EMPOWER CROATIA
LOCAL COMMITEES
ABOUT CROATIA
HISTORY
Croatia is a Central European and Mediterranean country, bordering Slovenia in the west, Hungary in the north, Serbia in the east and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the south; the country also has a long maritime border with Italy in the Adriatic Sea. These borders total 2,028 km altogether. Croatia has an unusual shape (similar to a croissant) that is unlike any other country in the world, which comes as a result of five centuries of expansion by the Ottoman (Turkish) empire towards Central Europe (although Croatia was never conquered by the Turks).
Croatia covers a land area of 56,691 square kilometres and has a population of about 4.29 million people (2011 census). Almost 90% of the population is Croat (the majority of whom are Roman Catholics), but there are also Serbian, Bosnian, Hungarian and Italian minorities. The main population centres are Zagreb, the capital (with a population of just under 800,000), Osijek in the northeast (population: 107,000), and the ports of Rijeka(population: 128,000) on the northern part of the coastline, and Split(population: 178,000) towards the south. Other well known towns includeDubrovnik, Makarska, Porec, Rovinj, Opatija, Zadar and Sibenik.
OSIJEK
Osijek is the largest city in Slavonia, on the banks of the Drava and the seat of the county of Osijek-Baranja, making it an administrative, industrial and cultural centre. Its rich history has left an abundance of cultural and artistic heritage: asides from the concathedral in the centre there is a Capuchin church, a series of art nouveau buildings in European Avenue, the National Theatre...
The oldest part is Tvrđa, a preserved Baroque centre, whose central square is dominated by Kužni’s pillar. Here there is the Museum of Slavonia and the Archaeological Museum, galleries, churches...
We suggest a walk in the Osijek gardens and promenades along the Drava, and if you don't try the fish stew, shepherd's stew, spicy "kulen" sausage and smoked ham (and then there is the wine!) in one of Osijek's restaurants, then you haven’t been to Osijek! The city is alive throughout the year, but summer is packed with events and festivals for all ages - Osijek Summer Nights, Osijek summer for the young, cultural summer...
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RIJEKA
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SPLIT
The story of Split is already 17 centuries old, dating to the time the Roman Emperor Diocletian decided to build his Palace right on the peninsula near the great Roman city Salona, where he wanted to spend the last years of his life. During these 1700 years the Palace slowly turned into a city, which to this day lures with its rich tradition, glorious history and beauty of its natural and cultural heritage.
Diocletian Palace and the entire historical core of Split have been on the World Heritage UNESCO list ever since 1979, and not only for the extraordinary preservation of the Palace, but also because the Palace and its city (or the city and its Palace, if you like) continue to live a full life. All historical layers from the old Rome, middle ages till today are still visible and alive in this structure. A walk through the ancient city takes you through time, along the great examples of ancient architecture like Peristyle, the middle aged Romanesque Church and Gothic Palace, Renaissance portals of the noblemen’s houses, Baroque facades and modern architecture superbly merged in the rich heritage.
Such stratification is mirrored in everyday life of Split. Local inhabitants sit in the same cafes, restaurants, shop in the same stores as tourists, giving them the impression that, by arriving to Split, they became a part of the city and its rhythm. The vegetable market and the fish market represent the centre of each family’s life in Split, just as the entire social life of this city of 200 thousand reflects on the Riva (waterfront), where every guest should endeavour to have his coffee alongside noisy, temperamental folk of Split.
Split is much more than glorious architectural scenery. Split is also a venue for excellent gourmet and vine experiences, numerous cultural happenings like film and theatre festivals, exhibitions, excellent museums and concerts, a city which offers eclectic modes of entertainment starting with numerous clubs and bars, through street festivals to events such as Ultra Europe Festival visited each year by up to 100 thousand young people from around one hundred countries of the world. Split with its sport results is something only a handful of cities of similar size around the world can boast about as it is the home of a dozen Olympic medal winners as well as other sports medals.
When you tire of the city bustle, there’s Marjan, hill symbol over the city, with its forest, jogging trails, mountain climbing and biking, recreational terrains, but also the ancient churches where the late citizens of Split sought spiritual peace. Also very unusual to find in a city the size of Split are the numerous beaches with extraordinarily clean sea, from the well known Bačvice to the stone secluded oases’ all around Marjan.
After all that’s said are you at all surprised that citizens of Split have a saying "There is no place like Split”?
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ZAGREB
Zagreb, capital of the Republic of Croatia, is also its largest city and the cultural, economic, cinematic, sporting and governmental hub of the country. It is located on the southern slopes of Medvednica Mountain along the banks of the Sava River. Culturally, it is a European city well worth visiting, with its numerous historical monuments and medieval architecture. Its favourable geographic positioning in the Pannonian Basin gives the city instant access to Central Europe and the Adriatic coast. Maybe that's why, for many years, it has remained the economic gateway connecting Central and Western Europe via the Adriatic Sea.
When Croatia achieved independence in 1991, Zagreb was declared the capital and along with it came political and administrative responsibilities. Today, the city has maintained its medieval structure in the Gradec and Kaptol area, which are prime administrative regions of the city. On the other hand, the residential area is located on the southern slopes of the Medvednica Mountains. From the 1950's, when the city started developing technologically, the industries started concentrating their base on the south and south east of the Sava River.
Besides being a major commercial and economical centre, it is also developing into a famed tourist destination. The city attracts many tourists from Austria, Germany and Italy who come to visit the beaches and explore its historical monuments, museums, and art galleries. From a youngster's point of view, the city offers a happening nightlife, plenty of restaurants and cafés and lots of cinema theatres that screen Hollywood films.
Today, it is the only city in Croatia with a population of over one million. Yet, as the city advances into the new millennium, it has retained its old charisma and welcoming attitude towards foreign visitors.
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VARAZDIN
The city of Varaždin is the capital city of the Varaždin County, one of the oldest in Croatia. It is situated in a very important geographical territory, so it is called the “NW gates of Croatia”.
Varaždin is the city of baroque, young people, music, flowers and bicycles. „Little Vienna“with rich natural legacy interwoven in parks, a must see destination, located in the North of Croatia on the southern bank of the River Drava.
With 46.946 inhabitants and the average annual temperature of 10°C, the city of Varaždin is one of the most attractive destinations to live in or to visit in Croatia. It is the tourist, cultural, economical, educational and sporting centre of North-western Croatia.
King Bella III. mentions Garestin (Varaždin) for the first time in 1181 in a legal document and in 1209 the Hungarian king Andrew II. declares Varaždin a free royal borough.
The town starts to develop around the old fortress in a shape of a medieval Wasserburg, which helps in Turkish raids. Important owners of the fortress were Counts of Celje, Beatrice Frankopan, Margrave Georg of Brandenburg, and Baron Ivan Ungnad and Count Thomas Erdödy. In 1756, Varaždin the official residence of Ban Francis Nadasdy, becomes the capital of all Croatia. Maria Theresa founded the Royal Croatian Council and it hosts the Croatian Parliament; it becomes the Croatian administrative centre and the seat of many Croatian noblemen.
On the 25th April 1776 the big fire destroyed almost 80% of all buildings and houses in Varaždin, so the administration moves back to Zagreb. The story behind the fire is about a boy, whose tobacco burned the hay and the fire soon spread outside the city walls. The fire harried for three days and demolished the town. It is rebuild and expanded by the 19th century.
Due to the compromise of 1867 the town was ruled by the Kingdom of Hungary. The manufacture of silk and bricks thrives, theatre and music school were built, crafts and trade are developing.
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