About Zagreb

Population - 688163

Zagreb’s story begins with two hills, Gradec and Kaptol. Little is known about Zagrebs early history but it appears that Slavs may have built forts and churches on the hills as early as the eighth or ninth centuries. In 1094 the Hungarian King Ladislas established the Zagreb diocese on Kaptol hill and a canonical settlement developed soon after, north of the cathedral. Another small settlement was developing on Gradec hill, but both settlements were devastated by the Mongol invasion of 1242. In the middle of the 15th century the Turkish began making inroads into the region, prompting the bishops to begin fortifying Kaptol in 1478. Thick towers and walls were built around the town virtually under the eyes of the Turkish who were camped a few kilometres south on the Sava River. The walls were finished in 1528 and by the mid-16th century the Turkish had taken much surrounding territory, but not the two hill towns. When a 1609 statute was passed limiting the privileges of Gradecs citizens, the two communities gradually merged and became known as Zagreb. Zagreb emerged as the capital of the Croatian State in the 16th century, but In 1756, the Banship Francis Nadásdy chose Varaždin as his official residence, and Varaždin became the capital of Croatia. It hosted the Croatian Sabor and the Royal Croatian Council founded by Empress Maria Theresa. In the 18th century Varaždin was the seat of many Croatian noblemen, and in 1756 it became the Croatian administrative centre. The fire of 1776 destroyed most of the town, resulting in the administrative institutions moving back to Zagreb and Zagreb is capital town of Croatia since then.