Varazdinska zupanija
The Varaždin county of Croatia - Varaždinska županija is named after the city of Varaždin whose first written mention dates way back to 1181 when king Bela III mentioned the county's thermal springs in a legal document. The spa, Varaždinske Toplice, is now a small town outside of Varaždin proper, and a known recreational facility.
The city itself has existed since 1209, when it was declared a free royal town by king Andrija II, the citizens and the nobility in the city's castle lived in a symbiosis, and flourished: the city became the economic and military center of the whole northern Croatia. Due to Turkish raids, the city was structured defensively, around the old fortress, and acquired the shape of a typical medieval Wasserburg.
In 1523, a count named Juraj Bradenburg built the town hall in late baroque style, which remains in place today as one of the older town halls in all of Europe. In 1756, the ban Franjo Nadasdy chose Varaždin as his official residence, and in 1767, Varaždin even became the capital of all of Croatia by hosting the Royal Croatian Council founded by empress Maria Theresa.
Not all was so bright in the history of this town, however: on April 25th, 1776, two thirds of the town buildings burned down in a large fire started in the suburbs. The fire was gone, but so was the capital honor: the Council moved to Zagreb and never came back. But they didn't let that deter them: they rebuilt the city in four years, and continued building more and more graceful palaces. Of particular mention is the building of the Croatian National Theater built in 1873 and designed by Vienna's famous architect Herman Helmer.
Today, the city's many historic landmarks and diverse industries (most known is perhaps Varteks, the local textile giant) make it a very desirable place to live in. Worthy of mention is the annual baroque music festival, the so-called Barokne Večeri, which always attracts some of the finest classical music artists and fans from the country and abroad, and often even helps various worthy causes such as restaurations of local pipe organs.
Another site that would be a real pity to miss in this county would be the beautiful castle of Trakošćan. Dating back to the thirteenth century (first written mention in 1334), it has been meticulously maintained and is currently one of the best preserved historic buildings in the country. And has decent competition, too, such as the nearby Klenovnik castle with 90 rooms and exactly 365 windows, once the seat of Parliament and now a working hospital.
External links
Referenced By
Croatia/Government | Politics of Croatia
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