Varaždin

City of Varaždin is well connected due highway, railway and airport with the other cities and countries which makes Varaždin traffic junction of NorthWestern Croatia. The Varaždin County encompasses 5 other towns and 22 municipalities. Municipality of Varaždin is the smallest regarding surface and makes only 5% of it’s territory but the biggest regarding number of inhabitants which makes 26% of the whole population of Varaždin County. Municipality of Varaždin includes town Varaždin which areas has only smaller development differences and 9 little settlements which have more rural character.

On the north of the city is river Drava with authentic river landscape protected as regional park and it’s part of Natura 2000. The whole territory of the Municipality lies on water so the activities are restricted, more or less depending on the water well protection area. In the last 25 years the air quality is better for two main reasons. First one is that the fuel for heating is no longer coal or wood but much cleaner gas. The second reason is economic crisis last decades that shut down few biggest industries that were responsible for the air pollution. Today one of the biggest problem is waste management.

Varaždin is well-known continental tourism destination with historical center, it’s renaissance streets and squares and baroque palaces, with widely known cemetery and the 16th century castle. With number of events and festivals such as Varaždin Baroque Evenings (international festival of classical baroque music), Špancirfest (international street festival with workshops and concerts) or Vafi (international festival of cartoons) it fosters urban and cultural tourism so Varaždin was in 2015 among other 10 Croatian cities candidate for the European Capital of Culture in 2020.