Zagreb

Zagreb is the capital and largest city of Croatia. The city has grown out of two medieval settlements on the hill, namely Kaptol and Gradec. Kaptol remains the center of Croatia's Catholic Church, while Gradec represents the political and administrative center. The Lower Town, which begins at the foot of Gradec and centers around the Bana Jelacic Square, has thrived since the 19th century. Home to many economic, scientific and cultural institutions, the Lower Town is also abundant in shops, restaurants, cafes, theatres and parks.http://croaticum.ffzg.hr/eng/zagreb.html http://www.zagreb-life.com/guide/tour.php

While Gradec and the Lower Town have been connected by the Zagreb funicular since the cable car began service on October 8, 1890, tram has become a major public transit system in the late 18th century. The first horse-drawn tramcar was put in service in the Lower Town on September 5, 1891. http://www.zet.hr/english/funicular/history.aspx http://www.zet.hr/english/tram/history.aspx

Written documents first mention Zagreb in 1094 when Hungarian King Ladislaus founded a bishopric in Kaptol. The church center was soon fortified. Following the departure of the Mongols, Gradec, to the west of Kaptol, was declared a free royal city by the Golden Bull of Croatian-Hungarian King Bela IV in 1242.http://www.zagreb.hr/default.aspx?id=1125 The civil settlement of Gradec was also encircled by walls to defend against the Mongols in the 13th century. Despite the intense rivalry and struggle for supremacy between the two communities, the old town of Zagreb continued to expand. The Baroque reconstruction of the city in the 17th and 18th centuries replaced the old wooden houses with noble palaces, monasteries and churches. Zagreb slowly grew into an European capital when affluent aristocratic families, royal officials, church dignitaries and rich traders from the rest of Europe began moving into the city.http://www.zagreb-touristinfo.hr/?l=e&id=34 When the settlements outgrew the medieval borders, the city limits spread into the hills and the lowlands around the Sava River, forming the Lower Town. In 1850, Kaptol, Gradec and the Lower Town were unified into a single urban space and administrative unit.http://croaticum.ffzg.hr/eng/zagreb.html

Reconstruction and modernization were carried out after a devastating earthquake hit Zagreb in 1880. The introduction of the railroad to Zagreb in the 19th century allowed older suburban areas to be incorporated into the city centre. The development of the city continued southward towards the Sava River after World War II.http://www.zagreb-life.com/info/info.php On June 25, 1991, the Croatian Parliament proclaimed the independence and sovereignty of the Republic of Croatia. Since then, Zagreb has served as the capital.http://www.zagreb.hr/default.aspx?id=1125

Covering an area of 641,355 square kilometers, Zagreb is situated on the slopes of Medvednica Mountain (Zagrebačka Gora) to the north and the floodplain of the Sava River to the south.http://www.zagreb.hr/default.aspx?id=1125 http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/655350/Zagreb Zagreb belongs to the geographical region of Central Croatia which is the most densely populated area of the country.http://croatia.hr/en-GB/Destinations/Regions/Cluster/Central-Croatia?ZHNcOCxwXDQy

While historic monuments and old churches are mostly found in Kaptol and Gradec, a number of gardens and parks can be found in the Lower Town and the suburban areas of the city. Zagreb is also home to more than 20 museums and over 60 galleries. Major attractions of the city include:http://www.zagreb-touristinfo.hr/?l=e&id=126 http://www.europadevents.org/zagabria.htm http://croaticum.ffzg.hr/eng/zagreb.html

• The Zagreb Cathedral with its two neo-gothic towers
• Lotrščak Tower which used to be the major town tower
• The Stone Gate which is the only completely preserved gate of the medieval fortifications
• St. Catherine Church
• St. Mark’s Church
• The Archeological Museum with its three Egyptian mummies
• The Strossmayer Gallery of Old Masters
• The Zagreb Museum
• Zagreb funicular
• The Botanical Garden
• Maksimir Park
• Medvednica Nature Park

Inventor Slavoljub Eduard Penkala moved to Zagreb in 1900 when Croatia was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Holding more than 80 patents when he died in 1922, Penkala also founded the Zagreb automatic pencil factory in 1906 and constructed the first Croatian two-seated aeroplane in 1910.http://www.penkala.net/Penkala/penkala.html http://www.zagreb-life.com/

The American-Croatian sculptor Ivan Mestrovic settled in Zagreb between 1921 and 1924. The house and the atelier has become the Mestrovic Atelier with a permanent display of the artist's works.http://www.mdc.hr/mestrovic/imestrovic-en.htm