Varaà ¾din ( or ; , also known by alternative names) is a city in Northern Croatia, north-east of Zagreb. The total population is 46,946, with 38,839 in the city settlement itself (2011).
The city is best known for its baroque buildings, music, textile, food and IT industry.
In Hungarian the town is known as Varasd, in Latin as Varasdinum and in German as Warasdin. The Hungarian Varasd is composed of város meaning city and the diminutive suffix -d.
The total population of the city is 46,946 and it includes the following settlements:
The administrative sections of Varaà ¾din are local committees (). These are:
The first written reference to Varaà ¾din, whose historical name is Garestin, was on 20 August 1181, when King Béla III mentioned the nearby thermal springs (Varaà ¾dinske Toplice) in a legal document.
Varaà ¾din was declared a free royal borough in 1209 by the Hungarian King Andrew II. The town became the economic and military centre of northern Croatia. Due to Ottoman raids, the town was structured defensively around the old fortress, and acquired the shape of a typical medieval Wasserburg. In the early 13th century, the Knights Hospitaller () came to Varaà ¾din, where they built the church and a monastery. In the mid-13th century, the church of St. John belonging to the Hospitallers was taken over by Franciscans, who extended it over several centuries, eventually replacing the medieval structures with early baroque.
At the end of the 14th century, Varaà ¾din fortress passed to the hands of the Counts of Celje. Over the following centuries Varaà ¾din had several owners, the most influential being Beatrice Frankopan (1480âÂÂ1510), wife of Margrave Georg of Brandenburg-Ansbach, who built the town hall; her successor was Baron Ivan Ungnad (1493âÂÂ1564), who reinforced the existing fortification. At the end of the 16th century Count Thomas Erdà Âdy became its owner, assuming the hereditary position of Varaà ¾din prefects (à ¾upan), and the fortress remained in the ownership of the Erdà Âdy family until 1925.
The town was the seat of Slavonnian Military Border in late 16th century.
The 16th century is also the beginning of fires being recorded; starting with a fire in Varaà ¾din in 1558, although no details are given. <br /> We know more about the great fire of 27 May 1582, that had such dire effects that the Varaà ¾din population counted time as "prior" and "after the Great fire". The losses include the parish church, the Franciscan church and a friary (subsequently the Franciscans left Varaà ¾din), the chapels of St. Vid, Michael and Holy Trinity, the homes of the local tollhouse clerks and customs officers. The stronghold was spared but the fire jumped the city walls and ravaged the suburbs close to the river Drava. The citizens asked the king for help and were granted state tax exoneration for the following six years by the Hungarian royal chamber, relieved from tax duty for one year and were assigned free serf labor. Austrian archduke Ernest wrote to Varaà ¾din County officials on 9 July 1582 to provide free lumber for the citizens who had lost their homes in the fire. That fire prompted authorities, not only in Varaà ¾din but also in other towns, to set up watch posts with guards on lookout for possible fire.
A fire on 29 April 1586, burned down a number of buildings. The following year, 1587, saw two fires: one on 10 May that burned 23 homes in the Royal street, and one on 26 December that burned only one home. At that time, Varaà ¾din, contrary to some other towns, did not have any organized fire-fighting service. The next fire recorded, in 1592, brings in the town protocol the description of ëpitiful and grieving town of Varaà ¾dinû; among the damages are noted that of several public buildings, including the town hall and St. Nicholas church. Another fire in 1599 destroyed 66 buildings in and around the street of St.Vid. 1599 also sees the town officials take the first fire fighting measures. This ordnance seems to have had some effect, as the next recorded fire dates from mid-17th century.
The great fire of 1646, that destroyed more than half the town and damaged many of the remaining buildings, did not deter the town's growth, as better buildings replaced the "ugly town district". Sigismund Trautmanstorf<sub>()</sub>, a member of Austria's nobility, reports a fire on 1 May 1648, fuelled by high wind, that destroyed more than a half the town within its walls - several hundred of houses disappeared. The town magistrate asked King Ferdinand III to relieve the town from Royal chamber taxes, due to the current devastation; the king granted that request and on 27 October 1649 he pardoned the town from paying overdue taxes of 500 Hungarian forint, with the specific reason of ëhalf of Varaà ¾din perishing in the fire of 1 May 1648û.
On Easter Monday of 27 March 1665, an extremely large fire started in Brodovski konec suburb (E-N-E of Varaà ¾din) and, due to a strong wind, crossed the town walls and spread all over town. It destroyed Varaà ¾din churches (parish church, Jesuit church and Franciscan church), spared only eight homes and new stables belonging to Varaà ¾din stronghold's military commander; it also destroyed several towers from the town walls, albeit sparing the one used as main armoury - a lucky escape, as that one held the gunpowder magazine; thus sparing some lives. Beside the inner town buildings, the entire suburb outside the upper gates was also destroyed in the fire, from the east all the way to the stronghold's toll gates; this included part of the main street and Vidovski konec street, toward Bià ¡kupec village (about 3 km south of Varaà ¾din); the next day the fire caught Vidovski konec and burned all its buildings down. <br /> St. Florian's chapel was built in Varaà ¾din in 1669, as a votive chapel after the 1665 fire (catholic patron saint St. Florian was believed to protect from fires, thus has many dedicated chapels and churches - such as that in Koprivnica, first mentioned in 1680, or in Krià ¾evci after their fire in 1735).
Fires in the 18th century include that of 1745, set up by soldiers spiteful of their lodgers, which destroyed a number of homes and a brewery. <br /> In 1748 another fire destroyed much of the southern suburbs, including 119 homes and several hundred stables and barns.
In 1767, the Croatian Royal Council - newly installed in town - gave order to the Varaà ¾din town authorities to uphold restriction on drying flax and hemp fiber on house stoves, on smoking around barns and stables, and on replacing wooden chimneys by brick-built ones, the latter an expensive task: 1768 records show that that concerned most of Varaà ¾din's chimneys, a fire hazard compounded by that the people hardly ever cleaned them. In 1755, Varaà ¾din had only one chimneysweeper, not even paid on a regular basis. The presence of the country's gouvernment in town somewhat changed the attitude towards fire. For example, upon another fire in 1769, there were records of efficiency in putting out the fire. Members of the town's administration showing up at fire sight were to take charge of the operation, duties were assigned to firefighters and their performance monitored.
A record from 1771 mentions 32 buildings and many stables and barns destroyed by fire. That year, the Hungarian Chamber representative proposed to the town authorities to help those who lost homes in fire rebuild in bricks and setting up stoves outside their houses - not only in Varaà ¾din town center, but also further in the town outskirts. Thus in 1774, the Hungarian chamber demanded from Varaà ¾din town authorities that burned-down homes of SraÃÂinec village be replaced with raw brick buildings. Moreover, in 1767 the town owned only one water-sprinkling device with a two- to three bucket capacity; in 1772 Queen Maria Theresa issued an ordnance listing necessary equipment that the town's authorities had to purchase for fire-fighting, and by 1773, the town owned most of this equipment. In 1771, Varaà ¾din authorities made fire-fighting compulsory for all citizens.
But this did not spare the town from its next big fire, that of 25âÂÂ26 April 1776. It started in the SraÃÂinec suburb (west of Varaà ¾din) and, again due to strong wind - and the carelessness of a merchant who had stashed gunpowder in his house, which exploded and added fuel to the fire -, spread to Varaà ¾din. Of the 113 buildings held within its walls, 70 were entirely destroyed and 11 partially destroyed; the northern suburb had held 256 buildings, of which 111 were entirely destroyed; and of the 245 homes in the southern suburb, 135 were destroyed : altogether, from the total of 614 homes, 316 were destroyed - more than half. Most of the nobility fled the town, and with it the country's government so recently installed there. But the commoners (primarily merchants and artisans) remained - and turned their town into one huge building site: by 1780 the number of homes equaled that prior to the fire. <br /> After that fire, the town authorities decreed a public prohibition of wooden houses inside the town walls; even more specifically, brickmade chimneys became compulsory. The authorities ensured that adequate building materials were available. A committee was set up to inspect all chimneys and list down those which were fire hazards. Incentives were set up too, rewarding those citizens who were first to help in fire fighting; in the 18th century, there were public citations for citizens who showed up at fires with fire-fighting sprinkling equipment, as well as those who arrived on site with large amounts of water to put out fire. Later, fire insurance policies were set up with insurance companies.
In spite of all those set-backs, the 17th and 18th centuries saw Varaà ¾din's economy and culture expand; within that period it grew from around 3,000 inhabitants around the year 1600 to around 5,500 inhabitants by the end of the 18th century.
In 1756 or 1766, the Ban Ferenc Nádasdy chose Varaà ¾din as his official residence, and Varaà ¾din became the capital of all of Croatia. It hosted the Croatian Sabor and the Royal Croatian Council founded by Empress Maria Theresa.
The April 1776 fire put an end to that presence in town.
The periods of the Reformation and the Counter-Reformation had a great influence on Varaà ¾din. With the arrival of the Jesuits, the school (gymnasium) and the Jesuit house were founded, and churches and other buildings were built in the Baroque style. In the 18th century Varaà ¾din was the seat of many Croatian noblemen, and in 1756 it became the Croatian administrative centre. The fire of 1776 destroyed some 80% of the town, resulting in the administrative institutions moving back to Zagreb.
Varaà ¾din was the seat of Varaà ¾din County of the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia within the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, ruled by the Kingdom of Hungary after the compromise of 1867. The Hungarian stamp, issued in 1881 shows both names.
By the 19th century Varaà ¾din had been completely rebuilt and expanded, with flourishing crafts and trade, and later the manufacture of silk and bricks. The theatre and the music school were founded. From the second half of 19th century, fire fighting was organized and specialized fire-fighting societies were established; the very first fire fighting volunteers in Croato-Slavonnian Kingdom was organized in Varaà ¾din in 1864.
In the 20th century Varaà ¾din developed into the industrial centre of northwestern Croatia. The textile manufacturer Tivar was founded in 1918. A silk factory was started in 1929, the one which would later start the sportswear brand YASSA.
The DVD "Varteks" was founded in 1935. It was Varaà ¾din's main fire department until the foundation of DVD "Zdravstvo" on 21 December 1981.
Under the leadership of professor Kreà ¡imir FiliÃÂ, the town developed a city library, a city museum, a gallery, reopened its music school, and had a mountaineering society started.
Soon after the start of World War II in Yugoslavia, on 12 July 1941, Varaà ¾din was declared Judenfrei by the Ustaà ¡e, becoming the first city in Croatia to earn this dubious distinction.
The former village of Bià ¡kupec, whose population was tracked as a separate settlement between 1857 and 1948, when it reached 635 inhabitants, was integrated into the city of Varaà ¾din since the 1953 census.
In the Croatian War of Independence, 1991, Varaà ¾din suffered directly for only for a few days, because the huge Yugoslav People's Army base quickly surrendered after the Siege of Varaà ¾din Barracks, resulting in a minimal number of casualties, and providing weapons (worth $600m) for the Croatian army.
Varaà ¾din represents the best preserved and richest urban complex in continental Croatia. It aims for a Unesco listing as a World Heritage Site.
The Old Town (fortress) is an example of medieval defensive buildings. Construction began in the 14th century, and in the following century the rounded towers, typical of Gothic architecture in Croatia, were added. Today it houses the Town Museum. The fortress was depicted on the reverse of the Croatian 5 kuna banknote, issued in 1993 and 2001.
The Old and Contemporary Masters Gallery is located in the Sermage Palace, built in the rococo style in 1750.
In 1523, Margrave Georg of Brandenburg built the town hall in late baroque style, with the Varaà ¾din coat of arms at the foot of the tower, and it has continued in its function until the present day. There is a guard-changing ceremony every Saturday.
Varaà ¾din's Cathedral, a former Jesuit church, was built in 1647, and is distinguished by its baroque entrance, eighteenth-century altar, and paintings.
There are many baroque and rococo palaces and houses in the town. Worth particular mention is Varaà ¾din's Croatian National Theatre, built in 1873 and designed by the Viennese architects Herman Helmer and Ferdinand Fellner.
A baroque music festival has been held annually in Varaà ¾din since 1971, and attracts some of the finest musicians and their fans from Croatia and the world. Recommended to visitors is also the historical street festival à  pancir fest every August.
The city features its old city guard, named Purgari, in various city ceremonies as well as the weekly ceremony of the 'change of the guards' in front of the city hall. Additionally, Varaà ¾din police officers patrol on bicycles in the warmer months.
The Old Town keep is one of the biggest monuments in the city of Varaà ¾din and one of its biggest tourist attractions. It is located in the north-western section of the city core. Today the keep houses the Varaà ¾din City Museum.
The keep is first mentioned in the 12th century and it is believed to be the center of Varaà ¾din county life. The keep underwent numerous ownership changes and reconstructions over the centuries. The Old Town was featured on the now defunct 5 Kuna bill.
The cemetery dates back to 1773 and it was long time an ordinary place until 1905, when Herman Haller had an idea to make it more park-like with large trees and alleys for citizens to stroll through. The reconstruction of the cemetery was done between 1905 and 1947, and its current landscape and architecture dates from these works, It is now a protected cultural and natural park.
In 2023 Varaà ¾din is the first croatian city to become a UNESCO Creative City in the field of music.
The total area is (2001). The urban city settlement is .
The centre of Varaà ¾din County is located near the Drava River, at .
Varaà ¾din has a warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb) bordering on a maritime climate (Cfb).
Since records began in 1949, the highest temperature recorded at the local weather station at an elevation of was , on 8 August 2013. The coldest temperature was , on 16 February 1956.
Varaà ¾din is one of the few Croatian cities whose industry did not directly suffer from the war in 1991. Besides textile giant Varteks (Varaà ¾din Textile), it also has nationally important food (Vindija), metal, and construction industries. The Information Technology and financial and banking sector as are well developed. Further economic development has been encouraged with the creation of a free investment zone.
Today Varaà ¾din is a tourist destination for the summer holidays. The city has numerous areas of interests ranging from cultural areas (reflected by many museums, galleries and theaters in the area), shopping centers in the downtown core, various sports and recreation facilities, also a rich history in cuisine. The close of the tourist season is marked by two annual festivals. The annual à  pancirFest begins at the end of August and ends in September (lasts for 10 days). At this time the city welcomes artists, street performers, musicians and vendors for what is called "the street walking festival".
The city also hosts the Varaà ¾din Baroque Evenings festival, first held in 1971. The festival honours baroque music and culture, both of which hold a special place in Varaà ¾din's identity.
Varaà ¾din was also the host of the Radar Festival, which hosted concerts at the end of summer. It has hosted artists like Bob Dylan, Carlos Santana, The Animals, Manic Street Preachers, Solomon Burke and others.
In October 2023, the state-owned energy company, Bukotermal, announced the discovery of an underground lake of superheated water at an average , with the potential to support a 16MW geothermal power plant near the towns of Lunjkovec and Kutnjak.
Apart from A4 highway that runs between Zagreb and GoriÃÂan (Hungarian border), there are three state roads that reach the area of Varaà ¾din: D2, D3 and D35. The town is fully encircled by the Varaà ¾din bypass. Varaà ¾din is also a hub for bus transportation company "AP Varaà ¾din" which offers significant number of county (local), inter-county and inter-city services, also offering international lines.
Varaà ¾din's railway station is one of the largest and most important train stations in northern Croatia. It represents the intersection of three Croatian railway corridors that are used for both passenger and freight traffic - it lies on R201 railway (Zapreà ¡ià- ÃÂakovec) and also represents the terminus for one local line (L201 connecting Golubovec) and one regional line (R202 connecting Dalj via Koprivnica, Virovitica and Osijek). All of the rail corridors that start, end or pass through Varaà ¾din are single-tracked and non-electrified.
Varaà ¾din is home to a number of professional and semi-professional sports clubs. Varaà ¾din Arena, located near the Drava River, was one of the hosts of the 2009 World Men's Handball Championship held in Croatia, as well as one of the hosts of the 2025 World Men's Handball Championship held in Croatia, Denmark and Norway.
In mountaineering, the local chapter of the HPS is HPD "Ravna Gora", which had 175 members in 1936 under the Kreà ¡imir Filiàpresidency. At the time, it had a ski and a photography section. Membership fell to 138 in 1937, and to 136 in 1938.
Varaà ¾din has seven elementary schools, 10 high schools (2 public gymnasiums, 2 private gymnasiums, trade schools, and other specialized high schools for various paths). Varaà ¾din 2 faculties (Faculty of Organization and Information Technology and Geotechnical faculty) that are part of the University of Zagreb and the University North.
There are 2 public universities currently operating in the city of Varaà ¾din: Varaà ¾din and Koprivnica took part in establishing the University North, a public national university that operates in both cities since 2015. University of Zagreb is present in the city with 2 displaced faculties from Zagreb itself.
The folk tradition of Christening the Bridge () exists in Varaà ¾din and some surrounding towns.
This list contains some of the notable people who were either born in Varaà ¾din, lived in the city for a longer time or were in some significant way related to it.
Varaà ¾din is twinned with: