankara, Turkey ''(since 2008)'' *
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, United Kingdom ''(since 2009)'' * Skopje, North Macedonia ''(since 2011)'' * Warsaw, Poland ''(since 2011)'' * Pristina, Kosovo ''(since 2012)'' * Astana, Kazakhstan ''(since 2014)'' * Rome, Italy ''(since 2014)'' * Vienna, Austria ''(since 2014)'' * Petrinja, Croatia ''(since 2015)'' * Vukovar, Croatia ''(since 2016)'' * Xiangyang, China ''(since 2017)''


Partner cities

The city has partnership arrangements with:


Culture


Tourism

Zagreb is an important tourist center, not only in terms of passengers traveling from the rest of Europe to the Adriatic Sea, but also as a travel destination itself. Since the end of the History of Croatia, war, it has attracted close to a million visitors annually, mainly from Austria, Germany, and Italy, and in recent years many tourists from far east (South Korea, Japan, China, and last two years, from India). It has become an important tourist destination, not only in Croatia, but considering the whole region of southeastern Europe. There are many interesting sights and happenings for tourists to attend in Zagreb, for example, the two statues of Saint George, one at the Republic of Croatia Square, the other at the Stone Gate, where the image of Virgin Mary is said to be the only thing that hasn't burned in the 17th-century fire. Also, there is an art installation starting in the Bogovićeva Street, called Nine Views. Zagreb is also famous for its award-winning Christmas market that had been named the one in Europe for three years in a row (2015, 2016, 2017) by ''European Best Destinations''. The capital is also known for it
top Restaurants in Zagreb
that offer more than traditional Croatian cuisine, Croatian food and classic dishes. The historical part of the city to the north of
Ban Jelačić Square Ban Jelačić Square (; hr, Trg bana Jelačića) is the central square of the city of Zagreb, Croatia, named after Ban Josip Jelačić. The official name is Trg bana Jelačića. The square is colloquially called ''Jelačić plac''. It is locat ...
is composed of the Gradec, Zagreb, Gornji Grad and Kaptol, a medieval urban complex of churches, palaces, museums, galleries and government buildings that are popular with tourists on sightseeing tours. The historic district can be reached on foot, starting from the
Ban Jelačić Square Ban Jelačić Square (; hr, Trg bana Jelačića) is the central square of the city of Zagreb, Croatia, named after Ban Josip Jelačić. The official name is Trg bana Jelačića. The square is colloquially called ''Jelačić plac''. It is locat ...
, the center of Zagreb, or by a funicular on nearby Tomićeva Street. Each Saturday, (from April until the end of September), on St. Mark's Square in the Gradec, Zagreb, Upper town, tourists can meet members of the Order of The Silver Dragon (''Red Srebrnog Zmaja''), who reenact famous historical conflicts between Gradec, Zagreb County, Gradec and Kaptol. It's a great opportunity for all visitors to take photographs of authentic and fully functional historical replicas of medieval armor. In 2010 more than 600,000 tourists visited the city, with a 10% increase seen in 2011. In 2012 a total of 675 707 tourists visited the city. A record number of tourists visited Zagreb in 2017. – 1.286.087, up 16% compared to the year before, which generated 2.263.758 overnight stays, up 14,8%.


Souvenirs and gastronomy

Numerous shops, boutiques, store houses and shopping mall, shopping centers offer a variety of quality clothing. There are about fourteen big shopping centers in Zagreb. Zagreb's offerings include crystal, Chinese ceramics, china and Pottery, ceramics, wicker or straw baskets, and top-quality Croatian wines and gastronomy, gastronomic products. Notable Zagreb souvenirs are the necktie, tie or ''cravat'', an accessory named after Croats who wore characteristic scarves around their necks in the Thirty Years' War in the 17th century and the Ballpoint pen, ball-point pen, a tool developed from the inventions by Slavoljub Eduard Penkala, an inventor and a citizen of Zagreb. Many Zagreb restaurants offer various specialties of Croatian cuisine, national and Fusion cuisine, international cuisine. Domestic products which deserve to be tasted include Turkey as food, turkey, duck or goose with ''mlinci'' (a kind of pasta), ''štrukli'' (cottage cheese strudel), ''sir i vrhnje'' (cottage cheese with cream), ''kremšnite'' (custard slices in flaky pastry), and ''orehnjača'' (traditional walnut#Nuts, walnut roll).


Museums

Zagreb's museums reflect the history, art, and culture not only of Zagreb and Croatia, but also of Europe and the world. Around thirty collections in museums and galleries comprise more than 3.6 million various exhibits, excluding church and private collections. The Archaeological Museum, Zagreb, Archaeological Museum collections, today consisting of nearly 450,000 varied archaeology, archaeological artefacts and monuments, have been gathered over the years from many different sources. These holdings include evidence of Croatian presence in the area. The most famous are the Egyptian collection, the Liber Linteus, Zagreb mummy and bandages with the oldest Old Italic alphabet, Etruscan inscription in the world (''Liber Linteus Zagrabiensis''), as well as the coin collecting, numismatic collection. Modern Gallery, Zagreb, Modern Gallery ( hr, Moderna galerija) holds the most important and comprehensive collection of paintings, sculptures and drawings by 19th- and 20th-century Croatian artists. The collection numbers more than 10,000 works of art, housed since 1934 in the historic Vranyczany Palace in the center of Zagreb, overlooking the Zrinjevac Park. A secondary gallery is the Josip Račić Studio. Croatian Natural History Museum holds one of the world's most important collection of Neanderthal remains found at one site. These are the remains, stone weapons, and tools of prehistoric ''Krapina man''. The holdings of the Croatian Natural History Museum comprise more than 250,000 specimens distributed among various collections. Technical Museum, Zagreb, Technical Museum was founded in 1954 and it maintains the oldest preserved machine in the area, dating from 1830, which is still operational. The museum exhibits numerous historic aircraft, cars, machinery and equipment. There are some distinct sections in the museum: the Planetarium, the Apisarium, the Mine (model of mines for coal, iron and ferrous, non-ferrous metals, about long), and the Nikola Tesla study. Zagreb City Museum, Museum of the City of Zagreb was established in 1907 by the Association of the Braća Hrvatskog Zmaja. It is located in a restored monumental complex (Popov toranj, the Observatory, Zakmardi Granary) of the former Convent of the Poor Clares, of 1650. The Museum deals with topics from the cultural, artistic, economic and political history of the city spanning from Roman finds to the modern history, modern period. The holdings comprise over 80,000 items arranged systematically into collections of artistic and mundane objects characteristic of the city and its history. Museum of Arts and Crafts, Zagreb, Arts and Crafts Museum was founded in 1880 with the intention of preserving the works of art and craft against the new predominance of industrial products. With its 160,000 exhibits, the Arts and Crafts Museum is a national-level museum for artistic production and the history of Archaeological culture, material culture in Croatia. Ethnographic Museum, Zagreb, Ethnographic Museum was founded in 1919. It lies in the fine Secession building of the one-time Trades Hall of 1903. The ample holdings of about 80,000 items cover the ethnographic heritage of Croatia, classified in the three cultural zones: the Pannonian, Dinaric and Adriatic. Mimara Museum was founded with a donation from Ante "Mimara" Topić and opened to the public in 1987. It is located in a late 19th-century Renaissance Revival architecture, neo-Renaissance palace. The holdings comprise 3,750 works of art of various techniques and materials, and different cultures and civilizations. Croatian Museum of Naïve Art is one of the first museums of naïve art in the world. The museum holds works of Croatian naïve expression of the 20th century. It is located in the 18th-century Raffay Palace in the Gornji Grad. The museum holdings consist of almost 2000 works of art – paintings, sculptures, drawings, and prints, mainly by Croatians but also by other well-known world artists. From time to time, the museum organizes topics and retrospective exhibitions by naïve artists, expert meetings and educational workshops and playrooms. The Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb, Museum of Contemporary Art was founded in 1954. Its new building hosts a rich collection of Croatian and international contemporary visual art which has been collected throughout the decades from the nineteen-fifties until today. The museum is located in the center of
Novi Zagreb Novi Zagreb () is the part of the City of Zagreb located south of the Sava, Sava river. Novi Zagreb forms a distinct whole because it is separated from the northern part of the city both by the river and by the levees around Sava. At the same time ...
, opened in 2009. The old location is now part of the Kulmer Palace in the Gornji Grad. List of museums in Croatia, Other museums and galleries are also found in the Croatian School Museum, the Croatian Hunting Museum, the Croatian Sports Museum, the Croatian Post and Telecommunications Museum, the HAZU (Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts) Glyptotheque (collection of monuments), and the HAZU Graphics Cabinet. The Strossmayer Gallery of Old Masters offers permanent holdings presenting European paintings from the 14th to 19th centuries, and the Ivan Meštrović Studio, with sculptures, drawings, lithography portfolios and other items, was a donation of this great artist to his homeland The Museum and Gallery Center introduces on various occasions the Croatian and foreign cultural and artistic heritage. The Art Pavilion, Zagreb, Art Pavilion by Viennese architects Hellmer and Fellmer who were the most famous designers of theatres in Central Europe is a Neoclassicism, neo-classical exhibition complex and one of the landmarks of the downtown. The exhibitions are also held in the impressive Meštrović building on the Square of the Victims of Fascism – the Home of Croatian Fine Artists. The World Center "Wonder of Croatian Naïve Art" exhibits masterpieces of Croatian naïve art as well as the works of a new generation of artists. The Modern Gallery comprises all relevant fine artists of the 19th and 20th centuries. The Museum of Broken Relationships at 2 Ćirilometodska holds people's mementos of past relationships. It is the first private museum in the country. Lauba House (23a Baruna Filipovića) presents works from Filip Trade Collection, a large private collection of modern and contemporary Croatian art and current artistic production.


Events

Zagreb has been, and is, hosting some of the most popular mainstream artists, in the past few years their concerts held the Rolling Stones, U2, Eric Clapton, Deep Purple, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Roger Waters, Depeche Mode, The Prodigy, Prodigy, Beyoncé Knowles, Beyoncé, Nick Cave, Jamiroquai, Manu Chao, Massive Attack, Metallica, Snoop Dogg, Lady Gaga, Duran Duran as well as some of world most recognised underground artists such as Dimmu Borgir, Sepultura, Melvins, Mastodon (band), Mastodon and many more. Zagreb is also the home of the INmusic festival, one of the biggest open-air festivals in Croatia which is held every year, usually at the end of June. There is also the Zagreb Jazz Festival which has featured popular jazz artists like Pat Metheny or Sonny Rollins. Many others festivals occur in Zagreb like Žedno uho featuring indie, rock, metal and electronica artists such as Animal Collective, Melvins, Butthole Surfers, Crippled Black Phoenix, NoMeansNo, The National (band), The National, Mark Lanegan, Swans (band), Swans, Mudhoney around the clubs and concert halls of Zagreb.


Performing arts

There are about 20 permanent or seasonal theatres and stages. The Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, Croatian National Theater in Zagreb was built in 1895 and opened by emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. The most renowned List of concert halls, concert hall named "Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall, Vatroslav Lisinski", after the composer of the first Croatian opera, was built in 1973. The World Theatre Festival (Zagreb), World Theatre Festival and International Puppet Festival both take place in Zagreb in September and October. ''Animafest'', the World Festival of Animation, Animated Films, takes place every even-numbered year, and the ''Music Biennale'', the international festival of avant-garde music, every odd-numbered year. It also hosts the annual ''ZagrebDox'' documentary film festival. The ''Festival of the Zagreb orchestra, Philharmonic'' and the flowers exhibition ''Floraart'' (end of May or beginning of June), the ''Old-timer Rally'' annual events. In the summer, theatre performances and concerts, mostly in the Upper Town, are organized either indoors or outdoors. The stage on Opatovina hosts the ''Zagreb Histrionic Summer'' theatre events. Zagreb is also the host of ''Zagrebfest'', the oldest Croatian pop music, pop-music music festival, festival, as well as of several traditional international sports events and tournaments. The ''Day of the City of Zagreb'' on 16 November is celebrated every year with special festivities, especially on the
Jarun Jarun (local pronunciation: ) is a neighborhood in the southwestern part of Zagreb, Croatia. It was named after Lake Jarun, formed by the Sava River, now located on the southern edge of the neighborhood. Lake The lake is the location of the Jar ...
lake in the southwestern part of the city.


Recreation and sports

Zagreb is home to numerous sports and recreational centers. Recreational SportsCenter, Sports Center Jarun, situated on Jarun, Jarun Lake in the southwest of the city, has fine shingle beaches, a world-class regatta course, a jogging lane around the lake, several restaurants, many Nightclub, night clubs and a discothèque. Its sports and recreation opportunities include swimming, sunbathing, waterskiing, angling, and other List of water sports, water sports, but also beach volleyball, football, basketball, handball, table tennis, and Miniature golf, mini-golf. Dom Sportova, a sport centre in northern Trešnjevka features six halls. The largest two have seating capacity of 5,000 and 3,100 people, respectively. This centre is used for basketball, handball, volleyball, hockey, gymnastics, tennis, etc. It also hosts music events. Arena Zagreb was finished in 2008. The 16,500-seat arena hosted the 2009 World Men's Handball Championship. The Dražen Petrović Basketball Hall seats 5,400 people. Alongside the hall is the high glass
Cibona Tower The Cibona Tower in a high-rise building located in the center of Zagreb, Croatia on Dražen Petrović Square 3, near the Savska and Kranjčevićeva street intersection. It was built in 1987. Technical information It is 92 meters (307 feet) tall ...
. Mladost (sports society), Sports Park Mladost, situated on the embankment of the Sava river, has an Olympic-size swimming pool, smaller indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a sunbathing terrace, 16 tennis courts as well as basketball, volleyball, team handball, handball, Association football, football and field hockey courts. A volleyball sports hall is within the park. Sports and Recreational Center Šalata, located in Šalata, only a couple hundred meters from the Ban Jelačić Square, Jelačić Square, is most attractive for tennis players. It comprises a big tennis court and eight smaller ones, two of which are covered by the so-called "balloon", and another two equipped with lights. The center also has swimming pools, basketball courts, football fields, a gym, and fitness center, and a four-lane bowling alley. Outdoor ice skating is a popular winter recreation. There are also several fine restaurants within and near the center. Maksimir Tennis Center, located in Ravnice east of Donji grad (Zagreb), downtown, consists of two sports blocks. The first comprises a tennis center situated in a large tennis hall with four courts. There are 22 outdoor tennis courts with lights. The other block offers multipurpose sports facilities: apart from tennis courts, there are handball, basketball and indoor soccer, indoor football grounds, as well as track and field facilities, a bocce, bocci ball alley and table tennis opportunities. Recreational swimmers can enjoy a smaller-size indoor swimming pool in Daničićeva Street, and a newly opened indoor Olympic-size pool at Utrine, Zagreb, Utrine sports center in Novi Zagreb. Skaters can skate in the Ice rink, skating rink on Trg Sportova (Sports Square) and on the lake Jarun Skaters' park. Hippodrome Zagreb offers recreational Equestrianism, horseback riding opportunities, while horse racing, horse races are held every weekend during the warmer part of the year. The 38,923-seat Stadion Maksimir, Maksimir Stadium, last 10 years under renovation, is located in Maksimir in the northeastern part of the city. The stadium is part of the immense Svetice recreational and sports complex (ŠRC Svetice), south of the Maksimir Park. The complex covers an area of . It is part of a significant green zone, which passes from
Medvednica Medvednica () is a mountain in central Croatia, just north of Zagreb, and marking the southern border of the historic region of Zagorje. The highest peak, at is Sljeme. Most of the area of Medvednica is a nature park (''park prirode''), a type ...
in the north toward the south. ŠRC Svetice, together with Maksimir Park, creates an ideal connection of areas which are assigned to sport, recreation, and leisure. The latest larger recreational facility is Bundek, a group of two small lakes near the Sava in
Novi Zagreb Novi Zagreb () is the part of the City of Zagreb located south of the Sava, Sava river. Novi Zagreb forms a distinct whole because it is separated from the northern part of the city both by the river and by the levees around Sava. At the same time ...
, surrounded by a partly forested park. The location had been used prior to the 1970s, but then went to neglect until 2006 when it was renovated. In year 2021 Zagreb was the host city of Croatia Rally, round three of 2021 World Rally Championship. The Rally was won by Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT crew. Service parc, Overnight parc ferme and Shakedown
Medvedgrad Medvedgrad (; Croatian for ''bear-town''; hu, Medvevár) is a medieval fortified town located on the south slopes of Medvednica mountain, approximately halfway from the Croatian capital Zagreb to the mountain top Sljeme. For defensive purposes ...
took place in Zagreb placing him as a lone capital in the championship. 2021 Croatia Rally became third tightest WRC event up to date, with only 0,6 seconds dividing the winning crew and second placed Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin (co-driver) in Toyota Yaris WRC. The Croatian round of WRC was praised by becoming the part of 2022 World Rally Championship. Some of the most notable sport clubs in Zagreb are: GNK Dinamo Zagreb, KHL Medveščak Zagreb, RK Zagreb, KK Cibona, KK Zagreb, KK Cedevita, NK Zagreb, HAVK Mladost and others. The city hosted the 2016 Davis Cup World Group final between Croatia Davis Cup team, Croatia and Argentina Davis Cup team, Argentina.


Religion

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Zagreb, Archdiocese of Zagreb is a metropolitan bishop, metropolitan see of the Roman Catholicism in Croatia, Catholic Church in Croatia, serving as its religious center. The Archbishop is Josip Bozanić, Josip Cardinal Bozanić. The Catholic Church is the largest religious organisation in Zagreb, Catholicism being the predominant religion of Croatia, with over 1.1 million adherents. Zagreb is also the Episcopal see of the Metropolitanate of Zagreb and Ljubljana of the Eastern Orthodoxy in Croatia, Serbian Orthodox Church. Islam in Croatia, Islamic religious organization of Croatia has the see in Zagreb. President is Mufti Aziz Hasanović. There used to be a mosque in the Meštrović Pavilion during Zagreb in World War II, World War II at the Square of the Victims of Fascism, but it was relocated to the neighborhood of Borovje in Peščenica – Žitnjak, Peščenica. Mainstream Protestant churches have also been present in Zagreb – Evangelical (Lutheran) Church and Reformed Christian (Calvinist) Church. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) is also present in the Zagreb neighborhood of
Jarun Jarun (local pronunciation: ) is a neighborhood in the southwestern part of Zagreb, Croatia. It was named after Lake Jarun, formed by the Sava River, now located on the southern edge of the neighborhood. Lake The lake is the location of the Jar ...
whereas Jehovah's Witnesses have their headquarters in Central Zagreb. In total there are around 40 non-Catholic religious organizations and denominations in Zagreb with their headquarters and places of worship across the city making it a large and diverse multicultural community. There is also significant History of the Jews in Croatia, Jewish history through The Holocaust in the Independent State of Croatia, the Holocaust.


Economy

Important branches of industry are: production of electrical machines and devices, chemical industry, chemical, pharmaceutical drug, pharmaceutical, textile industry, textile, food industry, food and drink processing. Zagreb is an international trade and business centre, as well as an essential transport hub placed at the crossroads of Central Europe, the Mediterranean and the
Southeast Europe Southeast Europe or Southeastern Europe (SEE) is a geographical subregion of Europe, consisting primarily of the Balkans. Sovereign states and territories that are included in the region are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia (al ...
. Almost all of the largest Croatian as well as Central European companies and conglomerates such as Agrokor, INA (company), INA, Hrvatski Telekom have their headquarters in the city. The only Croatian stock exchange is the Zagreb Stock Exchange ( hr, Zagrebačka burza), which is located in Eurotower, one of the tallest List of tallest buildings in Croatia, Croatian skyscrapers. According to 2008 data, the city of Zagreb has the highest PPP and nominal gross domestic product per capita in Croatia at $32,185 and $27,271 respectively, compared to the Croatian averages of US$18,686 and $15,758. As of May 2015, the average monthly net salary in Zagreb was 6,669 Croatian kuna, kuna, about Euro, €870 (Croatian average is 5,679 kuna, about €740). At the end of 2012, the average unemployment rate in Zagreb was around 9.5%. 34% of companies in Croatia have headquarters in Zagreb, and 38.4% of the Croatian workforce works in Zagreb, including almost all banks, utility and public transport companies. Companies in Zagreb create 52% of total turnover and 60% of total profit of Croatia in 2006 as well as 35% of Croatian export and 57% of Croatian import. The following table includes some of the main economic indicators for the period 2011–2019, based on the data by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics. A linear interpolation was used for the population data between 2011 and 2021. While data on the yearly averaged conversion rates between Croatian kuna, HRK, Euro, EUR and United States dollar, USD is provided by the Croatian National Bank, data regarding the Purchasing power parity, PPP are based on OECD estimates.


Transport


Highways

Zagreb is the hub of five major Croatian highways. The highway A6 (Croatia), A6 was upgraded in October 2008 and leads w:A7 (Croatia)#Route description, from Zagreb to Rijeka, and forming a part of the Pan-European Corridor Vb. The upgrade coincided with the opening of the Zrinski Bridge, bridge over the Mura river on the A4 (Croatia), A4 and the completion of the Hungarian M7 motorway (Hungary), M7, which marked the opening of the first freeway corridor between Rijeka and Budapest. The A1 (Croatia), A1 starts at the Lučko interchange and Concurrency (road), concurs with the A6 up to the Bosiljevo 2 interchange, connecting Zagreb and Split, Croatia, Split ( Vrgorac). A further extension of the A1 up to Dubrovnik is under construction. Both highways are tolled by the Croatian highway authorities Hrvatske autoceste and Autocesta Rijeka - Zagreb. Highway A3 (Croatia), A3 (formerly named Brotherhood and unity, Bratstvo i jedinstvo) was the showpiece of Croatia in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, SFRY. It is the oldest Croatian highway. A3 forms a part of the Pan-European Corridor X. The highway starts at the Bregana border checkpoint, border crossing, bypasses Zagreb forming the southern arch of the Zagreb bypass, and ends at Lipovac, Vukovar-Srijem County, Lipovac near the Bajakovo border crossing. It continues in
Southeast Europe Southeast Europe or Southeastern Europe (SEE) is a geographical subregion of Europe, consisting primarily of the Balkans. Sovereign states and territories that are included in the region are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia (al ...
in the direction of Near East. This highway is tolled except for the stretch between Bobovica and Ivanja Reka interchange, Ivanja Reka interchanges. Highway A2 (Croatia), A2 is a part of the Pan-European Corridor Xa, Corridor Xa. It connects Zagreb and the frequently congested Macelj border crossing, forming a near-continuous motorway-level link between Zagreb and Western Europe. Forming a part of the Corridor Vb, highway A4 (Croatia), A4 starts in Zagreb forming the northeastern wing of the Zagreb bypass and leads to Hungary until the Goričan border crossing. It is often used highway around Zagreb. The railway and the highway A3 (Croatia), A3 along the
Sava The Sava (; , ; sr-cyr, Сава, hu, Száva) is a river in Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally th ...
river that extend to
Slavonia Slavonia (; hr, Slavonija) is, with Dalmatia, Croatia proper, and Istria, one of the four historical regions of Croatia. Taking up the east of the country, it roughly corresponds with five Croatian counties: Brod-Posavina, Osijek-Baranja ...
(towards Slavonski Brod, Vinkovci, Osijek and Vukovar) are some of the busiest traffic corridors in the country. The railway running along the Sutla river and the A2 (Croatia), A2 highway (Zagreb-Macelj) running through Zagora (Croatia), Zagorje, as well as traffic connections with the Pannonian region and Hungary (the Hrvatsko Zagorje, Zagorje railroad, the roads and railway to
Varaždin ) , image_photo = , image_skyline = , image_flag = Flag of Varaždin.svg , flag_size = , image_seal = , seal_size = , image_shield = Grb_Grad ...
– Čakovec and Koprivnica) are linked with truck routes. The southern railway connection to Split, Croatia, Split operates on a high-speed tilting trains line via the Lika region (renovated in 2004 to allow for a five-hour journey); a faster line along the Una (Sava), Una river valley is in use only up to the border between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.


Roads

The city has an extensive Avenue Road, avenue network with numerous main arteries up to ten lanes wide and Zagreb bypass, a congested four-lane highway encircling most of the city. Finding a parking space is supposed to be made somewhat easier by the construction of new underground multi-story parking lots (Importanne Center, Importanne Gallery, Lang Square, Tuškanac, Kvaternik Square, Klaić Street, etc.). The busiest roads are the main east–west arteries, former Brotherhood and Unity Highway, Highway "Brotherhood and Unity", consisting of Ljubljanska Avenue, Zagrebačka Avenue and Slavonska Avenue; and the Vukovarska Avenue, the closest bypass of the city center. The avenues were supposed to alleviate the traffic problem, but most of them are nowadays gridlocked during rush hour and others, like Branimirova Avenue and Dubrovnik Avenue which are gridlocked for the whole day. International E-road network, European routes European route E59, E59, European route E65, E65 and E70 in Croatia, E70 serve Zagreb.


Bridges

Zagreb has seven road traffic bridges across the Sava, river Sava, and they all span both the river and the levees, making them all by and large longer than . In downstream order, these are: There are also two rail traffic bridges across the Sava, one near the Sava bridge and one near Mičevec, as well as two bridges that are part of the Zagreb bypass, one near
Zaprešić Zaprešić () is a town in Hrvatsko zagorje, Zagreb County in Croatia. It has a population of 19,644 inhabitants in the town proper, with 25,223 in the administrative area. The town's metropolitan area, which encompasses the seven neighbouring m ...
(west), and the other near Ivanja Reka (east). Two additional bridges across the river
Sava The Sava (; , ; sr-cyr, Сава, hu, Száva) is a river in Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally th ...
are proposed: Jarun Bridge and Bundek Bridge.


Public transportation

Public transportation in the city is organized in several layers: the inner parts of the city are mostly covered by
tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
s, the outer city areas, and closer suburbs are linked with buses and rapid transit Zagreb Commuter Rail, commuter rail. The public transportation company Zagrebački električni tramvaj, ZET (''Zagrebački električni tramvaj'', Zagreb Electric Tram) operates trams, all inner bus lines, and most of the suburban bus lines, and it is subsidized by the city council. The national rail operator Croatian Railways (''Hrvatske željeznice'', HŽ) runs a network of urban and suburban train lines in the metropolitan Zagreb area and is a government-owned corporation. The funicular (''uspinjača'') in the historic part of the city is a tourist attraction. Taxicab, Taxi market has been liberalized in early 2018 and numerous transport companies have been allowed to enter the market; consequently, the prices significantly dropped whereas the service was immensely improved so the popularity of taxis in Zagreb has been increasing from then onwards.


Tram network

Zagreb has an extensive
tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
network with 15 day and 4 night lines covering much of the inner- and middle-suburbs of the city. The first tram line was opened on 5 September 1891 and trams have been serving as a vital component of Zagreb mass transit ever since. Trams usually travel at speeds of , but slow considerably during rush hour. The network operates at the curb (road), curb whereas on larger avenues its tracks are situated inside the green belts. An ambitious program, which entailed replacing old trams with the new and modern ones built mostly in Zagreb by companies KONČAR Group, Končar elektroindustrija and, to a lesser extent, by TŽV Gredelj, has recently been finished. The new "CROTRAM, TMK 2200", trams by the end of 2012 made around 95% of the fleet.


Suburban rail network

The commuter rail network in Zagreb has existed since 1992. In 2005, suburban rail services were increased to a 15-minute frequency serving the middle and outer suburbs of Zagreb, primarily in the east–west direction and to the southern districts. This has enhanced the commuting opportunities across the city. A new link to the nearby town of
Samobor Samobor () is a city in Zagreb County, Croatia. It is part of the Zagreb metropolitan area. Administratively it is a part of Zagreb County. Geography Samobor is located west of Zagreb, between the eastern slopes of the Samobor hills ( hr, Samo ...
has been announced and is due to start construction in 2014. This link will be standard gauge, standard-gauge and tie in with normal Croatian Railways operations. The previous narrow-gauge line to Samobor called ''Samoborček'' was closed in the 1970s.


Air traffic

Zagreb Airport is the main Croatian international airport, a drive southeast of Zagreb in the city of
Velika Gorica Velika Gorica (; meaning "Great Vineyard/Forest") is the largest and most populous city in Zagreb County, Croatia. According to the 2011 census the city itself has a population of 31,341, while the municipality has a population of 63,517 inhabita ...
. The airport is also the main Croatian airbase featuring a fighter squadron, helicopters, as well as military and freight Cargo aircraft, transport aircraft. The airport had 3,45 million passengers in 2019 with a new passenger terminal being opened in late March 2017 that can accommodate up to 5,5 million passengers. Zagreb also has a second, smaller airport, Lučko . It is home to sports aeroplanes and a Croatian special police unit, as well as being a military helicopter airbase. Lučko used to be the main airport of Zagreb from 1947 to 1959. A third, small grass airfield, Buševec, is located just outside
Velika Gorica Velika Gorica (; meaning "Great Vineyard/Forest") is the largest and most populous city in Zagreb County, Croatia. According to the 2011 census the city itself has a population of 31,341, while the municipality has a population of 63,517 inhabita ...
. It is primarily used for sports purposes.


Education

Zagreb has 136 primary education, primary schools and 100 secondary education, secondary schools including 30 gymnasium (school), gymnasia. There are 5 public higher education institution and 9 private professional higher education schools. In Zagreb you will also find 4 International Schools: * American International School of Zagreb (AISZ) * The Learning Tree International Kindergarten (TLT) * French School in Zagreb * The German School in Zagreb.


University of Zagreb

Founded in 1669, the University of Zagreb is the oldest continuously operating university in Croatia and one of the largest and oldest universities in the Southeastern Europe. Ever since its foundation, the university has been continually growing and developing and now consists of 29 faculties, three art academies and the Croatian Studies Centre. More than 200,000 students have attained the Bachelor's degree at the university, which has also assigned 18,000 Master's degree, Master's and 8,000 Doctorate, Doctor's degrees. , the University of Zagreb is ranked among 500 Best Universities of the world by th
Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities
Zagreb is also the seat of two private universities: the Catholic University of Croatia and the Libertas International University; as well as numerous public and private polytechnics, colleges, and higher professional schools.


Notable people

*Srećko Puntarić (born 1952), cartoonist *Jasmin Mujdža (born 1974), football player *Mensur Mujdža (born 1984), football player *Nikolija (born 1989), singer


Notes


References


Sources

*


External links


Zagreb – Official website

Zagreb Tourist Board

Zagreb Fair
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