Zaprešić () is a town in

Zagreb County Zagreb County () 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" (). According to the 2021 censu ...

, 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 A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban area, urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share Industry (economics), industries, commercial areas, Transport infrastructure, transport network ...

, which encompasses the seven neighbouring municipalities, has a population of 54,640. Zaprešić is the third-largest, and most densely populated town of the county.This is calculated on the basis of second-level administrative divisions (

towns A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

, and

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

), not the census-designated settlements (''naselja''). When calculated on the basis of settlements, Zaprešić is the second-largest one, after

Velika Gorica Velika Gorica () 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, and the municipality has a population of 63,517 inhabitants. Velika Gorica is the centre ...

with 31,553 inhabitants (2011 census). It is located northwest of the Croatian capital

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 near the

Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...

n border. It is centered on plains north of the

Sava River The Sava, is a river in Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. From its source in Slovenia it flows through Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally reaches Serbia, fee ...

, and is bordered by Medvednica Mountain to the east, and the Marija Gorica Hills to the west. The first human settlement in, and near Zaprešić dates from the

Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...

, and several Roman roads were constructed in the area. Vicinity to transport corridors is also reflected in the meaning of the name (''za'', 'near or behind', ''prešće'' 'crossing'). The first records of the settlement date from 1474. (although, some authors claim that the church of Saint Peter in Zaprešić could have been mentioned in a document supposedly written in 1334). In the late medieval and early modern times, the village history includes being a part of a

feudal Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was a combination of legal, economic, military, cultural, and political customs that flourished in Middle Ages, medieval Europe from the 9th to 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of struc ...

estate Susedgrad, as well of being a part of Brdovec parish. During the 19th century the town was operating the first meat packaging plant in Croatia. However, it was not formally established as a town until 1995. The town is governed by a

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, 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 responsibilitie ...

, a town government of seven members (

upper house An upper house is one of two Legislative chamber, chambers of a bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house. The house formally designated as the upper house is usually smaller and often has more restricted p ...

), and a

town council A town council, city council or municipal council is a form of local government for small municipalities. Usage of the term varies under different jurisdictions. Republic of Ireland In 2002, 49 urban district councils and 26 town commissi ...

of twenty one (

lower house A lower house is the lower chamber of a bicameral legislature, where the other chamber is the upper house. Although styled as "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has come to wield more power or otherwise e ...

). Zaprešić has its own fire department, but police coverage is provided by the City of Zagreb. Komunalno poduzeće Zaprešić manages all utilities except electricity.

Tap water Tap water (also known as running water, piped water or municipal water) is water supplied through a Tap (valve), tap, a water dispenser valve. In many countries, tap water usually has the quality of drinking water. Tap water is commonly used f ...

in Zaprešić is of high quality. Due to its many rail, and

road A road is a thoroughfare used primarily for movement of traffic. Roads differ from streets, whose primary use is local access. They also differ from stroads, which combine the features of streets and roads. Most modern roads are paved. Th ...

transport corridors, Zaprešić has been dubbed the "northwestern gate to Zagreb County". It lies directly next to the A2 highway connecting Zagreb to

Central Europe Central Europe is a geographical region of Europe between Eastern Europe, Eastern, Southern Europe, Southern, Western Europe, Western and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Central Europe is known for its cultural diversity; however, countries in ...

. It also is adjacent to the main railway leading northwest out of Zagreb. Centered on the

tertiary 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 ...

, the town's economy is booming due to a large population influx. Zaprešić's educational facilities range from

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...

s to centers of

higher education Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...

. The town is home to four

elementary school A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...

s, one

high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

, and two

universities A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

. The Zaprešić metropolitan area contains six castles that together make up what is known as the "palace path." The town also has a museum and an art gallery. The most popular sport in the region is

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 ...

, and the local team was NK Inter Zaprešić, that used to be a member of the First Football League of Croatia. Other sports are also present in Zaprešić, and the town is home to a golf resort.

History

The first records of human inhabitants in area of what is today Zaprešić can be traced back to the

, which can be seen by stone axes found in nearby

Brdovec Brdovec is a municipality in the Zagreb County, Croatia. The closest town to Brdovec is neighboring Zaprešić on the east. Demographics According to the 2001 Croatian census, 2001 census, there are 10,287 inhabitants, 92% which are Croats. They ...

, and axes from the

Copper Age The Chalcolithic ( ) (also called the Copper Age and Eneolithic) was an archaeological period characterized by the increasing use of smelted copper. It followed the Neolithic and preceded the Bronze Age. It occurred at different periods in dif ...

found in

Marija Gorica Marija Gorica () is a municipality in western Zagreb County of Croatia on the border with Slovenia. History The name of the settlement is derived from the patron saint of the parish church, which is dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Vir ...

Hallstatt culture The Hallstatt culture was the predominant Western Europe, Western and Central European archaeological culture of the Late Bronze Age Europe, Bronze Age (Hallstatt A, Hallstatt B) from the 12th to 8th centuries BC and Early Iron Age Europe (Hallst ...

traces were also uncovered in the area of Sveti Križ. The Romans left their imprints on nearby in the form of the Siscia– Neviodunum–

Emona Emona (early ) or Aemona (short for ) was a Roman castrum, located in the area where the navigable Nauportus River came closest to Castle Hill,Sava River The Sava, is a river in Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. From its source in Slovenia it flows through Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally reaches Serbia, fee ...

on its left bank through area of what is today Zaprešić, passing near modern settlements. After a lack of records from the

first millennium File:1st millennium montage.png, From top left, clockwise: Depiction of Jesus, the central figure in Christianity; The Colosseum, a landmark of the once-mighty Roman Empire; Kaaba, the Great Mosque of Mecca, the holiest site of Islam; Chess, a ne ...

, Zaprešić was mentioned in written sources in the late 11th century. In 1094, following the formation of the Zagreb Diocese, magnate called Aka, an advisor of the Hungarian-Croatian King Ladislav I, was granted land west and east of the Medvednica Mountain in order to protect the newly formed diocese.

Susedgrad-Stubica Seigniory

In the 14th century, the area between rivers

Krapina Krapina (; ) is a town in northern Croatia and the administrative centre of Krapina-Zagorje County with a population of 4,482 (2011) and a total municipality population of 12,480 (2011). Krapina is located in the hilly Zagorje region of Croatia ...

and Sutla (where today Zaprešić is located) was under control of ban of

Slavonia Slavonia (; ) is, with Dalmatia, Croatia proper, and Istria County, Istria, one of the four Regions of Croatia, historical regions of Croatia. Located in the Pannonian Plain and taking up the east of the country, it roughly corresponds with f ...

. Multiple historical sources refer to this part of land as Zakrapina (probably due to it being behind Krapina river in relation to Susedgrad Castle). Zaprešić became part of the Susedgrad–Stubica Seigniory, centered around Susedgrad Castle westernmost banks of Medvednica. The seigniory was at a time a second-largest estate in the

. In 1334, the parish church of St. Peter was founded in Zaprešić, marking the first evidence of the modern settlement of Zaprešić. The settlement developed rapidly, which is attributed to its position on trade and transit routes. During the 15th and 16th centuries, refugees from

Lika Lika () is a traditional region of Croatia proper, roughly bound by the Velebit mountain from the southwest and the Plješevica mountain from the northeast. On the north-west end Lika is bounded by Ogulin-Plaški basin, and on the south-east by t ...

came to Zaprešić while fleeng the Croatian-Ottoman Wars. Some of these refugees were the so-called Brdovec Franciscans, for whom Lord Zylagy of Susedgrad built an

abbey An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christians, Christian monks and nun ...

in Marija Gorica. The refugees brought along their Ikavian accent, which was preserved for a long time in some small Zaprešić communities, although the Zaprešić area has historically been Ekavian

Kajkavian Kajkavian is a South Slavic languages, South Slavic supradialect or language spoken primarily by Croats in much of Central Croatia and Gorski Kotar. It is part of the South Slavic dialect continuum, being transitional to the supradialects of Č ...

(yat being or rather than ). The area of Zaprešić and nearby vicinity in the 16th century was known for its vineyards and wine production. The area serfs from Zaprešić and nearby villages took part in famous Peasant revolt of 1573, led by Ambroz Gubec, with some of the serf leaders being from Zaprešić area.

Ivan Kukuljević Sakcinski Ivan Kukuljević Sakcinski (; 29 May 1816 – 1 August 1889) was a Croatian historian, politician, and writer, most famous for delivering the first speech in Croatian before Parliament. Considered a renowned patriot, Kukuljević was a proponent ...

, for one thinks that Ambroz Gubec himself managed the estate of Jablanovec, part of modern Zaprešić. Another revolt leader was Ilija Gregorić, a resident of Marija Gorica. Another serf captain was Ivan Turković from Zaprešić. Two years later, the large Susedgrad-Stubica Seigniory started to disintegrate into many small estates owned by members of lower nobility. Dozens of simple diocesan

curia Curia (: curiae) in ancient Rome referred to one of the original groupings of the citizenry, eventually numbering 30, and later every Roman citizen was presumed to belong to one. While they originally probably had wider powers, they came to meet ...

houses remained as a consequence of this.

Contemporary history

In 1862, one of the first railway lines in Croatia: Zidani Most-Zagreb-Sisak - was constructed, and it passed through Zaprešić on its way to Zagreb. In 1903, Zaprešić railway station was a hotspot of two anti-Hungarian riots caused by Khuen Hedervary's magyarization policy and breaking of

Croatian–Hungarian Settlement The Croatian–Hungarian Settlement (; ; ) was a pact signed in 1868 that governed Croatia's political status in the Hungarian-ruled part of Austria-Hungary. It lasted until the end of World War I, when the Croatian Parliament, as the representati ...

of 1868 by installing Hungarian national symbols on railway objects across Croatia. These demonstrations were part of a wider national movement that swept the country at a time. In both occasions the demonstrations turned into a scuffle with local gendarmes which ended up with several peasants killed and dozens of locals arrested. Peasants that were killed or injured by the gendarmes are traditionally celebrated as a heroes and national martyrs. In their honour, two separate memorial boards were placed on the building of Zaprešić railway station in 1928. and 2003. After the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, the oldest

meat industry The meat industry are the people and companies engaged in modern industrialized livestock agriculture for the production, packing, preservation and marketing of meat (in contrast to dairy products, wool, etc.). In economics, the meat industry is ...

in Croatia, the Industrija mesnih proizvoda, was founded. Zaprešić was formally established for the first time in 1952, when the Municipality of Zaprešić () was formed. The municipality operated as part of the Zagreb kotar and later City of Zagreb. The Town of Zaprešić (''Grad Zaprešić'') was incorporated on 30 November 1995. On that day, parts of the surrounding municipalities of Pušća, and Hruševec Kupljenski (which was disbanded, leaving only a namesake settlement) and the City of Zagreb were incorporated into a new Town of Zaprešić.Namely, Pojatno was taken from Pušća, and the settlements of Hruševec Kupljenski, and Kupljenovo from the Municipality of Hruševec Kupljenski. Settlements taken from the City of Zagreb were Ivanec Bistranski, Jablanovec, Lužnica, Šibice, and Zaprešić. Merenje was assigned to the Luka municipality. Compar
NN 69/95: Act of Zagreb County
wit

, and ttp://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/1992_12_90_2335.html NN 90/92: Act of the City of Zagreb for a full list of Zagreb County settlements by municipality or town in 1995. The settlement of Merenje came under the jurisdiction of Zaprešić on 17 January 1997. (settlements are listed in the form of a semi-ordered list)

Geography

Zaprešić is a part of the metropolitan area of Croatia's capital and largest city, Zagreb. It is located northwest of Zagreb, lying near the confluence of the Krapina River, and the Sava River. The small Lužnica River marks the western border of Zaprešić. The Zaprešić metropolitan area consists of Zaprešić and seven surrounding municipalities: Bistra,

, Dubravica, Jakovlje, Luka,

, and Pušća. It is located in the northwestern part of Zagreb County, bordered on the south by the Sava River, on the east by Zagreb and the Medvednica Mountain, and on the west by the Sutla River and the

n border. According to the official website, three distinct geographic areas make up the Zaprešić area: the western part of the Medvednica Mountain, the Marija Gorica Hills and the plains that lie between. The western part of the Medvednica Mountain is fairly lightly inhabited, with no settlements except at the base of the mountain. These include the Bistra municipality and the Zaprešić settlement of Jablanovec. The Marija Gorica Hills are located mainly in the Marija Gorica municipality between the rivers of Krapina, and Sutla. The third area, the plains, is the area where the Zaprešić itself is located. Zaprešić has a lake, Lake Zajarki, situated between the town and the river Sava in the south. It is colloquially known as Bager (Croatian word for

excavator Excavators are heavy equipment (construction), heavy construction equipment primarily consisting of a backhoe, boom, dipper (or stick), Bucket (machine part), bucket, and cab on a rotating platform known as the "house". The modern excavator's ...

). The lake is currently still used as a

gravel pit A gravel pit is an open-pit mine for the extraction of gravel. Gravel pits often lie in river valleys where the water table is high, so they may naturally fill with water to form ponds or lakes. Gravel pit lakes are typically nutrient rich and ...

, although it is a known destination for Zaprešić swimmers and beach goers, as well as local people and foreign tourists who do recreational fishing. Fishing activities on lake Zajarki are regulated by Šrd Šaran, Zaprešić. In 2017. the picnic zone was built on eastern side of a big lake which includes barbecue houses and beach volleyball, handball and football fields.

Demographics

According to the 2021 census, the town of Zaprešić has 24,132 inhabitants, a decrease from 2011, 96.82% being Croats, the 2nd largest ethnic group is Serbs at 0.76% followed by Bosniaks at 0.48%. Religious affiliation in Zaprešić is 81.39% Catholic, followed by 0.87% Orthodox and 5.15% "Other Christians". The town is administratively divided into nine settlements, the largest of which is Zaprešić, covering a third of the town's area.

Austro-Hungarian 1910 census

According to the 1910 census in

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 ...

, town of Zaprešić had 5,056 inhabitants, which were linguistically and religiously declared to be:

Economy

Due to its accessible location with favorable conditions for expansion, and a very high net migration, and

population growth rate Population growth is the increase in the number of people in a population or dispersed group. The global population has grown from 1 billion in 1800 to 8.2 billion in 2025. Actual global human population growth amounts to around 70 million annu ...

s (estimated to be 29 persons per 1,000 per year),Calculated on the basis of 2001 Croatian census and Zagreb Police Department data from 2006 Zaprešić is expecting an economic boom. Despite the

2008 financial crisis The 2008 financial crisis, also known as the global financial crisis (GFC), was a major worldwide financial crisis centered in the United States. The causes of the 2008 crisis included excessive speculation on housing values by both homeowners ...

that affected many cities in Croatia, including the capital, the town operates without loans and expects a yearly budget increase in the range of 20 to 30 percent. The

is dominant with mainly

retailing Retail is the sale of goods and services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, which is the sale to business or institutional customers. A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturers, directly or through a wholesal ...

, and

hospitality Hospitality is the relationship of a host towards a guest, wherein the host receives the guest with some amount of goodwill and welcome. This includes the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. Louis de Jaucourt, Louis, ...

, and a smaller presence of

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

, as well as

souvenir A souvenir ( French for 'a remembrance or memory'), memento, keepsake, or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. A souvenir can be any object that can be collected or purchased and trans ...

manufacturing and

financial services Financial services are service (economics), economic services tied to finance provided by financial institutions. Financial services encompass a broad range of tertiary sector of the economy, service sector activities, especially as concerns finan ...

. The secondary sector is also present with ceramic industry (Inker - as of 2006 part of Roca),

metalworking Metalworking is the process of shaping and reshaping metals in order to create useful objects, parts, assemblies, and large scale structures. As a term, it covers a wide and diverse range of processes, skills, and tools for producing objects on e ...

(Karbon Nova, Lanac, and Unija metali) and

chemical industry The chemical industry comprises the companies and other organizations that develop and produce industrial, specialty and other chemicals. Central to the modern world economy, the chemical industry converts raw materials ( oil, natural gas, air, ...

(Messer Croatia plin, Montkemija). The

primary sector The primary sector of the economy includes any industry involved in the extraction and production of raw materials, such as farming, logging, fishing, forestry and mining. The primary sector tends to make up a larger portion of the economy in d ...

mainly consists of

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

, and is expected to continue shrinking. There are currently of

arable land Arable land (from the , "able to be ploughed") is any land capable of being ploughed and used to grow crops.''Oxford English Dictionary'', "arable, ''adj''. and ''n.''" Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2013. Alternatively, for the purposes of a ...

for agricultural use, but the town's general urban plan anticipates an economic shift will lower the amount of agricultural use to by 2015, thus speeding the process of

suburbanization Suburbanization (American English), also spelled suburbanisation (British English), is a population shift from historic core cities or rural areas into suburbs. Most suburbs are built in a formation of (sub)urban sprawl. As a consequence ...

started by the expansion of Zagreb. The future of Zaprešić's economy is seen in the development of

small Small means of insignificant size Size in general is the Magnitude (mathematics), magnitude or dimensions of a thing. More specifically, ''geometrical size'' (or ''spatial size'') can refer to three geometrical measures: length, area, or ...

, and mid-sized businesses, tourism, and food-related industries. The town's

income tax An income tax is a tax imposed on individuals or entities (taxpayers) in respect of the income or profits earned by them (commonly called taxable income). Income tax generally is computed as the product of a tax rate times the taxable income. Tax ...

rate is 12 percent. The town's budget in 2008 amounted to HRK 198 million. The West Gate Shopping Center is a

shopping mall A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a large indoor shopping center, usually Anchor tenant, anchored by department stores. The term ''mall'' originally meant pedestrian zone, a pedestrian promenade with shops along it, but in the late 1960s, i ...

planned to create a major job demand in the Zaprešić region. Located next to the Krapina River and A2 motorway, the center serves 2.3 million residents in the Zagreb region. It is also the largest in the Zagreb metropolitan area with of

gross leasable area In architecture, construction, and real estate, floor area, floor space, or floorspace is the area (measured in square metres or square feet) taken up by a building or part of it. The ways of defining "floor area" depend on what factors of the bui ...

. Construction started in late 2007. It was opened in October 2009.

Culture and media

Zaprešić's cultural heritage includes a series of six historic castles and palaces known as "the palace path" (): Lužnica mansion, Januševac palace, Laduč mansion, Oršić family mansion, Jakovlje palace, and Novi Dvori. Of these, Oršić and Januševec are in the zeroth category of cultural heritage preservation of

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

, Lužnica is in the first category of the Croatian Ministry of Culture, and Laduč and Novi Dvori are in the second category of the Ministry of Culture. Jakovlje palace is not involved in any cultural preservation program. Novi Dvori (also known as Novi Dvori Jelačićevi – New Jelačić Palace) is known for being the residence of Josip Jelačić, one of the most famous Croatian bans. However, before that it was inhabited by five families (the last one being Erdödy) after its construction in 1611 as a simple two-story house. It remains a well-preserved example of a manorial estate. The palace was left to the state in 1934 by Josip Jelačić's nephew and nieces. The town is home to the Museum of Matija Skurjeni (opened in 1984), a gallery of works by the renowned painter. It is located in the former

granary A granary, also known as a grain house and historically as a granarium in Latin, is a post-harvest storage building primarily for grains or seeds. Granaries are typically built above the ground to prevent spoilage and protect the stored grains o ...

of Novi Dvori. The art gallery Razvid, that opened in 1991, has held exhibitions of works by many important Croatian artists, such as Franjo Ferenčak, Ivan Lovrenčić, Drago Grgas, Davor Vuković (a native of Zaprešić) and Krešimir Trumbetaš. The Zaprešić main library, "Ante Kovačić", is a part of the association of Zagreb City Libraries (, KGZ), and has 5,541 members with access to 78,385 books. Albin Bonzelli, an employee of

Baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often Hereditary title, hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than ...

Levin Rauch Baron Levin Rauch de Nyék (; 6 October 1819 – 25 August 1890) was an Austrian-Hungarian politician and appointed Ban of Croatia-Slavonia between 1867 and 1871. He is most notable for securing victory of the Unionist Party through changing ...

, founded the first library in Zaprešić area in 1921 in Brdovec. A more recent library was founded in 1958, and moved to its present location in 1986. Zaprešić contains the ornithological reserve Zaprešić-Sava, which is located south of the town, at Lake Zajarki. The reserve is covered mainly with woods and thick low vegetation, and criss-crossed by

fluvial A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of its course if it ru ...

marshes. Zaprešić operates a hunting office, which is made of eight clubs: Zaprešić, Kuna, Vidra, Fazan, Srnjak, Šljuka (offices in Luka, and Bistra) and Vepar. A

radio station Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting 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 rad ...

operates in Zaprešić: Radio Zaprešić (also known as Round Wave Station Zaprešić, ). The station broadcasts an FM signal at 96.0 and 99.5

MHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), often described as being equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose formal expression in terms of SI base u ...

, 24 hours each weekday. It was founded on 15 January 1987. In September 2015., radio station changed its name to "Z fm". The local

monthly newspaper Monthly usually refers to the scheduling of something every month. It may also refer to: * ''The Monthly'' * ''Monthly Magazine'' * ''Monthly Review'' * ''PQ Monthly'' * ''Home Monthly'' * ''Trader Monthly'' * ''Overland Monthly'' * Menstruation, s ...

Prigorski Kaj has its seat in the nearby settlement of Šenkovec in the Brdovec municipality. In 2009. Television Zaprešić (Croatian: Televizija Zaprešić) started operating as a local cable television channel. In April 2015., Television Zaprešić was granted concession for terrestrial broadcasting and changed its name to Televizija Zapad (English: Television West). The television is dedicated to cover the topics of local importance.

Sports and recreation

Organized sports in Zaprešić started in 1926, with the first

match between unregistered teams from Zaprešić and Savski Marof. The football club NK Sava (now called NK Inter Zaprešić) was soon formed in 1929. There are 20 sport clubs and associations in Zaprešić, and the most popular ones are association football,

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 ...

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 ...

bowling Bowling is a Throwing sports#Target sports, target sport and recreational activity in which a player rolls a bowling ball, ball toward Bowling pin, pins (in pin bowling) or another target (in target bowling). Most references to ''bowling'' are ...

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 ...

table tennis Table tennis (also known as ping-pong) is a racket sport derived from tennis but distinguished by its playing surface being atop a stationary table, rather than the Tennis court, court on which players stand. Either individually or in teams of ...

chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...

cycling Cycling, also known as bicycling or biking, is the activity of riding a bicycle or other types of pedal-driven human-powered vehicles such as balance bikes, unicycles, tricycles, and quadricycles. Cycling is practised around the world fo ...

taekwondo Taekwondo (; ; ) is a Korean martial art and combat sport involving primarily kicking techniques and punching. "Taekwondo" can be translated as ''tae'' ("strike with foot"), ''kwon'' ("strike with hand"), and ''do'' ("the art or way"). In ad ...

, and

bocce (, or , ), sometimes anglicized as bocce ball, bocci, or boccie, is a ball sport belonging to the boules family. Developed into its present form in Italy, it is closely related to English bowls and French , with a common ancestry from anc ...

. Zaprešić is the home to several influential sports clubs, such as NK Inter Zaprešić (football), KK Fortuna Zaprešić (basketball), RK Zaprešić (handball), KK Zaprešić (bowling) and others. NK Inter Zaprešić currently plays in the top tier Hrvatski Telekom Prva Liga. It is currently the best-placed football club in the county. Most of the sports clubs in Zaprešić are members of the Town of Zaprešić Sports Society (). The main sports venue is the ŠRC Zaprešić (Sports and Recreation Center Zaprešić), which encompasses a football stadium and a gym. There are other sports courts in Hruševec Kupljenski, Ivanec, Jablanovec, Kupljenovo, and Pojatno. NK Inter Zaprešić's home stadium is ŠRC Zaprešić, located in the northwest part of the town and handling up to 5,528 visitors. The golf resort "Novi dvori" was opened on 16 October 2004, with

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

Ivo Sanader Ivo Sanader (; born 8 June 1953) is a Croatian former politician who served as Prime Minister of Croatia from 2003 to 2009. He is currently serving a 18-year prison sentence for corruption in Lipovica penitentiary. Sanader is to date the second ...

being the first to tee off. However, , only a few parts are in use, with a 27-hole course currently under construction. Nine of these holes will be reserved for practice and eighteen for tournament play. The center operates a

driving range A driving range is a facility or area where golfers can practice their golf swing. It can also be a recreational activity itself for amateur golfers or when enough time for a full game is not available. Many golf courses have a driving range ...

with two practice courses of different sizes, and an area to practice

putting green A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". T ...

play. One practice course is sheltered from weather conditions and the whole golf course has night lighting. In terms of normal play, three par 3 holes are currently operational and friendly par 9 tournaments are often held at the course. The course also has other amenities, such as a restaurant and the proximity to the Novi Dvori palace. When the construction ends, the golfers will have access to a conference room, a business center, a

fitness club A health club (also known as a fitness club, fitness center, health spa, weight room and commonly referred to as a gym) is a place that houses exercise equipment for the purpose of physical exercise. In recent years, the number of fitness an ...

, a

sauna A sauna (, ) is a room or building designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions or an establishment with one or more of these facilities. The steam and high heat make the bathers perspire. A thermometer in a sauna is used to meas ...

, and a

massage parlor A massage parlor (American English), or massage parlour (Canadian/British English), or massage salon is a place where massage services are provided. Some massage parlors are front organizations for prostitution and the term "massage parlor" has ...

Government

Despite the settlement of Zaprešić's long history, only with the founding of the Town of Zaprešić on 30 November 1995 did it have its own elected representatives. The towns administration includes two tiers of power: a

and a

. The town council is elected each four years. The mayor () has

executive power The executive branch is the part of government which executes or enforces the law. Function The scope of executive power varies greatly depending on the political context in which it emerges, and it can change over time in a given country. In ...

. He is elected directly by the voters. Current Mayor is Željko Turk (

Croatian Democratic Union The Croatian Democratic Union (, , HDZ) is a major conservative, centre-right political party in Croatia. Since 2016, it has been the ruling political party in Croatia under the incumbent Prime Minister Andrej Plenković. It is one of the ...

—HDZ, elected in 2006, re-elected 2009, 2013 and 2017), whose deputy's are Damir Benčević and Alan Labus. Zaprešić is part of the 1st Croatian

electoral district An electoral (congressional, legislative, etc.) district, sometimes called a constituency, riding, or ward, is a geographical portion of a political unit, such as a country, state or province, city, or administrative region, created to provi ...

, which consists of western Zagreb, and the Zaprešić metropolitan area. The town council () has the

legislative power A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the legal authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country, nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers o ...

over the town. It represents the residents of Zaprešić and manages the town's

budget A budget is a calculation plan, usually but not always financial plan, financial, for a defined accounting period, period, often one year or a month. A budget may include anticipated sales volumes and revenues, resource quantities including tim ...

, and it is composed of twenty one members with one presiding and two vice-presiding members.

Education

The Town of Zaprešić provides education ranging from

pre-school A preschool (sometimes spelled as pre school or pre-school), also known as nursery school, pre-primary school, play school, is an educational establishment or learning space Learning space or learning setting refers to a physical s ...

. These include four registered

s (stationed on seven locations), four

s, one

, and one

college A college (Latin: ''collegium'') may be a tertiary educational institution (sometimes awarding degrees), part of a collegiate university, an institution offering vocational education, a further education institution, or a secondary sc ...

. Elementary schools located in Zaprešić include Antun Augustinčić,

Ljudevit Gaj Ljudevit Gaj (; born Ludwig Gay; ; 8 August 1809 – 20 April 1872) was a Croatian linguist, politician, journalist and writer. He was one of the central figures of the pan-Slavist Illyrian movement. Biography Origin He was born in Krapina ( ...

, and Kupljenovo elementary schools, and a branch of the Bistra elementary school from the Bistra municipality. The Ban Josip Jelačić High School is located on the Franjo Tuđman Square in the northwestern part of the town. Zaprešić has a

University of Applied Sciences A vocational university or university of applied sciences (UAS), less commonly called a polytechnic university is an institution of higher education and increasingly research that provides applied professional education and grants academic de ...

which offers courses in business and management, named after the Croatian historian and theologian

Baltazar Adam Krčelić Baltazar Adam Krčelić (5 February 1715 – 29 March 1778) was a Croatian historian, theologian and lawyer. After Vitezović, he was the most prominent figure in the Croatian cultural life of the time. Biography He was born in Šenkovec near Za ...

, and located in the town center on Novak Street. The

open university The Open University (OU) is a Public university, public research university and the largest university in the United Kingdom by List of universities in the United Kingdom by enrolment, number of students. The majority of the OU's undergraduate ...

in Zaprešić () offers various courses in

language Language is a structured system of communication that consists of grammar and vocabulary. It is the primary means by which humans convey meaning, both in spoken and signed language, signed forms, and may also be conveyed through writing syste ...

computer science Computer science is the study of computation, information, and automation. Computer science spans Theoretical computer science, theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, and information theory) to Applied science, ...

, and

musical instrument A musical instrument is a device created or adapted to make Music, musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can be considered a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. A person ...

s, as well as

vocational training Vocational education is education that prepares people for a Skilled worker, skilled craft. Vocational education can also be seen as that type of education given to an individual to prepare that individual to be gainfully employed or self em ...

Public safety

There are two firefighting units active in Zaprešić proper: * Zaprešić Fire Department (Javna vatrogasna postrojba grada Zaprešića) - professional firefighting unit, active under this name since January 2000. * Zaprešić Volunteer Fire Department (Dobrovoljno vatrogasno društvo Zaprešić) - volunteer firefighting unit, founded in February 1901. One of the oldest of its kind in Croatia.

Transport

The town is a major transport hub for the area of Zagreb County and Zagreb itself. It is thus known as the "northwestern gate to Zagreb County." The

Zagreb bypass Zagreb bypass () is a U-shaped motorway partially encircling Zagreb, Croatia. The largest part by far, between Jankomir and Ivanja Reka interchanges, was built between 1977 and 1979, while the Ivanja Reka – Sveta Helena section was built betw ...

, and the tolled A2 highway (Zagreb–

Macelj Macelj () is a location in northern Croatia bordering on Slovenia, encompassing a hilly forest and several villages. There is an official border crossing in Macelj, and the end of the A2 highway. The villages are administratively divided into G ...

, toward

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

; part of

European Route E59 European route E 59 is a north-south Class-A intermediate European route. It begins in Prague, Czech Republic, passes through Vienna, Austria and Maribor, Slovenia, ending near Zagreb, Croatia. The total length of the route is . The E59 larg ...

, and

pan-European corridor Xa The Corridor Xa is a branch of the Pan-European Corridor X. It runs north–south between the cities of Graz and Zagreb through three countries: Austria, Slovenia and Croatia. The road route of Corridor Xa is concurrency (road), concurrent with ...

) pass through the eastern part of Zaprešić, providing Zaprešić with highway access at a

cloverleaf interchange A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange (road), interchange in which all turns are handled by slip roads. To go left (in right-hand traffic; reverse directions in left-driving regions), vehicles first continue as one road passe ...

. The D225 state road is a major arterial road in Zaprešić. It forms the Pavao Lončar and Marshal Tito Streets, leading west towards Brdovec, Marija Gorica and Slovenia, and east towards western Zagreb, Jablanovec, and Stubica. According to the current urban plan, the traffic on the D225 will be re-routed through two bypasses along the northern and western railway lines to clear the center of Zaprešić of 25,000 daily commuters driving on a two-lane road.Th
Prigorski Kaj article
actually delineates a southern bypass to re-route D225 and a northern bypass to alleviate traffic on the County Route Ž2186 (not directly named in the article). Mass transit provides intra-city and inter-city connections in form of bus and rail. Zaprešić is a major railway intersection, with railways leading west to Slovenia ( Corridor X), north to

Zabok Zabok is a town situated in northwest Croatia in the Krapina-Zagorje County. According to the 2011 census, it has a total population of 8,994, with 2,714 in Zabok itself. Zabok is situated on the main crossroads in the heart of Hrvatsko Zagorje r ...

, and Kumrovec (Corridor Xa) and east to the main regional railway hub Zagreb.

Croatian Railways Croatian Railways (, HŽ) was the national railway company of Croatia. It was a member of the International Union of Railways (UIC). The UIC Country Code for Croatia is 78. The Croatian rail network carried 24.230 million passengers in 2023. Hi ...

services the Zaprešić train station with major interstate trains going to the west, but also with the suburban line

Savski Marof Savski Marof is a naselje (settlement) in the municipality of Brdovec, Zagreb County, 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 bo ...

– Zagreb Main Station– Dugo Selo. The town is serviced by two bus companies: the regional

Zagrebački električni tramvaj The Zagrebački električni tramvaj (ZET) () is the transit authority responsible for public transport in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, and parts of the surrounding Zagreb County. ZET operates an extensive bus system, 19 tram lines (15 dayti ...

(ZET) and local Meštrović prijevoz. ZET operates line 172 to Zaprešić, which starts at the

Črnomerec Črnomerec () is one of the city districts of Zagreb,Croatia. Original name was Črnomerec kod Pitona. It is located in the western part of the city and has nearly forty thousand inhabitants. History Archeological findings from Donja Kusto� ...

bus terminal in Zagreb and runs every 8 to 15 minutes during day, and at irregular intervals during the night. Lines 176 and 177 run to the Zaprešić suburban municipality of Bistra. Meštrović prijevoz, the main intra-city bus company of Zaprešić, operates bus lines connecting Zaprešić and all municipalities in its metropolitan area. Zaprešić lies along the left bank of the Sava River, but it does not have any bridges that would connect the town to

Samobor Samobor () is a town 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 (), the eas ...

, on the other bank, as the nearest bridge is the Podsused bridge, located in the

Podsused – Vrapče Podsused – Vrapče is one of the districts of Zagreb, 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 north ...

district of Zagreb. However, two ferries connect Zaprešić with the roads in Medsave and Samoborski Otok, small villages near Samobor. The widest river in the area, the Sava River, used to be

navigable A body of water, such as a river, canal or lake, is navigable if it is deep, wide and calm enough for a water vessel (e.g. boats) to pass safely. Navigability is also referred to in the broader context of a body of water having sufficient under ...

up to

Krško Krško (; ) is a town in eastern Slovenia. It is the seat of the City Municipality of Krško. The town lies on the Sava River and on the northwest edge of the Krško Plain (), which is part of the larger Krka Flat (). The area is divided between t ...

, Slovenia in

Roman times In modern historiography, ancient Rome is the Roman civilisation from the founding of the Italian city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingd ...

. However, it is, , navigable only up to Rugvica, leaving Zaprešić with no more possibility of river transport. The town does not have a

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manch ...

on any of its rivers. To establish better transport capabilities, and create a solid ground for the emerging air sports that are already available in the town (e.g.

hang gliding Hang gliding is an air sports, air sport or recreational activity in which a pilot flies a light, non-motorised, fixed-wing aircraft, fixed-wing heavier-than-air aircraft called a hang glider. Most modern hang gliders are made of an aluminium al ...

paragliding Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure. The pilot sits in a harness or in a cocoon-like 'pod' suspended be ...

), an airport is planned northeast of the town, between the Krapina River and the railroad. The land at this location is unused, uninhabited, and administratively selected for sports and recreation. The arrangement of the

runway In aviation, a runway is an elongated, rectangular surface designed for the landing and takeoff of an aircraft. Runways may be a human-made surface (often asphalt concrete, asphalt, concrete, or a mixture of both) or a natural surface (sod, ...

taxiway A taxiway is a path for aircraft at an airport connecting runways with Airport apron, aprons, hangars, Airport terminal, terminals and other facilities. They mostly have a hard surface such as Asphalt concrete, asphalt or concrete, although sma ...

air traffic control Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled air ...

building,

hangar A hangar is a building or structure designed to hold aircraft or spacecraft. Hangars are built of metal, wood, or concrete. The word ''hangar'' comes from Middle French ''hanghart'' ("enclosure near a house"), of Germanic origin, from Frankish ...

, and other necessary buildings have already been determined. The airport is intended to serve primarily as a sports airport, for teaching flying, and for

charter flight Air charter is the business of renting an entire aircraft (i.e., chartering) as opposed to individual aircraft seats (i.e., purchasing a ticket through a traditional airline). Regulation Charter – also called air taxi or ad hoc – flights ...

s. the date when the construction starts had not yet been announced.

Notable inhabitants

* Josip Jelačić (1801–59), politician. *

(1715–78), priest and writer. * Ivan Perkovac (1826–71), editor and politician. * Pavao Štoos (1806–62), priest and poet. *

Ante Kovačić Antun "Ante" Kovačić (June 6, 1854 – March 10, 1889) was a Croatian writer who is best known for his magnum opus work '':hr:U registraturi, U registraturi''. Biography Early life Born to a family of Croats, Croatian peasants in Hrvatsk ...

(1854–89), writer. * Matija Skurjeni (1898–1990), painter. * Davor Gobac (born 1964), musician. * Davor Vuković (born 1951), painter and poet. * Mira Vlahović, opera singer. * Davor Božinović, politician.

Notes

References

External links

Zaprešić official website

Zaprešić on the Zagreb County Tourist Board

Map of Zaprešić
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zapresic Cities and towns in Croatia Populated places in Zagreb County Populated places established in the 1330s 1330s establishments in Europe