Čakovec

City of Čakovec Grad Čakovec
Flag
Nickname(s): Grad Zrinskih
City of Čakovec Location of Čakovec in Croatia
Coordinates: 46°23′10.58″N 16°26′08.57″E / 46.3862722°N 16.4357139°E / 46.3862722; 16.4357139
Country	Croatia
County	Međimurje County
RC diocese
Government
– Mayor	Branko Šalamon (SDP)
Area
– Total	72.8 km2 (28.1 sq mi)
Population (2011)[1]
– Total	27,227
	(municipality total)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
– Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	40 000
Area code(s)	040
Vehicle registration	ČK
Highest point	146 m
Website	http://www.cakovec.hr

Čakovec (pronounced [t͡ʃâkɔ̝v̞et͡s]) is a city in northern Croatia, located around 90 kilometres north of Zagreb, the Croatian capital. Čakovec is both the county seat and largest city of Međimurje County, the northernmost, smallest and most densely populated Croatian county.

Population

The city administrative area of Čakovec includes the following settlements:^[1]

• Čakovec, population 15,185
• Ivanovec, population 2,101
• Krištanovec, population 620
• Kuršanec, population 1,598
• Mačkovec, population 1,329
• Mihovljan, population 1,377
• Novo Selo na Dravi, population 644
• Novo Selo Rok, population 1,462
• Savska Ves, population 1,216
• Slemenice, population 244
• Šandorovec, population 343
• Totovec, population 527
• Žiškovec, population 542

The adjacent villages of Belica, Nedelišće, Pribislavec, Strahoninec and Šenkovec are seats of separate municipalities, although they are all located within 5 kilometres of the city's centre.

The total population of the city's metropolitan area, with all of the aforementioned villages is approximately 45,000.^{[citation needed]}

In the 2001 census, the city of Čakovec had a population of 15,790 within its limits, which is a slight decrease from 1991 census in which it was populated by 15,999 people. With its surrounding suburbs included it had a population of 30,455 as of 2001 census.

The city's present day population primarily consists of ethnic Croats at 93%, with the largest minority being Roma at 3.6% of the municipality. Other ethnic groups are Serbs, Hungarians, Slovenes and Albanians. Today's population is estimated to be around 20,000 people within the city limits.

History

A Monument to Nikola Zrinski at the Republic Square

Old Town of Zrinski

Old Town of the Zrinskis (The Tower of the palace fortifications)

Zrinski Palace

Secession palace

Saint Nicholas' Church

According to the geographer Strabo's reports in the 1st century, today's location of the city of Čakovec was the site of Aquama (wet town) in Roman times and at the time a marshland, a military post and a legionnaire camp.

The name Čakovec (Hungarian: Csáktornya, German: Csakathurn or Tschakathurn) comes from the surname of the count Dimitrius Csáky. With the beginning of the 13th century he erected the timber fortification which was later named Csák's tower (Croatian: Čakov toranj). It was mentioned for the first time in 1328 and the place appeared in the official books in 1333. From 1350 to 1397, it was in the possession of the Lacković family. The period of more significant economic and cultural growth of Čakovec is considered to have started in 1547, when Nikola Šubić Zrinski of Szigetvár became the owner of the area. At that time the castle was lavishly decorated, surrounded by a park and sculptures of famous army leaders and monarchs. Duke Juraj IV Zrinski granted privileges to the inhabitants of the Čakovec fortress and its suburbs on May 29, 1579. This was the starting point for Čakovec to become a free market town and the date is celebrated today as "City Day". The castle which was owned by the Zrinski family between the 16th and the 18th century is known today as the "Old Town of the Zrinskis" (Stari grad Zrinskih) and considered as the landmark of the city. It is located in the Zrinski Park (Perivoj Zrinskih) only a few steps from the downtown and the central square respectively.

In 1738 the city was devastated by an earthquake, in 1741 by a fire and another earthquake hit it in 1880. At the end of the 18th century, the owners of the town became the counts Feštetić and it was turned into a big estate where industry, crafts and trade developed. In 1848 the ban Josip Jelačić liberated Čakovec from the Hungarians and joined it to Croatia. The first railroad track was built here in 1860 and helped to connect Budapest with the ports Rijeka and Trieste. The town was connected by railroad with Mursko Središće and Lendava in 1889 and in 1893 electrical power was introduced. Čakovec was the seat of a district (Hungarian: járás) in Zala county of the Kingdom of Hungary until 1918. It was again occupied by Hungary between 1941-1944 during World War II. It was liberated on 6 April 1945 by the Soviet Red Army with Marshal Fyodor Tolbukhin in command.

Recent years

Some of the Čakovec high-rise buildings

In the late 1990s and throughout the 2000s several modern buildings were built and opened to the public. In 1999 a brand new bathing resort including four indoor swimming pools and a jacuzzi was opened as a part of the city's center for sports and recreation. In 2003 a renovated sports hall, originally built in the 1970s and belonging to the constructional high school, was also opened as a part of the center for sports and recreation and hosted several group matches of the 2003 World Women's Handball Championship. Beginning in the late 1990s and early 2000s several large shopping centers and automobile showrooms emerged in the city, mostly in its northwestern part. Čakovec was also rewarded twice with The Green Flower award for the tidiest continental city in Croatia in 2008 and 2009. Čakovec is the first city of the former Yugoslavia to have installed completely electronic information spots, that are located at the Republic Square and Franciscan Square in the Center and at the Square of Saint Anthony of Padua in the Jug district. Also the city opened up their new university called MEV - Međimursko veleučilište u Čakovcu (University of Međimurje in Čakovec). In the last decade the city has developed to be one of 10 cities with the highest GDP in Croatia. The city is also known as the city of traffic circles, as it removed, during the late 1990s and early 2000s, all of their traffic lights in the inner part of the city and replaced them with traffic circles or rotaries which practically eliminated traffic jams. The only traffic lights in the city are located on the southern bypass. Although Čakovec in global standards is a small city, its large working force which comes from all over the county, its location and meaning in the region often caused many traffic jams on the crossroads, because of the traffic lights.

Economy

The city of Čakovec has highly developed industry and it is the focal point for communication, business, trade and education in the Međimurje County. The economy of the city is based on textiles, footwear, food processing and metal plants. The Čakovec-based company TIZ Zrinski is the largest printing and publishing company in the county as well as one of the major such companies in northern Croatia and many books sold in the country are printed in this factory. The city is also a base for some companies engaged in building materials, construction and plastics. Some of the largest companies based in the city include the textile and clothing manufacturers Čateks and Međimurska Trikotaža Čakovec (MTČ) as well as the footwear manufacturer Jelen, while the companies Čakovečki mlinovi (bakery) and Vajda (meat products) are major fresh food suppliers in the city. This one of the most developed region in all Croatia. People are very friendly and openhearted!

Education

The city of Čakovec currently has three elementary schools and several secondary schools including a Gymnasium and high schools that offer education for jobs in technology, crafts, economy and construction. The Teacher's Training College (Croatian: Visoka učiteljska škola) is the only institution for higher education that lasts more than 3 years. The city actually opened their own university called MEV - Međimursko veleučilište u Čakovcu (The University of Međimurje in Čakovec), but it is only for 3 years studies or 180 ECTS points, and that is for Computer Science and for The Management of Tourism and Sport. The city is also known for its school of animated film ŠAF (Škola animiranog filma), which is also a host of an international animated film workshop in the summer.

Sights, facilities and events

The Center of Culture

Most of the historical buildings in the city of Čakovec are located in its center or nearby park. The city's old core has been beautifully preserved and renovated. In the Zrinski castle there is a local museum protecting 17,000 valuable items. Another noteworthy building in the city is a palace built in the Vienna Secession style (Secesijska palača) located at the central square as well as the Saint Nicholas' Church (Crkva Svetog Nikole), which is located in the downtown about 100 meters from the central square. At the central square there is also the Zrinski monument. The Southern Čakovec (Čakovečki jug) is a relatively new neighborhood and therefore it mostly has modern houses and buildings including the Church of Saint Anthony of Padua (Crkva Svetog Antuna Padovanskog) and a new elementary school with a sports hall and outdoor basketball and handball grounds and a running track.

At the central square there is also a library, a theater, cinema, a large shopping center and a few confectioner's shops and restaurants. Other business objects in the downtown are mostly boutiques, bookshops, electronics stores and financial companies. A hospital and the central bus station are located only a few steps from the downtown. The largest hotel in the city is located across the park about 300–400 meters from the central square, but there's also a smaller one only a few steps away from the downtown.

From the cultural events several concerts and theatrical shows are held more than once a week. At the central square there is a theater building called Centar za kulturu (Cultural center) and projections of the new cinema movies are almost daily part of its program. The center also hosts theatrical shows Thursdays as a part of the show called Čakovec četvrtkom (Čakovec Thursdays), which became sort of a cultural trademark of the city. Several art exhibitions also take place in the building through the year. Throughout the summer, the central square hosts several cultural events and open air theatrical shows are also held in the atrium of the Zrinski castle. In late July and early August there's a large traditional fair at the central square and other streets in the downtown. Since 2002 the city also has its own annual outdoor auto show that takes place in May around the bathing resort at the premises of the city's center for sports and recreation. There's also an entertaining program and fireworks at the central square every year during the celebration of the New Year.

Transportation

The city of Čakovec is easily accessible by road or a railroad track. It has two train stations. The main train station of Čakovec and Čakovec - Buzovec. The road infrastructure is good and includes a new expressway connecting the Hungary border-crossing point in Goričan with Zagreb, Karlovac and the coast of the Adriatic Sea. There is also a southern bypass which was built in the beginning of the second half of the first decade in the 21 century. The city is connected to local municipalities with an efficient public transportation system and itself it has two train stations and a central bus station which also has a taxi service available and is located near to the central square. In the suburb village of Pribislavec there's also a small sports airport organizing an annual aeromeeting as well as panoramic flights over the city and county in the summer. The airport is located approximately three kilometers east from the downtown.

City districts and neighborhoods

Čakovec Jug

The city districts/neighborhoods (Croatian: gradske četvrti/kvartovi)

No.	District
1.	Centar
2.	Jug
3.	Martane
4.	Buzovec
5.	Sajmište
6.	Globetka
7.	Špice

Panorama of the northern Čakovec Center

The Old Town of Zrinski in the City Park

Sports

The sports-related activities in the city of Čakovec are mostly centered in its northwestern part, where the center for sports and recreation is located. The center includes a football and athletics stadium with 7,000 places, an indoor hall mostly used for handball, basketball and volleyball matches and a bathing resort, where several swimming schools are organized throughout the year.

Sports clubs

• IHK Pozoji, an inline hockey club
• KK Željezničar Čakovec [1] - ninepin bowling club
• KK Vajda, a basketball club
• NK Čakovec, a football club in the Croatian Third League
• NK Međimurje, a football club in the Croatian First League
• RK Perutnina Pipo IPC, a handball club in the Croatian First League of Handball, also played some matches at the international level
• TK Franjo Punčec, a tennis club
• Disc Golf club Zrinski [2]

Gallery of Čakovec

Travnik - a residential part in Jug, the southern part of the city

• 

  A look at the north

• 

  A look at the south

Mixed pictures of the city

• 

  The new monument to Nikola Zrinski Sigetski

• 

  Coat of arms of the Ernušt family, owners of the town in the 15th and 16th century

• 

  Town center

• 

  Farewell - Zrinski monument in the Castle courtyard

• 

  View at the north-east from the hospital

• 

  Inside the fortifications of the Old town

• 

  Zrinski Guard, historical military unit, marching

• 

  Čakovec in the 18th century

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Croatia

Twin towns — Sister cities

Čakovec is twinned with: Čakovec is currently twinned with these four cities or municipalities:

• Nagykanizsa, Hungary
• Płońsk, Poland
• Schramberg, Germany
• Velenje, Slovenia
• Kiryat Tiv'on, Israel

Notable people

This list contains some of the notable people who were either born in Čakovec, lived in the city for a longer time or were in some significant way related to it.

• Lidija Bajuk, musician
• Lujo Bezeredi, sculptor and painter
• Srećko Bogdan, football player/manager
• Robert Jarni, football player/manager
• Ladislav Kralj-Međimurec, artist
• Dražen Ladić, football goalkeeper
• Ivana Lisjak, tennis player
• Franjo Punčec, tennis player
• Rudolf Steiner, philosopher
• Josip Štolcer-Slavenski, composer
• Filip Ude, gymnast
• Juraj IV Zrinski - soldier, politician and patron
• Juraj V Zrinski - soldier and politician
• Nikola Zrinski, soldier, poet and philosopher
• Nikola Šubić Zrinski - soldier and politician
• Petar Zrinski, soldier, politician and poet
• Vinko Žganec, folklorist

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Census of Population, Households and Dwellings 2011, First Results by Settlements" (in Croatian and English) (HTML). Statistical Reports (Zagreb: Croatian Bureau of Statistics) (1441). June 2011. ISSN 1332-0297. http://www.dzs.hr/Eng/censuses/census2011/htm/E11_Zup16_0604.html. Retrieved 2011-08-18. 

External links

• City of Čakovec official website (Croatian)
• Čakovec Online news portal (Croatian)
• Čakovec Tourist Board (Croatian)

Coordinates: 46°23′09″N 16°26′00″E / 46.38583°N 16.4333333°E / 46.38583; 16.4333333