| |
 Varazdin
A city on the right bank of the Drava river in
north-western Croatia, 79 km northeast of Zagreb; elevation 173
m; population 42,952. Economic and cultural centre of the Zagorje
and Medimurje regions. Chief occupations include farming, viticulture
and livestock breeding. Major manufactures are textiles (Varteks),
artificial silk production (umbrellas), leather processing (footwear
factory), food processing (fruit and vegetable canning, vegetable
oil production), wood and timber, metallurgy (foundry, fittings
factory), printing industry and tourism. Varazdin has several cultural
institutions: the City Archives (with the documentation from the
13th to the 19th centuries), the Archives of the Cazma Chapter,
faculties. It hosts the festival called the Varazdin Baroque Evenings
(since 1971). Varazdin lies at the intersection of the main roads
Varazdin - Slovenian border - Ptuj - Maribor (M3), Varazdin - Cakovec
- Hungarian border - Nagykanizsa (M12), Varazdin - Koprivnica -
Osijek (M3) and junction of the railroads Varazdin - Zagreb, Varazdin
- Koprivnica, Varazdin - Cakovec - Hungarian border, i.e. Croatian-Slovenian
border.
Varazdin County Tourist Association: Ul. Stanka
Vraza 4; City Tourist Association: Aleja kralja Zvornimira 1
Varazdin is one of the most important tourist centres
of the entire northern Croatia. The variety of cultural and historical
offer in the city and its surroundings, as well as the beautiful
countryside attract many visitors the whole year round. The urban
heart of this Central European Baroque town, which is often compared
with Vienna, is very well preserved. The old town fortification,
the central part of the town, numerous museums, galleries and collections
as well as the Varazdin cemetery, protected as a horticultural monument,
represent the main tourist attractions. The central museum object
of the Town Museum is situated in Stari Grad and distinguished by
many exhibits related to the history of the Varazdin region from
the pre-historic period up to the present day. The unique collection
of more than ten thousand stuffed insects, gathered by Franjo Koscec
Esq., accommodated in the Entomological Department in Herzer Palace,
deserves a special mention.
Numerous cultural and entertainment events are
also important. The most significant are the Varazdin Baroque Evenings
- one of the greatest musical events in Croatia. Other important
events are the International Festival of Wind Orchestras, the Days
of the Book (in October), etc.
One of the landmarks of the town is the Varazdin
guard, the so-called "purgari", dressed in their nice
blue grenadier uniforms, who stand by the Town Hall during significant
ceremonies.
The town offers a variety of sports and recreational
facilities, in particular those within the stadium of FC "Varteks",
member of the Croatian Premiere Football League.
The Drava river and Varazdin Lake represent a heaven
for anglers, with pike-perch, pike, carp, etc. being the main catch.
The cuisine of Varazdin is popular and renowned, and the "Varazdin
klipici" (bakery product) are the most represented and simplest
speciality of the town. Buckwheat porridge, turkey with "mlinci"
(kind of pasta), "strukli" (cottage cheese strudel), "zlevka"
(traditional folk cake), venison, and the exquisite Varazdin wine
and the Varazdin beer, "Knaput", can satisfy even the
most demanding taste.
|
|
