Position: Zagreb, the capital of Croatia is situated on the slopes of Medvednica mountain and along the banks of the Sava river; elevation 120m. The favourable geographic position in the south-western part of the Pannonian Basin which extends to the Alpine, Adriatic, Dinaric and Pannnonic regions, provides the best valuation of traffic connenction between Central Europe and the Adriatic Sea.

Population: 770.058.

General data: the city core comprises the medieval parts of the town called Gradec and Kaptol. The old suburbs merged after the construction of the railway embankment into the Downtown characterized by a regular block pattern. From the mid-1950s Zagreb expanded towards south. South of the Sava river were built new residential areas called New Zagreb, the international airport Pleso and the cargo railway hub. The biggest industrial zone Žitnjak is situated in the south-east. The traffic position, concentration of industry (metal- processing, electrical appliances, textiles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, printing and leather industries, wood processing, paper etc.), scientific and research institutions and industrial tradition underline Zagreb's leading economic position. Zagreb seats central state administrative bodies (legislative, judiciary, executive, monetary, defence, etc.). There are three main traffic comunications: the western towards the Western Europe; the eastern, towards South-Eastern Europe and the Near-East; the south western towards Rijeka, Croatia's biggest port.

History: Zagreb entered the history in 1094 when the Hungarian king Ladislas established the Zagreb diocese. Zagreb developed from the two different municipalities Kaptol and Gradec (1242. the Golden Bull by the King Bela IV, a privilege exempting Gradec from the county jurisdiction but imposing military duty to the king), which started to be called Zagreb since the 16th century. Ever since Zagreb is concidered to be the political centre and capital of Croatia and Slavonia. Jesuits came to Zagreb in 1606 and in 1669 they opened the academy with a curriculum comprising philosophy, theology and laws. The 19th-century cultural development of Zagreb is characterized by foundation of several important cultural and educational institutions (Music Institute in 1826; first theatre stage in 1834; in 1839 Matica Ilirska, since 1874 Matica hrvatska; in 1866 the Yugoslav Academy of Arts and Sciences now Croatian Academy of Arts and Sciences; in 1874 the University of Zagreb). Development of industry started around the mid-19th century. The first radio station started to broadcast in 1926. Main cultural and scientific institutions were being established in the 1950s.

Highlights: the Stone Gate (first mentioned in the Middle Ages), St. Mark Square, the town parish church of St. Mark, the Viceroy's Palace (Banski Dvori) from the 18th c. and the neighbouring baroque palace are the seat of Croatian Government, the Palace of Croatian Diet, the Rauch Palace, the most beautiful baroque palace in the Upper Town, today it is the Croatian Historical Museum, St. Catherine's church, 17th c., the most beautiful baroque church in Zagreb, exhibition complex klovićevi Dvori, late Renaissance style, mid-17th c., Kulmer Palace, 18. and 19th c., today the Museum of Contemporary Art,( possesses works of Picasso, Vasarely, etc.), the Lotršćak Tower, mid-13th c., the Museum of the City of Zagreb, the Meštrović Atelier, Kaptol – the Gothic Cathedral, 13-15th c., the altar of the sacristy is adorned with Golgotha by A. Dürer, the (Arch)bishop's Palace, the Ban Jelačić Square, the central square in Zagreb, the Zrinjevac promenade, the Art Pavilion, Croatian National Theatre (the Marshall Tito Square), the cemetery Mirogoj (arcades, architect H. Bollé).