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City of Zagreb

About Zagreb

Zagreb is Croatia's capital and its largest city and, from the aspect of demography, economy, science and culture, it is the most significant urban agglomeration which connects central to southeastern Europe. Zagreb is the political and administrative centre of Croatia; it is the seat of the Croatian parliament, the President and the government. It is located on the southwestern rim of the Pannonian basin and covers an area stretching between the Medvednica in the north and thoroughfares in the south, Podsused to the west and Sesvete to the east.

The longest Croatian river, the Sava, flows through Zagreb. It is mentioned as early as 1094 during the founding of the bishopric, today the Zagreb archbishopric located on Kaptol. 1242 is an important year for Zagreb, it is the year Gradec received the Golden Bull from King Bela IV making it a free royal town after Zagreb had offered him refuge from Tartar attack. According to legend Bela left Zagreb a cannon saying that it had to be fired every day so that it would not rust. Thus, the Gric cannon has been fired every day at noon since January 1, 1877. All that remains of the Gradec fortress today are the Kamenita vrata (Stone entrance); the core of the old town with its St. Mark's Church and St. Catherine's Church, the most beautiful Baroque church in Croatia. Frequent and lasting conflicts arising between Kaptol and Gradec over local trade and Croatia's political dependence in the past has stifled Zagreb's development as a political and economic centre. By 1850 conflicts were resolved and the town was united and received its first mayor - Josip Kamauf.

In the meantime, Jesuits had founded the first grammar school (1607), the first press (1644) and Zagreb had a university (1669). Ljudevit Gaj published the first papers in the Croatian language (the Kajkavian dialect). The first railway line Zidani most-Zagreb-Sisak was constructed in 1862 and a year later Zagreb had a gasworks. The first telephone line was introduced in 1881.

By the end of the 19th century Zagreb was expanding and developing. It had its first tramcar pulled by horses, its cable car and its Croatian National Theatre. 1921-1931 the population rose by 70 per cent, the largest demographic boom in the history of Zagreb. In 1926 Zagreb had the first radio station in the region and in 1946 it held its first Zagreb Fair. In 1961 it had Pleso Airport, in 1975 a Hotel Intercontinental and in 1987 it hosted the University Games.

Zagreb is vital to international trade, which is best reflected in the activities of the Zagreb Fair. The Zagreb railway and bus stations and its airport are the busiest in Croatia and Zagreb is the leading medical centre and an important European sports centres.