The transport connections, the concentration of industry, scientific, and research institutions and industrial tradition underlie its leading economic position in Croatia.[23][24][25] Zagreb is the seat of thecentral government,administrative bodies, and almost allgovernment ministries.[26][27][28] Almost all of thelargest Croatian companies,media, and scientific institutions have their headquarters in the city. Zagreb is the most important transport hub in Croatia: hereCentral Europe, the Mediterranean andSoutheast Europe meet, making the Zagreb area the centre of the road, rail and air networks ofCroatia. It is a city known for its diverse economy, highquality of living,museums, sporting, and entertainment events. Major branches of Zagreb's economy includehigh-tech industries and theservice sector.
The etymology of the nameZagreb is unclear. It was used for the united city only from 1852, but it had been in use as the name of theZagreb Diocese since the 12th century and was increasingly used for the city in the 17th century.[29]The name is first recorded in a charter byFelician, Archbishop of Esztergom, dated 1134, mentioned asZagrabiensem episcopatum.[30]
The name is probably derived from Proto-Slavic word*grębъ which means "hill" or "uplift". An Old Croatian reconstructed name*Zagrębъ is manifested through the city's former German name,Agram.[31] Some linguists (e.g.Nada Klaić,Miroslav Kravar) propose ametathesis of *Zabreg, which would originate from Old Slavicbreg (see Proto-Slavic*bergъ) in the sense of "riverbank", referring to River Sava. This metathesis has been attested inKajkavian,[32] but the meaning of "riverbank" is lost in modern Croatian andfolk etymology associates it instead withbreg "hill", ostensibly referring to Medvednica. Hungarian linguist Gyula Décsy similarly uses metathesis to construct *Chaprakov(o), a putative Slavicisation of a Hungarianhypocorism for "Cyprian", similar to the etymology ofCsepreg, Hungary.[33] The most likely derivation is *Zagrębъ in the sense of "embankment" or "rampart",i.e. remains of the 1st millennium fortifications onGrič.[32][31]
The most common folk etymology of the name of the city has been from the verb stemza-grab-, meaning "to scoop" or "to dig". A folk legend illustrating this derivation, attested but discarded as a serious etymology byIvan Tkalčić,ties the name to a drought of the early 14th century, during whichAugustin Kažotić (c. 1260–1323) is said to have dug a well which miraculously produced water.[34]In another legend,[35][36][37][38][39] a city governor is thirsty and orders a girl named Manda to "scoop" water from theManduševac well (nowadays a fountain in Ban Jelačić Square), using the imperative:Zagrabi, Mando! ("Scoop, Manda!").[40]
Ruins of the ancient Roman townAndautonia near Zagreb
The oldest known settlement located near present-day Zagreb, the Roman town ofAndautonia, nowŠčitarjevo, existed between the 1st and the 5th centuries AD.[41]
The first recorded appearance of the name "Zagreb" dates from 1094, at which time the city existed as two different city centers: the smaller, easternKaptol, inhabited mainly byclergy and housingZagreb Cathedral, and the larger, westernGradec, inhabited mainly by craftsmen and merchants. In 1851 theBan of Croatia,Josip Jelačić, united Gradec and Kaptol; the name of the main city square,Ban Jelačić Square honors him.[42]
The history of Zagreb dates as far back as 1094 when theHungarianKing Ladislaus, returning from his campaign against theKingdom of Croatia, founded a diocese. Alongside the bishop'ssee, the canonical settlementKaptol developed north ofZagreb Cathedral, as did the fortified settlementGradec on the neighbouring hill, with the border between the two formed by the Medveščak stream.[44] Today the latter is Zagreb's Upper Town (Gornji Grad) and is one of the best-preserved urban nuclei in Croatia. Both settlements came underMongol attack in 1242.[45] As a sign of gratitude for offering him a safe haven from the Mongols, the Croatian and HungarianKing Béla IV granted Gradec theGolden Bull of 1242, which gave its citizens exemption from county rule and autonomy, as well as their ownjudicial system.[46][47]
The relationship between Kaptol and Gradec throughout history
The development of Kaptol began in 1094 after the foundation of thediocese, while the growth of Gradec began after theGolden Bull was issued in 1242. In the history of the city of Zagreb, there have been numerous conflicts between Gradec and Kaptol, mainly due to disputed issues of rent collection and due to disputed properties.
The first known conflicts took place in the middle of the 13th century and continued with interruptions until 1667. Because of the conflict, it was recorded that the Bishop of Kaptol excommunicated the residents of Gradec twice.
In the conflicts between Gradec and Kaptol, there were several massacres of the citizens, destruction of houses and looting of citizens. In 1850, Gradec and Kaptol, with surrounding settlements, were united into a single settlement, today's city of Zagreb.[48][49][50][51][52]
Modern Zagreb's town core emerged from the Upper Townmedieval settlements ofGradec andKaptol. Picture from 1689.
There were numerous connections between the Kaptol diocese and the free sovereign town of Gradec for both economic and political reasons, but they were not known as an integrated city, even as Zagreb became the political center, and the regional Sabor (Latin:Congregatio Regnorum Croatiae, Dalmatiae et Slavoniae) representing Croatia,Slavonia andDalmatia, first convened at Gradec. Zagreb became the Croatian capital in 1557, with city also being chosen as the seat of theBan of Croatia in 1621 under banNikola IX Frankopan.[53]
During the 17th and 18th centuries, Zagreb was badly devastated by fire and bythe plague. In 1776, the royal council (government) moved fromVaraždin to Zagreb and during the reign of the EmperorJoseph II Zagreb became the headquarters of theVaraždin andKarlovac general command.[56]
In the 19th century, Zagreb was the center of theCroatian National Revival and saw the foundation of important cultural and historic institutions.In 1850, the town was united under its firstmayor –Janko Kamauf.[56]
After the1880 Zagreb earthquake,[57] up to the 1914 outbreak ofWorld War I, development flourished and the town received the characteristic layout which it has today.The first horse-drawntram dated from 1891. The construction of railway lines enabled the old suburbs to merge gradually intoDonji Grad, characterized by a regular block pattern that prevails inCentral European cities. This bustling core includes many imposing buildings, monuments, and parks as well as a multitude of museums, theatres, and cinemas. Anelectric-power plant was built in 1907.
The first half of the 20th century saw a considerable expansion of Zagreb. Before World War I, the city expanded and neighborhoods likeStara Peščenica in the east andČrnomerec in the west grew up. The Rokov perivoj neighbourhood, noted for itsArt Nouveau features, was established at the start of the century.[58]
In the 1920s, the population of Zagreb increased by 70 percent – the largest demographic boom in the history of the town. In 1926, the firstradio station in the region began broadcasting from Zagreb, and in 1947 theZagreb Fair opened.[56]
The area between the railway and the Sava river witnessed a new construction-boom after World War II. After the mid-1950s, construction of new residential areas south of the Sava river began, resulting inNovi Zagreb (Croatian forNew Zagreb), originally called "Južni Zagreb" (Southern Zagreb).[59]From 1999 Novi Zagreb has comprised twocity districts:Novi Zagreb – zapad (New Zagreb – West) andNovi Zagreb – istok (New Zagreb – East)
The city also expanded westward and eastward, incorporatingDubrava, Podsused,Jarun,Blato, and other settlements.
The cargo railway hub and theinternational airport (Pleso) were built south of the Sava river. The largestindustrial zone (Žitnjak) in the south-eastern part of the city, represents an extension of the industrial zones on the eastern outskirts of the city, between the Sava and the Prigorje region. Zagreb hosted theSummer Universiade in 1987.[56] This event initiated the creation of pedestrian-only zones in the city centre and extensive new sport infrastructure, lacking until then, all around the city.[citation needed]
An urbanized area connects Zagreb with the surrounding towns ofZaprešić,Samobor,Dugo Selo, andVelika Gorica. Sesvete was the first and the closest area to become a part of theagglomeration and is already included in the City of Zagreb for administrative purposes and now forms the easternmost city district.[60]
Satellite view of ZagrebAerial view of Zagreb's downtown
Zagreb has four distinct seasons. Summers are generally warm, sometimes hot. In late May it gets significantly warmer, temperatures start rising and it often becomes very warm or even hot with occasional afternoon and evening thunderstorms. Heatwaves can occur but are short-lived. Temperatures rise above 30 °C (86 °F) on average 14.6 days each summer. During summertime, rainfall is abundant and it mainly falls during thunderstorms. With 840 mm of precipitation per year, Zagreb is Europe's ninth wettest capital, receiving less precipitation thanLuxembourg but more thanBrussels,Paris orLondon. Compared to these cities, however, Zagreb has fewer rainy days, but the annual rainfall is higher due to heavier showers occurring mainly in late spring and summer. Autumn in its early stage often brings pleasant and sunny weather with occasional episodes of rain later in the season. Late autumn is characterized by a mild increase in the number of rainy days and a gradual decrease in daily temperature averages. Morning fog is common from mid-October to January, with northern city districts at the foothills of theMedvednica mountain as well as south-central districts along theSava river being more prone to longer fog accumulation.Winters are relatively cold, bringing overcast skies and a precipitation decrease pattern. February is the driest month, averaging 39 mm of precipitation. On average there are 29 days with snowfall, with the first snow usually falling in early December. However, in recent years, the number of days with snowfall in wintertime has decreased considerably. Spring is characterized by often pleasant but changeable weather. As the season progresses, sunny days become more frequent, bringing higher temperatures. Sometimes cold spells can occur as well, mostly in the season's early stages. The average daily mean temperature in the winter is around 1 °C (34 °F) (from December to February) and the average temperature in the summer is 20 °C (68.0 °F).[61]The highest recorded temperature at the Maksimir weather station was 40.4 °C (104.7 °F) in July 1950, and lowest was −27.3 °C (−17.1 °F) in February 1956.[62] A temperature of −30.5 °C (−22.9 °F) was recorded on the since defunct Borongaj Airfield in February 1940.[63]
Since records began in 1981, the highest temperature recorded at the Rim weather station in Zagreb was 38.4 °C (101.1 °F), on 8 August 2018.[64] The coldest temperature was −19.4 °C (−2.9 °F), on 12 January 1985.[65]
Climate data for Zagreb Maksimir (1971–2000, extremes 1949–2023)
Due to a long-standing restriction that forbade the construction of 10-story or higher buildings, most of Zagreb's high-rise buildings date from the 1970s and 1980s and new apartment buildings on the outskirts of the city are usually 4–8 floors tall. Exceptions to the restriction have been made in recent years, such as permitting the construction of high-rise buildings in Lanište or Kajzerica.[71]
The wider Zagreb area has been continuously inhabited since the prehistoric period, as witnessed by archaeological findings in theVeternica cave from thePaleolithic and excavation of the remains of the Roman Andautonia near the present village of Šćitarjevo.
Picturesque former villages on the slopes of Medvednica, Šestine, Gračani, and Remete, maintain their rich traditions, including folk costumes, Šestine umbrellas, andgingerbread products.
To the north is theMedvednica Mountain (Croatian:Zagrebačka gora), with its highest peakSljeme (1,035 m), where one of the tallest structures in Croatia,Zagreb TV Tower is located. The Sava and theKupa valleys are to the south of Zagreb, and the region ofHrvatsko Zagorje is located on the other (northern) side of the Medvednica hill. In mid-January 2005, Sljeme held its firstWorld Ski Championship tournament.
From the summit, weather permitting, the vista reaches as far asVelebit Range along Croatia's rocky northern coast, as well as the snow-capped peaks of the toweringJulian Alps in neighboringSlovenia. There are several lodging villages, offering accommodation and restaurants for hikers. Skiers visit Sljeme, which has four ski-runs, three ski-lifts, and a chairlift.
The oldMedvedgrad, a recently restored medievalburg was built in the 13th century on Medvednica hill. It overlooks the western part of the city and also hosts theShrine of the Homeland, a memorial with aneternal flame, where Croatia pays reverence to all its heroes fallen forhomeland in its history, customarily onnational holidays. The ruined medieval fortressSusedgrad is located on the far-western side of Medvednica hill. It has been abandoned since the early 17th century, but it is visited during the year.
Zagreb occasionally experiences earthquakes, due to the proximity ofŽumberak-Medvednica fault zone.[72] It's classified as an area of high seismic activity.[73] The area around Medvednica was the epicentre of the1880 Zagreb earthquake (magnitude 6.3), and the area is known for occasional landslide threatening houses in the area.[74] The proximity of strong seismic sources presents a real danger of strong earthquakes.[74] Croatian Chief ofOffice of Emergency Management Pavle Kalinić stated Zagreb experiences around 400 earthquakes a year, most of them being imperceptible. However, in case of a strong earthquake, it's expected that 3,000 people would die and up to 15,000 would be wounded.[75] In 2020 the city experienced a5.5 magnitude earthquake, which damaged various buildings in the historic downtown area. The city's iconic cathedral lost the cross off of one of its towers. This earthquake was the strongest one to affect the city since the destructive1880 Zagreb earthquake.
Zagrebmetropolitan area population is slightly above 1.0 million inhabitants,[76] as it includes theZagreb County.[77] Zagreb metropolitan area makes approximately a quarter of a totalpopulation of Croatia.In 1997, the City of Zagreb itself was given special County status, separating it from Zagreb County,[78] although it remains theadministrative centre of both.
The majority of its citizens areCroats making up 93.53% of the city's population (2021 census). The same census records around 49,605 residents belonging toethnic minorities: 12,035Serbs (1.57%), 6,566Bosniaks (0.86%), 3,475Albanians (0.45%), 2,167Romani (0.28%), 1,312Slovenes (0.17%), 1,036Macedonians (0.15%), 865Montenegrins (0.11%), and a number of other smaller communities.[79]
The data in column 3 refers to the population in the city borders as of the census in question. Column 4 is calculated for the territory now defined as the City of Zagreb (Narodne Novine 97/10).[85]
The city itself is not the onlystandalone settlement in the City of Zagreb administrative area – there are a number of larger urban settlements such as Sesvete and Lučko and a number of smaller villages attached to it whose population is tracked separately.[86]
There are 70 settlements in the City of Zagreb administrative area:
The current mayor of Zagreb isTomislav Tomašević ('We can!'), elected in the2021 Zagreb local elections, the second round of which was held on 30 May 2021. There are two deputy mayors elected from the same list, Danijela Dolenec and Luka Korlaet.[87]
TheZagreb Assembly is composed of 51 representatives, elected in the 2021 Zagreb local elections.
The political groups represented in the Assembly (as of June 2021):[88]
TheZagreb Assembly is composed of 51 representatives, elected in the 2021 Zagreb local elections.
According to theConstitution, the city of Zagreb, as the capital of Croatia, has a special status. As such, Zagreb performsself-governing public affairs of bothcity andcounty. It is also the seat of theZagreb County which encircles Zagreb.
The city administration bodies are theZagreb City Assembly (Gradska skupština Grada Zagreba) as the representative body and themayor of Zagreb (Gradonačelnik Grada Zagreba) who is the executive head of the city.
The City Assembly is the representative body of the citizens of the City of Zagreb elected for a four-year term on the basis ofuniversal suffrage indirect elections bysecret ballot usingproportional system withd'Hondt method in a manner specified by law. There are 51 representatives in the City Assembly, among them the president and vice-presidents of the assembly are elected by the representatives.
Before 2009, the mayor was elected by the City Assembly. It was changed to direct elections bymajoritarian vote (two-round system) in 2009. The mayor is the head of the city administration and has two deputies (directly elected together with him/her).
The term of office of the mayor (and his/her deputies) is four years. The mayor (with the deputies) may be recalled by a referendum according to the law (not less than 20% of all electors in the City of Zagreb or not less than two-thirds of theZagreb Assembly city deputies have the right to initiate acity referendum regarding recalling of the mayor; when a majority of voters taking part in the referendum vote in favor of the recall, provided that majority includes not less than one-third of all persons entitled to vote in the City of Zagreb, i.e.1⁄3 of persons in the City of Zagrebelectoral register, the mayor's mandate shall be deemed revoked andspecial mayoral by-elections shall be held).
In the City of Zagreb, themayor is also responsible for the state administration (due to the special status of Zagreb as a "city with county rights", there isn't a State Administration Office which in all counties performs tasks of the central government).City administration offices, institutions and services (18city offices, 1public institute orbureau and 2city services) have been founded for performing activities within the self-administrative sphere and activities entrusted by the state administration.The city administrative bodies are managed by the principals (appointed by the mayor for a four-year term of office, may be appointed again to the same duty). The City Assembly Professional Service is managed by the secretary of the City Assembly (appointed by the Assembly).
Local government is organised in 17city districts represented by City District Councils. Residents of districts elect members of councils.[91]
Zagreb is an important tourist center, not only in terms of passengers traveling from the rest of Europe to the Adriatic Sea but also as a travel destination itself. Since the end of thewar, it has attracted close to a million visitors annually, mainly from Austria, Germany, and Italy, and in recent years many tourists from far east (South Korea, Japan, China, and last two years, from India). It has become an important tourist destination, not only in Croatia, but considering the whole region of southeastern Europe.There are many interesting sights and happenings for tourists to attend in Zagreb, for example, the two statues of Saint George, one at theRepublic of Croatia Square, the other at theStone Gate, where the image of the Virgin Mary is said to be the only thing that did not burn in the 17th-century fire. Also, there is an art installation starting in the Bogovićeva Street, calledNine Views.Zagreb is also famous for its award-winningChristmas market that had been named the one in Europe for three consecutive years (2015, 2016 and 2017) byEuropean Best Destinations.[116][117]
The historical part of the city to the north ofBan Jelačić Square is composed of theGornji Grad andKaptol, a medieval urban complex of churches, palaces, museums, galleries and government buildings that are popular with tourists on sightseeing tours. The historic district can be reached on foot, starting from the Ban Jelačić Square, the center of Zagreb, or by afunicular on nearby Tomićeva Street. Each Saturday, (from April until the end of September), onSt. Mark's Square in theUpper town, tourists can meet members of the Order of The Silver Dragon (Red Srebrnog Zmaja), who reenact famous historical conflicts betweenGradec andKaptol.
In 2010 more than 600,000[120] tourists visited the city, with a 10%[121] increase seen in 2011. In 2012 a total of 675 707 tourists[122] visited the city. A record number of tourists visited Zagreb in 2017, 1.286.087, up 16% compared to the year before, which generated 2.263.758 overnight stays, up 14,8%.
Numerous shops, boutiques, store houses andshopping centers offer a variety of quality clothing. There are about fourteen big shopping centers in Zagreb. Zagreb's offerings includecrystal,china andceramics,wicker orstraw baskets, and top-quality Croatian wines andgastronomic products.
Notable Zagreb souvenirs are thetie orcravat, an accessory named after Croats who wore characteristic scarves around their necks in theThirty Years' War in the 17th century and theball-point pen, a tool developed from the inventions bySlavoljub Eduard Penkala, an inventor and a citizen of Zagreb.
Tkalčićeva Street, commonly known as "Tkalča"(Tkalcha) with many cafes, bars and restaurants of local and foreign cuisine
Zagreb's museums reflect the history, art, and culture not only of Zagreb and Croatia, but also of Europe and the world. Around thirty collections in museums and galleries comprise more than 3.6 million various exhibits, excluding church and private collections.
TheArchaeological Museum collections, today consisting of nearly 450,000 variedarchaeological artefacts and monuments, have been gathered over the years from many different sources. These holdings include evidence of Croatian presence in the area.[123] The most famous are the Egyptian collection, theZagreb mummy and bandages with the oldestEtruscan inscription in the world (Liber Linteus Zagrabiensis), as well as thenumismatic collection.
TheModern Gallery (Croatian:Moderna galerija) holds the most important and comprehensive collection of paintings, sculptures and drawings by 19th- and 20th-century Croatian artists. The collection numbers more than 10,000 works of art, housed since 1934 in the historic Vranyczany Palace in the center of Zagreb, overlooking the Zrinjevac Park. A secondary gallery is the Josip Račić Studio.[124]
TheCroatian Natural History Museum holds one of the world's most important collections ofNeanderthal remains found at one site.[125] These are the remains, stone weapons, and tools of prehistoricKrapina man. The holdings of the Croatian Natural History Museum comprise more than 250,000 specimens distributed among various collections.
TheTechnical Museum was founded in 1954 and it maintains the oldest preserved machine in the area, dating from 1830, which is still operational. The museum exhibits numerous historic aircraft, cars, machinery and equipment. There are some distinct sections in the museum: the Planetarium, the Apisarium, the Mine (model of mines for coal, iron andnon-ferrous metals, about 300 m (980 ft) long), and theNikola Tesla study.[126][127]
TheMuseum of the City of Zagreb was established in 1907 by the Association of the Braća Hrvatskog Zmaja. It is located in a restored monumental complex (Popov toranj, the Observatory, Zakmardi Granary) of the former Convent of thePoor Clares, of 1650.[128] The Museum deals with topics from the cultural, artistic, economic andpolitical history of the city spanning from Roman finds to themodern period. The holdings comprise over 80,000 items arranged systematically into collections of artistic and mundane objects characteristic of the city and its history.
TheArts and Crafts Museum was founded in 1880 with the intention of preserving the works of art and craft against the new predominance of industrial products. With its 160,000 exhibits, the Arts and Crafts Museum is a national-level museum for artistic production and the history ofmaterial culture in Croatia.[129]
TheEthnographic Museum was founded in 1919. It lies in the fine Secession building of the one-time Trades Hall of 1903. The ample holdings of about 80,000 items cover the ethnographic heritage of Croatia, classified in three cultural zones: the Pannonian, Dinaric and Adriatic.[130]
TheCroatian Museum of Naïve Art is one of the first museums ofnaïve art in the world. The museum holds works of Croatian naïve expression of the 20th century. It is located in the 18th-century Raffay Palace in theGornji Grad. The museum holdings consist of almost 2000 works of art – paintings, sculptures, drawings, and prints, mainly by Croatians but also by other well-known world artists.[132] From time to time, the museum organizes topics and retrospective exhibitions by naïve artists, expert meetings and educational workshops and playrooms.
TheMuseum of Contemporary Art was founded in 1954. Its new building hosts a rich collection of Croatian and international contemporary visual art which has been collected throughout the decades from the nineteen-fifties until today. The museum is located in the center ofNovi Zagreb and opened in 2009. The old location is now part of the Kulmer Palace in theGornji Grad.[133]
The Institute for Contemporary Art (Institut za suvremenu umjetnost), successor to the Soros Center for Contemporary Art – Zagreb (SCCA – Zagreb), was founded in 1993, and registered as an independent nonprofit organization in 1998. It was founded and run byart historians, curators, artists, photographers, designers, publishers, academics, and journalists, and initially located at the Museum of Contemporary Art. After moving a number of times, the institute has a gallery at the Academia Moderna. Its aims are to promote contemporary Croatian artists and thevisual and other creative arts; to start documenting contemporary artists; and to build a body of contemporary art. It established the Radoslav Putar Award in 2002.[134]
TheStrossmayer Gallery of Old Masters offers permanent holdings presenting European paintings from the 14th to 19th centuries,[135] and theIvan Meštrović Studio, with sculptures, drawings, lithography portfolios and other items, was a donation of this great artist to his homeland. The Museum and Gallery Center introduces on various occasions the Croatian and foreign cultural and artistic heritage. TheArt Pavilion by Viennese architects Hellmer and Fellmer who were the most famous designers of theatres in Central Europe is aneo-classical exhibition complex and one of the landmarks of the downtown. The exhibitions are also held in the Meštrović building on theSquare of the Victims of Fascism – the Home of Croatian Fine Artists. The World Center "Wonder of Croatian Naïve Art" exhibits masterpieces of Croatian naïve art as well as the works of a new generation of artists. The Modern Gallery comprises all relevant fine artists of the 19th and 20th centuries. TheMuseum of Broken Relationships at 2 Ćirilometodska holds people's mementos of past relationships.[136][137][138] It is the first private museum in the country.[139]Lauba House presents works from theFilip Trade Collection, a large private collection of modern and contemporary Croatian art and current artistic production.[140][141]
Other museums and galleries are also found in the Croatian School Museum, the Croatian Hunting Museum, the Croatian Sports Museum, the Croatian Post and Telecommunications Museum, the HAZU (Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts) Glyptotheque (collection of monuments), and the HAZU Graphics Cabinet.
There are fivecastles in Zagreb: Dvorac Brezovica, Kašina (Castrum antiquum Paganorum), Medvedgrad, Susedgrad and Kulmerovi dvori.[142]
Zagreb Zoo is a 7-hectareZoo located inMaksimir Park, opened in 1925 and it's one of the main attractions in Zagreb. The Zoo hold 2,225 animals of 275 species from all around the world. It's the most visited Zoo in Croatia with almost half of million visitors in 2023.[143]
Animafest, the World Festival ofAnimated Films, takes place every even-numbered year, and theMusic Biennale, the international festival ofavant-garde music, every odd-numbered year. It also hosts the annualZagrebDoxdocumentary film festival. TheFestival of the ZagrebPhilharmonic and the flowers exhibitionFloraart (end of May or beginning of June), theOld-timer Rally annual events. In the summer, theatre performances and concerts, mostly in the Upper Town, are organized either indoors or outdoors. The stage on Opatovina hosts theZagreb Histrionic Summer theatre events.
Zagreb is also the host ofZagrebfest, the oldest Croatianpop-musicfestival, as well as of several traditional international sports events and tournaments. TheDay of the City of Zagreb on 16 November is celebrated every year with special festivities, especially on theJarun lake in the southwestern part of the city.
Zagreb is home to numerous sports and recreational centers. RecreationalSports Center Jarun, situated onJarun Lake in the southwest of the city, has fine shingle beaches, a world-classregatta course, ajogging lane around the lake, several restaurants, manynight clubs and adiscothèque. Its sports and recreation opportunities include swimming, sunbathing, waterskiing, angling, and otherwater sports, but alsobeach volleyball, football, basketball, handball, table tennis, andmini-golf.
Dom Sportova, a sport centre in northernTrešnjevka features six halls. The largest two have seating capacity of 5,000 and 3,100 people, respectively.[145] This centre is used for basketball, handball, volleyball, hockey, gymnastics, tennis, etc. It also hosts music events.
Arena Zagreb was finished in 2008. The 16,500-seat arena[146] hosted the2009 World Men's Handball Championship. TheDražen Petrović Basketball Hall seats 5,400 people. Alongside the hall is the 94 m (308 ft) high glassCibona Tower.Sports Park Mladost, situated on the embankment of the Sava river, has anOlympic-size swimming pool, smaller indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a sunbathing terrace, 16 tennis courts as well asbasketball,volleyball,handball,football andfield hockey courts. A volleyball sports hall is within the park. Sports and Recreational Center Šalata, located inŠalata, only a couple hundred meters from theJelačić Square, is most attractive for tennis players. It comprises a bigtennis court and eight smaller ones, two of which are covered by the so-called "balloon", and another two equipped with lights. The center also has swimming pools, basketball courts, football fields, a gym, and fitness center, and a four-lanebowling alley. Outdoorice skating is a popular winter recreation. There are also several fine restaurants within and near the center.
Maksimir Tennis Center, located in Ravnice east ofdowntown, consists of two sports blocks. The first comprises a tennis center situated in a large tennis hall with four courts. There are 22 outdoor tennis courts with lights. The other block offers multipurpose sports facilities: apart from tennis courts, there are handball, basketball andindoor football grounds, as well astrack and field facilities, abocce ball alley andtable tennis opportunities.
Recreational swimmers can enjoy a smaller-size indoor swimming pool in Daničićeva Street, and a newly opened indoor Olympic-size pool atUtrine sports center in Novi Zagreb. Skaters can skate in theskating rink on Trg Sportova (Sports Square) and on the lake Jarun Skaters' park.Zagreb Hippodrome offers recreationalhorseback riding opportunities, whilehorse races are held every weekend during the warmer part of the year.
The 38,923[147]-seatMaksimir Stadium, last 10 years under renovation, is located inMaksimir in the northeastern part of the city. The stadium is part of the immense Svetice recreational and sports complex (ŠRC Svetice), south of the Maksimir Park. The complex covers an area of 276,440 m2 (68 acres). It is part of a significant green zone, which passes fromMedvednica in the north toward the south. ŠRC Svetice, together with Maksimir Park, creates an ideal connection of areas which are assigned to sport, recreation, and leisure.
The latest larger recreational facility isBundek, a group of two small lakes near the Sava inNovi Zagreb, surrounded by a partly forested park. The location had been used prior to the 1970s, but then went to neglect until 2006 when it was renovated.
Important branches of industry are: production of electrical machines and devices,chemical,pharmaceutical,textile,food and drink processing. Zagreb is aninternational trade and business centre, as well as an essential transport hub placed at the crossroads of Central Europe, the Mediterranean and theSoutheast Europe.[151] Almost all of the largest Croatian as well as Central European companies and conglomerates such asAgrokor,INA,Hrvatski Telekom have their headquarters in the city.
The only Croatian stock exchange is the Zagreb Stock Exchange (Croatian:Zagrebačka burza), which is located inEurotower, one of the tallestCroatian skyscrapers.
According to 2008 data, the city of Zagreb has the highest PPP and nominalgross domestic product per capita in Croatia at $32,185 and $27,271 respectively, compared to the Croatian averages of US$18,686 and $15,758.[152]
As of May 2015, the average monthly net salary in Zagreb was 6,669kuna, about€870 (Croatian average is 5,679 kuna, about €740).[153][154] At the end of 2012, the averageunemployment rate in Zagreb was around 9.5%.[155]34% of companies in Croatia have headquarters in Zagreb, and 38.4% of the Croatian workforce works in Zagreb, including almost all banks, utility and public transport companies.[156][157][158]
Companies in Zagreb create 52% of the total turnover and 60% of the total profit of Croatia in 2006 as well as 35% of Croatian export and 57% of Croatian import.[159][160]The following table includes some of the main economic indicators for the period 2011–2019, based on the data provided by theCroatian Bureau of Statistics.[161][162] A linear interpolation was used for the population data between 2011 and 2021. While data on the yearly averaged conversion rates betweenHRK,EUR andUSD is provided by theCroatian National Bank.[163]
HighwayA2 is a part of theCorridor Xa.[168] It connects Zagreb and the frequently congestedMacelj border crossing, forming a near-continuous motorway-level link between Zagreb andWestern Europe.[169] Forming a part of the Corridor Vb, highwayA4 starts in Zagreb forming the northeastern wing of theZagreb bypass and leads to Hungary until theGoričan border crossing. It is often used highway around Zagreb.[170]
The railway and the highwayA3 along theSava river that extend toSlavonia (towardsSlavonski Brod,Vinkovci,Osijek andVukovar) are some of the busiest traffic corridors in the country.[171] The railway running along theSutla river and theA2 highway (Zagreb-Macelj) running throughZagorje, as well as traffic connections with the Pannonian region and Hungary (theZagorje railroad, the roads and railway toVaraždin –Čakovec andKoprivnica) are linked with truck routes.[172] The southern railway connection toSplit operates on a high-speedtilting trains line via theLika region (renovated in 2004 to allow for a five-hour journey); a faster line along theUna river valley is in use only up to the border between Croatia andBosnia and Herzegovina.[172][173]
The city has an extensiveavenue network with numerous main arteries up to ten lanes wide andZagreb bypass, a congested four-lanehighway encircling most of the city. Finding a parking space is supposed to be made somewhat easier by the construction of new underground multi-story parking lots (Importanne Center, Importanne Gallery, Lang Square, Tuškanac, Kvaternik Square, Klaić Street, etc.). The busiest roads are the main east–west arteries, formerHighway "Brotherhood and Unity", consisting ofLjubljanska Avenue,Zagrebačka Avenue andSlavonska Avenue; and the Vukovarska Avenue, the closest bypass of the city center. The avenues were supposed to alleviate the traffic problem, but most of them are nowadays gridlocked during rush hour and others, like Branimirova Avenue and Dubrovnik Avenue which are gridlocked for the whole day.[174][175][176]European routesE59,E65 andE70 serve Zagreb.
Zagreb has seven road traffic bridges across theriver Sava, and they all span both the river and thelevees, making them all by and large longer than 200 m (660 ft). In downstream order, these are:
The official name at the time of building wasNew Sava bridge, but it is the oldest still standing bridge overSava. The bridge is known among experts due to some construction details.[177]
It used to hold a pair ofbus lanes, but due to the increasing individual traffic and better tram connections across the river, those were converted to normal lanes.
This bridge is the last bridge built on the Sava river to date; it linksPeščenica via Radnička street to theZagreb bypass at Kosnica. It is planned to continue towardsZagreb Airport atPleso andVelika Gorica, and on to state road D31 going to the south.
There are also two rail traffic bridges across the Sava, one near the Sava bridge and one nearMičevec, as well as two bridges that are part of theZagreb bypass, one nearZaprešić (west), and the other nearIvanja Reka (east).
Two additional bridges across the riverSava are proposed: Jarun Bridge and Bundek Bridge.
Public transportation in the city is organized in several layers: the inner parts of the city are mostly covered bytrams, the outer city areas, and closer suburbs are linked with buses and rapid transitcommuter rail.
The public transportation companyZET (Zagrebački električni tramvaj, Zagreb Electric Tram) operates trams, all inner bus lines, and most of the suburban bus lines, and it is subsidized by the city council.
The national rail operatorCroatian Railways (Hrvatske željeznice, HŽ) runs a network of urban and suburban train lines in the metropolitan Zagreb area and is agovernment-owned corporation.
Taxi market has been liberalized in early 2018[178] and numerous transport companies have been allowed to enter the market. Consequently, the prices significantly dropped whereas the service was immensely improved so the popularity of taxis in Zagreb has been increasing.
Zagreb has an extensivetram network with 15 day and 4 night lines covering much of the inner- and middle-suburbs of the city. The first tram line was opened on 5 September 1891 and trams have been serving as a vital component of Zagreb mass transit ever since. Trams usually travel at speeds of 30–50 km/h (19–31 mph), but slow considerably duringrush hour. On narrower streets the tracks are either shared with car traffic or separated by a painted yellow line, which can still be used by taxis, buses and emergency vehicles, whereas on larger avenues the tracks are situated insidegreen belts.
An ambitious program, which entailed replacing old trams with the new and modern ones built mostly in Zagreb by companiesKončar elektroindustrija and, to a lesser extent, byTŽV Gredelj, has recently been finished. The new "TMK 2200", trams by the end of 2012 made around 95% of the fleet.[179]
The commuter rail network in Zagreb has existed since 1992. In 2005, suburban rail services were increased to a 15-minute frequency serving the middle and outer suburbs of Zagreb, primarily in the east–west direction and to the southern districts. This has enhanced the commuting opportunities across the city.[180]
A new link to the nearby town ofSamobor has been announced and is due to start construction in 2014. This link will bestandard-gauge and tie in with normalCroatian Railways operations. The previous narrow-gauge line to Samobor calledSamoborček was closed in the 1970s.[181]
Zagreb Airport (IATA:ZAG,ICAO:LDZA) is the main Croatian international airport, a 17 km (11 mi) drive southeast of Zagreb in the city ofVelika Gorica. The airport is also the main Croatian airbase featuring a fighter squadron, helicopters, as well as military and freighttransport aircraft.[182] The airport had 3.45 million passengers in 2019 with a new passenger terminal being opened in late March 2017 that can accommodate up to 5.5 million passengers, and in 2024 it hit record number of passengers with 4.31 million, making itone of the busiest airports in Europe.
Zagreb also has a second, smaller airport,Lučko (ICAO:LDZL). It is home to sports aeroplanes and a Croatian special police unit, as well as being a military helicopter airbase. Lučko used to be the main airport of Zagreb from 1947 to 1959.[183]
A third, small grass airfield, Buševec, is located just outsideVelika Gorica. It is primarily used for sports purposes.[184]
Founded in 1669, the University of Zagreb is the oldest continuously operating university in Croatia and one of the largest[190][191][192][193][194][195] and oldest universities in the Southeastern Europe. Ever since its foundation, the university has been continually growing and developing and now consists of 29 faculties, three art academies and the Croatian Studies Centre. More than 200,000 students have attained theBachelor's degree at the university, which has also assigned 18,000Master's and 8,000Doctor's degrees.[196]As of 2011[update], the University of Zagreb is ranked among 500 Best Universities of the world by the Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities.
Zagreb is the seat of two private universities: theCatholic University of Croatia and the Libertas International University. It also hosts numerous public and private polytechnics, colleges and higher professional schools.[which?]
Mihalj Šilobod Bolšić (1724–1787),Roman Catholic priest, mathematician, writer, and musical theorist primarily known for writing the first Croatian arithmetic textbookArithmatika Horvatzka (published in Zagreb, 1758)
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