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Varaždin ( or ; , also known by alternative names) is a city in
Northern Croatia Northern Croatia or North Croatia (, ) refers to the northern parts of Croatia, encompassing Zagreb County, Zagreb, Varaždin County, Varaždin, Međimurje County, Međimurje, Krapina-Zagorje County, Zagorje and Koprivnica-Križevci County, Kopri ...
, north-east of
Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...
. The total population is 46,946, with 38,839 in the city settlement itself (2011). The city is best known for its
baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
buildings, music, textile, food and IT industry.


Name

In Hungarian the town is known as ''Varasd'', in
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
as ''Varasdinum'' and in German as ''Warasdin''. The name ''Varaždin'' traces its origin to ''varoš'', a Hungarian loanword from ''város'', meaning ''city''.


Population

The total population of the city is 46,946 and it includes the following settlements: * Črnec Biškupečki, population 696 * Donji Kućan, population 716 * Gojanec, population 620 * Gornji Kućan, population 1,139 * Hrašćica, population 1,283 * Jalkovec, population 1,309 * Kućan Marof, population 1,388 * Poljana Biškupečka, population 452 *Varaždin, population 38,839 * Zbelava, population 504


Administrative division

The administrative sections of Varaždin are local committees (). These are: * Centar * 2nd Local Committee * 3rd Local Committee * 4th Local Committee * 5th Local Committee * Banfica * Biškupec * Hrašćica * Gojanec * Jalkovec * Poljana Biškupečka * Črnec Biškupečki * Kućan Marof * Gornji Kućan * Donji Kućan * Zbelava


History


12th-13th centuries

The first written reference to Varaždin, whose historical name is Garestin, was on 20 August 1181, when King Béla III mentioned the nearby thermal springs (
Varaždinske Toplice Varaždinske Toplice (; or ; Kajkavian: ) is a small town in northern Croatia's Varaždin County. The town has been well known throughout the centuries for its hot springs as well as a medical center. In Ancient Rome it was known as Aquae Iasae. ...
) in a legal document. Varaždin was declared a free royal
borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...
in 1209 by the Hungarian King Andrew II. The town became the economic and military centre of northern Croatia. Due to Ottoman raids, the town was structured defensively around the old
fortress A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from L ...
, and acquired the shape of a typical medieval Wasserburg. In the early 13th century, the
Knights Hospitaller The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), is a Catholic military order. It was founded in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century and had headquarters there ...
() came to Varaždin, where they built the church and a monastery. Mid 13th century, the church of St. John belonging to the Hospitallers was taken over by
Franciscans The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor being the largest conte ...
, who extended it over several centuries, eventually replacing the medieval structures with early
baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
."Varazdin - Historic Nucleus and Old Town (the Castle)"
Tentative list of Croatia for Varaždin to be listed a World heritage site, on ''unesco.org''.


14th-15th centuries

At the end of the 14th century, Varaždin fortress passed to the hands of the
Counts of Celje The Counts of Celje () or the Counts of Cilli (; ) were the most influential late medieval noble dynasty on the territory of present-day Slovenia. Risen as vassals of the Habsburg dukes of Styria in the early 14th century, they ruled the County ...
. Over the following centuries Varaždin had several owners, the most influential being Beatrice Frankopan (1480–1510), wife of Margrave Georg of Brandenburg-Ansbach, who built the town hall; her successor was Baron Ivan Ungnad (1493–1564), who reinforced the existing fortification. At the end of the 16th century
Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
Thomas Erdődy became its owner, assuming the hereditary position of Varaždin prefects (župan), and the fortress remained in the ownership of the
Erdődy The House of Erdődy de Monyorókerék et Monoszló (also House of Erdödy) is the name of an old Hungarian people, Hungarian-Croats, Croatian noble family with possessions in Kingdom of Hungary, Hungary and Kingdom of Croatia (Habsburg), Croati ...
family until 1925.


16th-17th centuries

The town was the seat of Slavonnian Military Border in late 16th century.Hrvoje Petrić, 2008
"Fire and urban environment in early modern cities and towns of croatian and slavonian kingdom"Review of Croatian History
2008, n° 4, p. 111-130. See p. 112.
; Destructions by fires and fire fighting measures 16th century is also the beginning of fires being recorded; starting with a fire in Varaždin in 1558, although no details are given.Petrić 2008, p. 126.
We know more about the great fire of May 27, 1582, that had such dire effects that the Varaždin population counted time as "prior" and "after the Great fire".Petrić 2008, p. 117. The losses include the parish church, the Franciscan church and a friary (subsequently the Franciscans left Varaždin), the chapels of St. Vid, Michael and Holy Trinity, the homes of the local tollhouse clerks and customs officers. The stronghold was spared but the fire jumped the city walls and ravaged the suburbs close to the river Drava. The citizens asked the king for help and were granted state tax exoneration for the following six years by the Hungarian royal chamber, relieved from tax duty for one year and were assigned free serf labor. Austrian archduke
Ernest Ernest is a given name derived from the Germanic languages, Germanic word ''ernst'', meaning "serious", often shortened to Ernie. Notable people and fictional characters with the name include: People *Archduke Ernest of Austria (1553–1595), ...
wrote to Varaždin County officials on July 9, 1582 to provide free lumber for the citizens who had lost their homes in the fire.Petrić 2008, p. 127. That fire prompted authorities, not only in Varaždin but also in other towns, to set up watch posts with guards on lookout for possible fire.Petrić 2008, p. 124. A fire on April 29, 1586, burned down a number of buildings. The following year, 1587, saw two fires: one on May 10 that burned 23 homes in the Royal street, and one on December 26 that burned only one home. At that time, Varaždin, contrary to some other towns, did not have any organized fire-fighting service.Petrić 2008, p. 114. The next fire recorded, in 1592, brings in the town protocol the description of «pitiful and grieving town of Varaždin»; among the damages are noted that of several public buildings, including the town hall and St. Nicholas church.Petrić 2008, p. 118. Another fire in 1599 destroyed 66 buildings in and around the street of St.Vid.Petrić 2008, p. 115. 1599 also sees the town officials take the first fire fighting measures. This ordnance seems to have had some effect, as the next recorded fire dates from mid-17th century.Petrić 2008, p. 125. The great fire of 1646, that destroyed more than half the town and damaged many of the remaining buildings, did not deter the town's growth, as better buildings replaced the "ugly town district".Petrić 2008, p. 113. Sigismund Trautmanstorf( de), a member of Austria's nobility, reports a fire on May 1, 1648, fuelled by high wind, that destroyed more than a half the town within its walls - several hundred of houses disappeared. The town magistrate asked King Ferdinand III to relieve the town from Royal chamber taxes, due to the current devastation; the king granted that request and on 27 October 1649 he pardoned the town from paying overdue taxes of 500
Hungarian forint The forint (, sign Ft; code HUF) is the currency of Hungary. It was formerly divided into 100 fillér, but fillér coins are no longer in circulation. The introduction of the forint on 1 August 1946 was a crucial step in the post-World War II s ...
, with the specific reason of «half of Varaždin perishing in the fire of 1 May 1648».Petrić 2008, p. 121. On Easter Monday of March 27, 1665, an extremely large fire startedPetrić 2008, p. 116. in Brodovski konec suburb (E-N-E of Varaždin) and, due to a strong wind, crossed the town walls and spread all over town.Petrić 2008, p. 116. It destroyed Varaždin churches (parish church, Jesuit church and Franciscan church), spared only eight homes and new stables belonging to Varaždin stronghold's military commander; it also destroyed several towers from the town walls, albeit sparing the one used as main armoury - a lucky escape, as that one held the gunpowder magazine; thus sparing some lives. Beside the inner town buildings, the entire suburb outside the upper gates was also destroyed in the fire, from the east all the way to the stronghold's toll gates; this included part of the main street and Vidovski konec street, toward Biškupec village (about 3 km south of Varaždin); the next day the fire caught Vidovski konec and burned all its buildings down.
St. Florian's chapel was built in Varaždin in 1669, as a votive chapel after the 1665 fire (catholic patron saint St. Florian was believed to protect from fires, thus has many dedicated chapels and churches - such as that in
Koprivnica Koprivnica () is a city in Northern Croatia, located 70 kilometers northeast of Zagreb. It is the capital and the largest city of Koprivnica-Križevci County. In 2011, the city's administrative area of 90.94 km2 had a total populati ...
, first mentioned in 1680, or in Križevci after their fire in 1735).Petrić 2008, p. 124. Fires in the 18th century include that of 1745, set up by soldiers spiteful of their lodgers, which destroyed a number of homes and a brewery.
In 1748 another fire destroyed much of the southern suburbs, including 119 homes and several hundred stables and barns.Petrić 2008, p. 123. In 1767, the Croatian Royal Council - newly installed in town - gave order to the Varaždin town authorities to uphold restriction on drying flax and hemp fiber on house stoves, on smoking around barns and stables, and on replacing wooden chimneys by brick-built ones, the latter an expensive task: 1768 records show that that concerned most of Varaždin's chimneys, a fire hazard compounded by that the people hardly ever cleaned them. In 1755, Varaždin had only one chimneysweeper, not even paid on a regular basis.Petrić 2008, p. 125. The presence of the country's gouvernment in town somewhat changed the attitude towards fire. For example, upon another fire in 1769, there were records of efficiency in putting out the fire. Members of the town's administration showing up at fire sight were to take charge of the operation, duties were assigned to firefighters and their performance monitored. A record from 1771 mentions 32 buildings and many stables and barns destroyed by fire. That year, the Hungarian Chamber representative proposed to the town authorities to help those who lost homes in fire rebuild in bricks and setting up stoves outside their houses - not only in Varaždin town center, but also further in the town outskirts. Thus in 1774, the Hungarian chamber demanded from Varaždin town authorities that burned-down homes of Sračinec village be replaced with raw brick buildings. Moreover, in 1767 the town owned only one water-sprinkling device with a two- to three bucket capacity; in 1772 Queen
Maria Theresa Maria Theresa (Maria Theresia Walburga Amalia Christina; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was the ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position suo jure, in her own right. She was the ...
issued an ordnance listing necessary equipment that the town's authorities had to purchase for fire-fighting, and by 1773, the town owned most of this equipment. In 1771, Varaždin authorities made fire-fighting compulsory for all citizens. But this did not spare the town from its next big fire, that of April 25–26, 1776. It started in the Sračinec suburb (west of Varaždin) and, again due to strong wind - and the carelessness of a merchant who had stashed gunpowder in his house, which exploded and added fuel to the fire -, spread to Varaždin. Of the 113 buildings held within its walls, 70 were entirely destroyed and 11 partially destroyed; the northern suburb had held 256 buildings, of which 111 were entirely destroyed; and of the 245 homes in the southern suburb, 135 were destroyed : altogether, from the total of 614 homes, 316 were destroyed - more than half. Most of the nobility fled the town, and with it the country's government so recently installed there. But the commoners (primarily merchants and artisans) remained - and turned their town into one huge building site: by 1780 the number of homes equaled that prior to the fire.
After that fire, the town authorities decreed a public prohibition of wooden houses inside the town walls; even more specifically, brickmade chimneys became compulsory. The authorities ensured that adequate building materials were available. A committee was set up to inspect all chimneys and list down those which were fire hazards. Incentives were set up too, rewarding those citizens who were first to help in fire fighting; in the 18th century, there were public citations for citizens who showed up at fires with fire-fighting sprinkling equipment, as well as those who arrived on site with large amounts of water to put out fire. Later, fire insurance policies were set up with insurance companies. In spite of all those set-backs, the 17th and 18th centuries saw Varaždin's economy and culture expand ; within that period it grew from around 3,000 inhabitants around the year 1600 to around 5,500 inhabitants by the end of the 18th century.Petrić 2008, p. 112. ; Varaždin capital of Croatia... for a short time In 1756 or 1766, the Ban Ferenc Nádasdy chose Varaždin as his official residence, and Varaždin became the capital of all of Croatia. It hosted the Croatian Sabor and the Royal Croatian Council founded by Empress
Maria Theresa Maria Theresa (Maria Theresia Walburga Amalia Christina; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was the ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position suo jure, in her own right. She was the ...
. The April 1776 fire put an end to that presence in town.Petrić 2008, p. 129. ; Post-capital The periods of the
Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...
and the
Counter-Reformation The Counter-Reformation (), also sometimes called the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to, and as an alternative to or from similar insights as, the Protestant Reformations at the time. It w ...
had a great influence on Varaždin. With the arrival of the
Jesuits The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
, the school ( gymnasium) and the Jesuit house were founded, and churches and other buildings were built in the
Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
style. In the 18th century Varaždin was the seat of many Croatian noblemen, and in 1756 it became the
Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
n administrative centre. The fire of 1776 destroyed some 80% of the town, resulting in the administrative institutions moving back to
Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...
.


19th century

Varaždin was the seat of
Varaždin County Varaždin County () is a county in Hrvatsko Zagorje. It is named after its county seat, the city of Varaždin. Geography The county contains the city of Varaždin, the towns of: Ivanec, Ludbreg, Lepoglava, Novi Marof and Varaždinske Top ...
of the
Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia The Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia (; or ; ) was a nominally autonomous kingdom and constitutionally defined separate political nation within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was created in 1868 by merging the kingdoms of Kingdom of Croatia (Habs ...
within the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, ruled by the
Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from 1000 to 1946 and was a key part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526-1918. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coro ...
after the compromise of 1867. The Hungarian stamp, issued in 1881 shows both names. By the 19th century Varaždin had been completely rebuilt and expanded, with flourishing crafts and trade, and later the manufacture of silk and bricks. The theatre and the music school were founded. From the second half of 19th century, fire fighting was organized and specialized fire-fighting societies were established; the very first fire fighting volunteers in Croato-Slavonnian Kingdom was organized in Varaždin in 1864.


20th century

In the 20th century Varaždin developed into the industrial centre of northwestern Croatia. The textile manufacturer ''Tivar'' was founded in 1918. A silk factory was started in 1929, the one which would later start the sportswear brand
YASSA The Yassa (alternatively ''Yasa'', ''Yasaq'', ''Jazag'' or ''Zasag''; ) was the oral law code of the Mongols, gradually built up through the reign of Genghis Khan. It was the '' de facto'' law of the Mongol Empire, even though the "law" was kep ...
. The
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...
"Varteks" was founded in 1935. It was Varaždin's main fire department until the foundation of DVD "Zdravstvo" on 21 December 1981. Under the leadership of professor Krešimir Filić, the town developed a city library, a city museum, a gallery, reopened its music school, and had a mountaineering society started. Soon after the start of
World War II in Yugoslavia World War II in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia began on 6 April 1941, when the country was Invasion of Yugoslavia, invaded and swiftly conquered by Axis powers, Axis forces and partitioned among Nazi Germany, Germany, Fascist Italy (1922–1943), It ...
, on 12 July 1941, Varaždin was declared ''
Judenfrei ''Judenfrei'' (, "free of Jews") and ''judenrein'' (, "clean of Jews") are terms of Nazi origin to designate an area that has been " cleansed" of Jews during the Holocaust. While ''judenfrei'' refers merely to "freeing" an area of all of i ...
'' by the
Ustaše The Ustaše (), also known by anglicised versions Ustasha or Ustashe, was a Croats, Croatian fascist and ultranationalist organization active, as one organization, between 1929 and 1945, formally known as the Ustaša – Croatian Revolutionar ...
, becoming the first city in Croatia to earn this dubious distinction. The former village of Biškupec, whose population was tracked as a separate settlement between 1857 and 1948, when it reached 635 inhabitants, was integrated into the city of Varaždin since the 1953 census. In the
Croatian War of Independence The Croatian War of Independence) and (rarely) "War in Krajina" ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Рат у Крајини, Rat u Krajini) are used. was an armed conflict fought in Croatia from 1991 to 1995 between Croats, Croat forces loyal to the Governmen ...
, 1991, Varaždin suffered directly for only for a few days, because the huge
Yugoslav People's Army The Yugoslav People's Army (JNA/; Macedonian language, Macedonian, Montenegrin language, Montenegrin and sr-Cyrl-Latn, Југословенска народна армија, Jugoslovenska narodna armija; Croatian language, Croatian and ; , J ...
base quickly surrendered after the Siege of Varaždin Barracks, resulting in a minimal number of casualties, and providing weapons (worth $600m) for the Croatian army.


Monuments and sights

Varaždin represents the best preserved and richest urban complex in continental Croatia. It aims for a Unesco listing as a
World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
. The Old Town (fortress) is an example of
medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
defensive buildings. Construction began in the 14th century, and in the following century the rounded towers, typical of
Gothic architecture Gothic architecture is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High Middle Ages, High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It evolved f ...
in Croatia, were added. Today it houses th
Town Museum
The fortress was depicted on the reverse of the Croatian 5 kuna banknote, issued in 1993 and 2001.
The Old and Contemporary Masters Gallery
is located in the Sermage Palace, built in the
rococo Rococo, less commonly Roccoco ( , ; or ), also known as Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and dramatic style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpte ...
style in 1750. In 1523, Margrave Georg of Brandenburg built the town hall in late baroque style, with the Varaždin coat of arms at the foot of the tower, and it has continued in its function until the present day. There is a guard-changing ceremony every Saturday. Varaždin's Cathedral, a former Jesuit church, was built in 1647, and is distinguished by its baroque entrance, eighteenth-century altar, and paintings. There are many baroque and rococo palaces and houses in the town. Worth particular mention is Varaždin's Croatian National Theatre, built in 1873 and designed by the
Viennese Viennese may refer to: * Vienna, the capital of Austria * Viennese people, List of people from Vienna * Viennese German, the German dialect spoken in Vienna * Viennese classicism * Viennese coffee house, an eating establishment and part of Viennese ...
architects Herman Helmer and Ferdinand Fellner. A
baroque music Baroque music ( or ) refers to the period or dominant style of Classical music, Western classical music composed from about 1600 to 1750. The Baroque style followed the Renaissance music, Renaissance period, and was followed in turn by the Class ...
festival has been held annually in Varaždin since 1971, and attracts some of the finest musicians and their fans from Croatia and the world. Recommended to visitors is also the historical street festival ''Špancir fest'' every August. The city features its old city guard, named Purgari, in various city ceremonies as well as the weekly ceremony of the 'change of the guards' in front of the city hall. Additionally, Varaždin police officers patrol on bicycles in the warmer months.


The Old Town (Stari Grad)

The Old Town keep is one of the biggest monuments in the city of Varaždin and one of its biggest tourist attractions. It is located in the north-western section of the city core. Today the keep houses the Varaždin City Museum. The keep is first mentioned in the 12th century and it is believed to be the center of Varaždin county life. The keep underwent numerous ownership changes and reconstructions over the centuries. The Old Town was featured on the now defunct 5 Kuna bill.


Churches and monasteries


Baroque palaces


Varaždin cemetery

The cemetery dates back to 1773 and it was long time an ordinary place until 1905, when Herman Haller had an idea to make it more park-like with large trees and alleys for citizens to stroll through. The reconstruction of the cemetery was done between 1905 and 1947, and its current landscape and architecture dates from these works, It is now a protected cultural and natural park.


Festivals

* Špancirfest * Varaždin Baroque Evenings *International Children and Youth Animation Film Festival VAFI, since 2010 In 2023 Varaždin is the first croatian city to become a UNESCO Creative City in the field of music.


Museums

*THE OLD TOWN (STARI GRAD) Museum houses the Cultural and Historic Collection. The Old Town Museum has been a part of the Varaždin City Museum organization since 1925. Today is features: over 400 pieces from the glass, ceramics and clocks collection, 10 rooms furnished in chronological period style (renaissance, baroque, rococo, Empire, Biedermeier, historicism and art deco), a chapel and sacristy, and 2 rooms dedicated to two prominent men from Varaždin, Vatroslav Jagić and Ivan Kukuljević Sakcinski. *THE HERZER PALACE houses the
Entomological Entomology (from Ancient Greek ἔντομον (''éntomon''), meaning "insect", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study") is the branch of zoology Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the ...
Collection focusing on The World of Insects. There are over 4500 exhibits which clearly show the biology of bugs through several topics:In the forest, Near the forest and on the meadow, In the water and near the water, At night and underground. *THE SERMAGE PALACE houses the Gallery of Old and Contemporary Masters Art Gallery. It is home to over 5300 works of art separated in 10 collections with works ranging from the 15th to the 20th century.


Geography

The total area is (2001). The urban city settlement is . The centre of
Varaždin County Varaždin County () is a county in Hrvatsko Zagorje. It is named after its county seat, the city of Varaždin. Geography The county contains the city of Varaždin, the towns of: Ivanec, Ludbreg, Lepoglava, Novi Marof and Varaždinske Top ...
is located near the
Drava The Drava or Drave (, ; ; ; ; ), historically known as the Dravis or Dravus, is a river in southern Central Europe.
River, at .


Climate

Varaždin has a warm-summer
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 cold ...
(
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
''Dfb'') bordering on a
maritime climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring ...
(''Cfb''). Since records began in 1949, the highest temperature recorded at the local weather station at an elevation of was , on 8 August 2013. The coldest temperature was , on 16 February 1956.


Economy and tourism

Varaždin is one of the few Croatian cities whose industry did not directly suffer from the war in 1991. Besides textile giant Varteks (Varaždin Textile), it also has nationally important food (''Vindija''), metal, and construction industries. The Information Technology and financial and banking sector as are well developed. Further economic development has been encouraged with the creation of a free investment zone. Today Varaždin is a tourist destination for the summer holidays. The city has numerous areas of interests ranging from cultural areas (reflected by many museums, galleries and theaters in the area), shopping centers in the downtown core, various sports and recreation facilities, also a rich history in cuisine. The close of the tourist season is marked by two annual festivals. The annual ŠpancirFest begins at the end of August and ends in September (lasts for 10 days). At this time the city welcomes artists, street performers, musicians and vendors for what is called "the street walking festival". The city also hosts the Varaždin Baroque Evenings festival, first held in 1971. The festival honours
baroque music Baroque music ( or ) refers to the period or dominant style of Classical music, Western classical music composed from about 1600 to 1750. The Baroque style followed the Renaissance music, Renaissance period, and was followed in turn by the Class ...
and culture, both of which hold a special place in Varaždin's identity. Varaždin was also the host of the Radar Festival, which hosted concerts at the end of summer. It has hosted artists like
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
,
Carlos Santana Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán (; born July 20, 1947) is an American guitarist, best known as a founding member of the Rock music, rock band Santana (band), Santana. Born and raised in Mexico where he developed his musical background, he r ...
,
The Animals The Animals, currently billed as Eric Burdon & the Animals (featuring original frontman Eric Burdon) and also as Animals & Friends (featuring original drummer John Steel (drummer), John Steel), are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Ne ...
,
Manic Street Preachers Manic Street Preachers, also known simply as the Manics, are a Wales, Welsh Rock music, rock band formed in Blackwood, Caerphilly, in 1986. The band consists of Nicky Wire (bass guitar, lyrics) and cousins James Dean Bradfield (lead vocals, le ...
, Solomon Burke and others.


Geothermal potential

In October 2023, the state-owned energy company, Bukotermal, announced the discovery of an underground lake of superheated water at an average , with the potential to support a 16 MW geothermal power plant near the towns of Lunjkovec and Kutnjak.Croatia wants to turn this superhot underground lake into a 16MW geothermal power plant - Countries across the EU are ramping up efforts to harness the Earth's heat
Siôn Geschwindt, TNW, 2023-10-11


Transportation

Apart from A4
highway A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It includes not just major roads, but also other public roads and rights of way. In the United States, it is also used as an equivalent term to controlled-access highway, or ...
that runs between
Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...
and Goričan (Hungarian border), there are three state roads that reach the area of Varaždin: D2, D3 and D35. The town is fully encircled by the Varaždin bypass. Varaždin is also a hub for bus transportation company "AP Varaždin" which offers significant number of county (local), inter-county and inter-city services, also offering international lines. Varaždin's railway station is one of the largest and most important
train station A train station, railroad station, or railway station is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight, or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track, and a station building providing suc ...
s in northern Croatia. It represents the intersection of three Croatian
railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
corridors that are used for both passenger and freight traffic - it lies on R201 railway (Zaprešić - Čakovec) and also represents the terminus for one local line ( L201 connecting Golubovec) and one regional line ( R202 connecting
Dalj Dalj ( sr-Cyrl, Даљ, , , ) is a village on the Danube in eastern Croatia, near the confluence of the Drava and Danube, on the border with Serbia. It is located on the D519 (Croatia), D519 road, south of its intersection with the D213 road and t ...
via
Koprivnica Koprivnica () is a city in Northern Croatia, located 70 kilometers northeast of Zagreb. It is the capital and the largest city of Koprivnica-Križevci County. In 2011, the city's administrative area of 90.94 km2 had a total populati ...
,
Virovitica Virovitica () is a Croatian city near the Hungary, Hungarian border. It is situated near the Drava river and belongs to the historic region of Slavonia. Virovitica has a population of 14,688, with 21,291 people in the municipality (census 2011). I ...
and
Osijek Osijek () is the fourth-largest city in Croatia, with a population of 96,848 in 2021. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja ...
). All of the rail corridors that start, end or pass through Varaždin are single-tracked and non-electrified.


Sport

Varaždin is home to a number of professional and semi-professional sports clubs. Varaždin Arena, located near the
Drava The Drava or Drave (, ; ; ; ; ), historically known as the Dravis or Dravus, is a river in southern Central Europe.
River, was one of the hosts of the
2009 World Men's Handball Championship The 2009 World Men's Handball Championship was the 21st edition of the tournament that took place in Croatia from 16 January to 1 February, in the cities of Split, Zadar, Osijek, Varaždin, Poreč, Zagreb and Pula. Croatia was selected from a gr ...
held in Croatia, as well as one of the hosts of the 2025 World Men's Handball Championship held in Croatia, Denmark and Norway. *
Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
: NK Varaždin (1931–2015), NK Varteks (2011), NK Varaždin (2012) *
Handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of thr ...
: RK Varteks Di Caprio, RK Koka *
Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
: KK Varaždin, KK Varteks *
Volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...
: OK Varaždin *
Tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...
: TK Varaždin, TK Varteks *
Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
BK Vindija Varaždin *
Ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
: " KHL Varaždin" *
Wrestling Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves di ...
: "Vindija" *
Water polo Water polo is a competitive sport, competitive team sport played in water between two teams of seven players each. The game consists of four quarters in which the teams attempt to score goals by throwing the water polo ball, ball into the oppo ...
: "Coning" *
Badminton Badminton is a racquet sport played using racket (sports equipment), racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net (device), net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per s ...
: "BK KAJ" * Bicycling: "BD Sloga" *
Track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...
: "TK Marathon 95" *
Mountaineering Mountaineering, mountain climbing, or alpinism is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas that have become mounta ...
: "Ravna Gora" In mountaineering, the local chapter of the HPS is ''HPD "Ravna Gora"'', which had 175 members in 1936 under the Krešimir Filić presidency. At the time, it had a ski and a
photography Photography is the visual arts, art, application, and practice of creating images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is empl ...
section. Membership fell to 138 in 1937, and to 136 in 1938.


Education


Schools

Varaždin has seven elementary schools, 10 high schools (2 public gymnasiums, 2 private gymnasiums, trade schools, and other specialized high schools for various paths). Varaždin 2 faculties (Faculty of Organization and Information Technology and Geotechnical faculty) that are part of the
University of Zagreb The University of Zagreb (, ) is a public university, public research university in Zagreb, Croatia. It is the largest Croatian university and one of the oldest continuously operating universities in Europe. The University of Zagreb and the Unive ...
and the University North.


Universities

There are 2 public universities currently operating in the city of Varaždin: Varaždin and
Koprivnica Koprivnica () is a city in Northern Croatia, located 70 kilometers northeast of Zagreb. It is the capital and the largest city of Koprivnica-Križevci County. In 2011, the city's administrative area of 90.94 km2 had a total populati ...
took part in establishing the University North, a public national university that operates in both cities since 2015.
University of Zagreb The University of Zagreb (, ) is a public university, public research university in Zagreb, Croatia. It is the largest Croatian university and one of the oldest continuously operating universities in Europe. The University of Zagreb and the Unive ...
is present in the city with 2 displaced faculties from
Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...
itself.


Notable people

This list contains some of the notable people who were either born in Varaždin, lived in the city for a longer time or were in some significant way related to it. * Ivan Belostenec – linguist, lexicographer *
Zvonko Bezjak Zvonko Bezjak (born Antun Petar Bezjak, 29 June 1935 – 21 July 2022)Slavko Brankov – actor * Mirko Breyer – writer, bibliographer and antiquarian *
Zlatko Dalić Zlatko Dalić (; born 26 October 1966) is a Croatian people, Croatian professional Association football, football Manager (association football), manager and former Football player, player. He has been the manager of the Croatia national football ...
– football manager in charge of the Croatia national team * Baltazar Dvorničić Napuly – Catholic cleric and lawyer * Kristijan Đurasek – cyclist * Krešimir Filić (1891–1972), historian and museologist * Ignaz Grossmann (1825–1897), rabbi * Juraj Habdelić – writer * Robert Herjavec – businessman, investor, and television personality * Hermann II of Celje – count * Saša Hiršzon (born 1972) - tennis player *
Branko Ivanković Branko Ivanković (; born 28 February 1954) is a Croatian association football, football manager (association football), manager and former player who played as a midfielder. He was most recently the head coach of the China national football team ...
– football manager * Luka Ivanušec – footballer * Vatroslav Jagić – philologist, linguist *
Marija Jurić Zagorka Marija Jurić (; 2 March 1873 – 30 November 1957), known by her pen name Zagorka (), was a Croatians, Croatian journalist, writer and women's rights activist. She was the first female journalist in Croatia and is among the most read Croatian wr ...
– journalist, dramatist and novelist * Ljubomir Kerekeš – actor * Vjekoslav Klaić – writer and historian * Jana Koščak – athlete * Ferdinand Konščak – explorer, cartographer * Željko Krajan – tennis coach and former player * Ivan Kukuljević Sakcinski – historian, politician, writer * Maria Leitner - writer, journalist * Samuel Louis Mosinger – businessman and member of the "Varaždin charity society" *
Miljenko Mumlek Miljenko Mumlek (born 21 November 1972 in Varaždin) is a Croatian former footballer who played as a midfielder until being sentenced to prison for match fixing. He later returned as a football team manager for one season. Club career Born ...
– footballer * Robert Murić – footballer * Ivan Padovec – guitar virtuoso * Franjo Rački – historian, politician and writer * Marko Rog – footballer * Radoslav Rogina – cyclist * Vjekoslav Rosenberg-Ružić – composer, conductor and music educator * Silvester Sabolčki – footballer *
Tadija Smičiklas Tadija "Tade" Smičiklas (1 October 1843 – 8 June 1914) was a Croatian historian and politician. He was a professor at the Zagreb university and a member of the Croatian Academy. A member of the Illyrianist People's Party (Kingdom of Croatia), ...
– historian and politician * Ignacije Szentmartony – theologian *
Ksaver Šandor Gjalski Ljubomil Tito Josip Franjo Babić, better known by his pen name Ksaver Šandor Gjalski, (also cited as Đalski, both ; 26 October 1854 – 6 February 1935) was a Croatian novelist and civil servant. Biography He was born in Gredice near Zabo ...
– writer and civil servant * Karolina Šprem – tennis player * Krsto Ungnad – baron/mayor * Željko Vincek – track and field athlete * Davor Vugrinec – footballer *
Johann Baptist Wanhal Johann Baptist Wanhal (12 May 1739 – 20 August 1813) was a Czech composer of the Classical period. He was born in Nechanice, Bohemia, and died in Vienna. His music was well respected by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn, Ludwig van Beetho ...
– composer


Twin towns – sister cities

Varaždin is twinned with: * Bad Radkersburg, Austria *
Koblenz Koblenz ( , , ; Moselle Franconian language, Moselle Franconian: ''Kowelenz'') is a German city on the banks of the Rhine (Middle Rhine) and the Moselle, a multinational tributary. Koblenz was established as a Roman Empire, Roman military p ...
, Germany * Montale, Italy *
Ptuj Ptuj (; , ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Slovenia, eighth-largest town of Slovenia, located in the traditional region of Styria (Slovenia), Styria (northeastern Slovenia). It is the seat of the City Municipality of Ptuj, Municipality of Pt ...
, Slovenia *
Ravensburg Ravensburg ( or ; Swabian: ''Raveschburg'') is a city in Upper Swabia in Southern Germany, capital of the district of Ravensburg, Baden-Württemberg. Ravensburg was first mentioned in 1088. In the Middle Ages, it was an Imperial Free City and ...
, Germany *
Schaffhausen Schaffhausen (; ; ; ; ), historically known in English as Shaffhouse, is a list of towns in Switzerland, town with historic roots, a municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in northern Switzerland, and the capital of the canton of Schaffh ...
, Switzerland *
Trnava Trnava (, , ; , also known by other #Names and etymology, alternative names) is a city in western Slovakia, to the northeast of Bratislava, on the Trnávka river. It is the capital of the Trnava Region and the Trnava District. It is the seat o ...
, Slovakia *
Zalaegerszeg Zalaegerszeg (; ; ; ) is the administrative center of Zala County, Zala county in western Hungary. Location Zalaegerszeg lies on the banks of the Zala River, close to the Slovenian and Austrian borders, and west-southwest of Budapest by road. Hi ...
, Hungary


See also

*
Roman Catholic Diocese of Varaždin The Diocese of Varaždin () is a Latin Church, Latin ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in northern Croatia. The diocese is centred in the city of Varaždin. It is a new diocese, having only been erected on July 5, 1997, f ...
* Tentative list of World Heritage Sites in Croatia * Varaždin County (former)


Notes and references

; Notes ; References


Sources

* * * *


External links


varazdin.hr
– Official website
varazdin.hr/en
– Official website
Varaždin City Museum
– official website
eVarazdin.hr
– daily city e-newspapers
Varaždin Online
— News from Varaždin, up-dated daily
Varaždin Trg Kralja Tomislava Live
{{DEFAULTSORT:Varazdin 13th-century establishments in Croatia 1209 establishments in Europe Cities and towns in Croatia Former capitals of Croatia Populated places in Varaždin County Varaždin County (former)