Cakovec
Encyclopedia
Čakovec 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
.
:
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.
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.
'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 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 . 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" and considered as the landmark of the city. It is located in the Zrinski Park
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 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.
s 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.
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!
and high schools that offer education for jobs in technology, crafts, economy
and construction
. The Teacher's Training College 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 , which is also a host of an international animated film workshop in the summer.
. 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 located at the central square as well as the Saint Nicholas' Church , 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 is a relatively new neighborhood and therefore it mostly has modern houses and buildings including the Church of Saint Anthony of Padua 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 boutique
s, 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 exhibition
s 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
.
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.
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.
Mixed pictures of the city
with:
Čakovec is currently twinned
with these four cities or municipalities:
Nagykanizsa, Hungary Płońsk, Poland Schramberg
, Germany Velenje
, Slovenia Kiryat Tiv'on, Israel
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, located around 90 kilometres north of Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, the Croatian capital. Čakovec is both the county seat and largest city of Međimurje County, the northernmost, smallest and most densely populated Croatian county
Counties of Croatia
The primary territorial subdivisions of the Republic of Croatia called županije . In English they are commonly referred to as counties....
.
Population
The city administrative area of Čakovec includes the following settlementsNaselje
Naselje is a settlement in Croatia, usually translated as settlement. It is the smallest unit of Croatian territory. Individual settlements are by and large referred to as selo , while naselje is a statistical and administrative category. The units of local government in Croatia, cities and...
:
- Čakovec, population 15,185
- IvanovecIvanovecIvanovec is a village in Međimurje County, Croatia. It had a population of 2,195 in the 2001 census.The village is administratively part of the wider area of Čakovec, the county seat and largest city of Međimurje County. It is located next to the city's south-eastern end, approximately three...
, population 2,101 - Krištanovec, population 620
- KuršanecKuršanecKuršanec is a village in Međimurje County, Croatia.The village is located in the south-western part of Međimurje County, near Lake Varaždin, and is administratively part of the wider area of the county seat, Čakovec. The centre of the city is located around 9 kilometres from the village...
, population 1,598 - MačkovecMačkovec, CroatiaMačkovec is a village in Međimurje County, Croatia. It had a population of 1,359 in the 2001 census.The village is located approximately 3 kilometres from the centre of Čakovec, the county seat and largest city of Međimurje County, and administratively belongs to the city's wider area...
, population 1,329 - Mihovljan, population 1,377
- Novo Selo na DraviNovo Selo na DraviNovo Selo na Dravi is a village in Međimurje County, Croatia.The village is located in the south-western part of Međimurje County, near Lake Varaždin, and is administratively part of the wider area of the county seat, Čakovec. It is located around 8 kilometres from the centre of the city...
, population 644 - Novo Selo RokNovo Selo RokNovo Selo Rok is a village in Međimurje County, Croatia.The village is administratively part of the wider area of Čakovec, the county seat of Međimurje County, and is located around 4 kilometres from the centre of the city...
, population 1,462 - Savska VesSavska VesSavska Ves is a village in Međimurje County, Croatia.The village is part of the wider area of Čakovec, the county seat of Međimurje County. It is located next to the southern limits of the city, around 2 kilometres from its centre. It is also connected with the village of Strahoninec, which is a...
, population 1,216 - SlemeniceSlemeniceSlemenice is a village in Međimurje County, Croatia.The village is administratively part of the wider area of Čakovec, the county seat of Međimurje County, and is located around 6 kilometres north of the centre of the city. Its population in the 2001 census was 218.The northern end of Slemenice is...
, population 244 - Šandorovec, population 343
- TotovecTotovecTotovec is a village in Međimurje County, Croatia. It had a population of 529 in the 2001 census.The village is located around 7 kilometres south of the centre of Čakovec, the county seat and largest city of Međimurje County, and is administratively part of the city's wider area...
, population 527 - ŽiškovecŽiškovecŽiškovec is a village in Međimurje County, Croatia.The village is administratively part of the wider area of Čakovec, the county seat of Međimurje County, and is located around 7 kilometres north of the centre of the city. Between 1992 and 1997, it was part of the Vratišinec municipality...
, population 542
The adjacent villages of Belica, Nedelišće
Nedelišce
Nedelišće is a village in Međimurje County, in northern Croatia, and the seat of the Municipality of Nedelišće, which also includes 10 other villages in the south-western part of Međimurje County....
, Pribislavec
Pribislavec
Pribislavec is a village and a municipality in Međimurje County, in northern Croatia. It is located just outside Čakovec, the seat and largest city of Međimurje County, with its western-most part basically connected with the city's eastern-most part....
, Strahoninec
Strahoninec
Strahoninec is a municipality in Međimurje County, Croatia.Strahoninec is the only village in the municipality. Also part of the municipality is the hamlet of Poleve, located just over a kilometre south of the village. In the 2001 census, the municipality had a population of 2,728...
and Šenkovec
Šenkovec
Šenkovec is a municipality in Međimurje County, Croatia, located just outside the county seat, Čakovec.The municipality includes two villages – Šenkovec and Knezovec. In the 2001 census, the two villages were populated by a total of 2,770 people, most of whom are Croats...
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.
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
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
at 93%, with the largest minority being Roma at 3.6% of the municipality. Other ethnic groups are Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
, Hungarians, Slovenes and Albanians
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
. Today's population is estimated to be around 20,000 people within the city limits.
History
According to the geographer StraboStrabo
Strabo, also written Strabon was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher.-Life:Strabo was born to an affluent family from Amaseia in Pontus , a city which he said was situated the approximate equivalent of 75 km from the Black Sea...
's reports in the 1st century, today's location of the city of Čakovec was the site of Aquama (wet town) in Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
times and at the time a marshland, a military post and a legionnaire camp.
The name Čakovec comes from the surname of the count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
Dimitrius Csáky. With the beginning of the 13th century he erected the timber fortification which was later named Csák's tower . 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
Lackovic
The Laczkovich family is a noble family from Hungary and Croatia, which ruled Transylvania in the 14th century. The Laczkovich were the wealthiest family in 14th century Hungary, owning much of what is today Northern Croatia, Eastern Slovenia, and Western Hungary...
family. The period of more significant economic and cultural growth of Čakovec is considered to have started in 1547, when Nikola Šubić Zrinski
Nikola Šubic Zrinski
Nikola Šubić Zrinski , was a Croatian nobleman and general in service of Habsburg Monarchy, ban of Croatia from 1542 to 1556, and member of the Zrinski noble family...
of Szigetvár
Szigetvár
-History:The town's fortress was the setting of the Battle of Szigetvár in 1566. It was a sanjak centre at first in Budin Province , later in Kanije Province .There was already a bum in the marshland back in the Celtic and Roman times...
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
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
Juraj IV Zrinski
Juraj IV Zrinski
Juraj IV Zrinski , , was a Croatian count, a member of the Zrinski noble family.-Life:...
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
Cakovec Castle
Čakovec Castle or Zrinski Castle is a castle in Čakovec, northern Croatia.The castle is located in Zrinski Park, not far from the city's central square. It was built in the 13th century by Count Dimitrius Csáky, after whom the city of Čakovec is named...
which was owned by the Zrinski
Zrinski
The Zrinski family was a Croatian noble family, influential during the period in history marked by the Ottoman wars in Europe in the Kingdom of Croatia and Hungary and in the later Austro-Hungarian Empire...
family between the 16th and the 18th century is known today as the "Old Town of the Zrinskis" and considered as the landmark of the city. It is located in the Zrinski Park
Zrinski Park
Zrinski Park is situated in downtown Čakovec, northern Croatia, close to the central square.The area had been a part of the city fortification since the 13th century. The castle, located in the centre of the Park, was owned by the Zrinski family between the 16th and the 18th century. It is known...
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
Ban (title)
Ban was a title used in several states in central and south-eastern Europe between the 7th century and the 20th century.-Etymology:The word ban has entered the English language probably as a borrowing from South Slavic ban, meaning "lord, master; ruler". The Slavic word is probably borrowed from...
Josip Jelačić
Josip Jelacic
Count Josip Jelačić of Bužim was the Ban of Croatia between 23 March 1848 and 19 May 1859...
liberated Čakovec from the Hungarians and joined it to Croatia. The first railroad track was built here in 1860 and helped to connect Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
with the ports Rijeka
Rijeka
Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...
and Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
. The town was connected by railroad with Mursko Središće
Mursko Središce
Mursko Središće is the northernmost city in Croatia, located at and one of the oldest localities in Međimurje county.Mursko Središće is a city with a total population of 6,334 , and an area of...
and Lendava
Lendava
Lendava is a town and a municipality in Slovenia in the region of Prekmurje. It is close to the border crossing with Hungary at Dolga vas-Rédics, and Hungarian is one of the official languages of the municipality, along with Slovene...
in 1889 and in 1893 electrical power was introduced. Čakovec was the seat of a district in Zala county
Zala (former county)
Zala was a historic administrative county of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is currently in southwestern Hungary, northern Croatia and eastern Slovenia...
of the Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
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
Fyodor Tolbukhin
Fyodor Ivanovich Tolbukhin was a Soviet military commander.-Biography:Tolbukhin was born into a peasant family in the province of Yaroslavl, north-east of Moscow. He volunteered for the Imperial Army in 1914 at the outbreak of World War I. He was steadily promoted, advancing from private to...
in command.
Recent years
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 poolSwimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
s and a jacuzzi
Jacuzzi
Jacuzzi is a company that produces whirlpool bathtubs and spas. Its first product was a bath with massaging jets. The term "jacuzzi" is now often used generically to refer to any bathtub with massaging jets.-History:...
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
2003 World Women's Handball Championship
-Final ranking:-All Star Team:*Goalkeeper: *Left wing: *Left back: *Pivot: *Centre back: *Right back: *Right wing: -Top goalscorers:-References:...
. 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 industryIndustry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
and it is the focal point for communication
Communication
Communication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...
, business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
, trade
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
and education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
in the Međimurje County. The economy of the city is based on textiles, footwear, food processing
Food processing
Food processing is the set of methods and techniques used to transform raw ingredients into food or to transform food into other forms for consumption by humans or animals either in the home or by the food processing industry...
and metal plants. The Čakovec-based company TIZ Zrinski
Zrinski
The Zrinski family was a Croatian noble family, influential during the period in history marked by the Ottoman wars in Europe in the Kingdom of Croatia and Hungary and in the later Austro-Hungarian Empire...
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
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
and clothing manufacturers Čateks and Međimurska Trikotaža Čakovec (MTČ) as well as the footwear manufacturer Jelen, while the companies Čakovečki mlinovi
Čakovečki mlinovi
Čakovečki mlinovi is a Croatian milling company based in Čakovec. In addition to being the biggest producer of wheat flour in the country, it also produces baked goods and pumpkin seed oil...
(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 GymnasiumGymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
and high schools that offer education for jobs in technology, crafts, economy
Economy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
and construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
. The Teacher's Training College 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 , which is also a host of an international animated film workshop in the summer.
Sights, facilities and events
Most of the historical buildings in the city of Čakovec are located in its center or nearby parkPark
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
. The city's old core has been beautifully preserved and renovated. In the Zrinski castle
Cakovec Castle
Čakovec Castle or Zrinski Castle is a castle in Čakovec, northern Croatia.The castle is located in Zrinski Park, not far from the city's central square. It was built in the 13th century by Count Dimitrius Csáky, after whom the city of Čakovec is named...
there is a local museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
protecting 17,000 valuable items. Another noteworthy building in the city is a palace
Palace
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word itself is derived from the Latin name Palātium, for Palatine Hill, one of the seven hills in Rome. In many parts of Europe, the...
built in the Vienna Secession
Vienna Secession
The Vienna Secession was formed in 1897 by a group of Austrian artists who had resigned from the Association of Austrian Artists, housed in the Vienna Künstlerhaus. This movement included painters, sculptors, and architects...
style located at the central square as well as the Saint Nicholas' Church , 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 is a relatively new neighborhood and therefore it mostly has modern houses and buildings including the Church of Saint Anthony of Padua and a new elementary school with a sports hall and outdoor basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and handball
Team handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
grounds and a running track.
At the central square there is also a library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, a theater, cinema
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, a large shopping center
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
and a few confectioner's shops and restaurants. Other business objects in the downtown are mostly boutique
Boutique
A boutique is a small shopping outlet, especially one that specializes in elite and fashionable items such as clothing and jewelry. The word is French for "shop", via Latin from Greek ἀποθήκη , "storehouse"....
s, 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
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
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 exhibition
Art exhibition
Art exhibitions are traditionally the space in which art objects meet an audience. The exhibit is universally understood to be for some temporary period unless, as is rarely true, it is stated to be a "permanent exhibition". In American English, they may be called "exhibit", "exposition" or...
s 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
Atrium (architecture)
In modern architecture, an atrium is a large open space, often several stories high and having a glazed roof and/or large windows, often situated within a larger multistory building and often located immediately beyond the main entrance doors...
of the Zrinski castle
Cakovec Castle
Čakovec Castle or Zrinski Castle is a castle in Čakovec, northern Croatia.The castle is located in Zrinski Park, not far from the city's central square. It was built in the 13th century by Count Dimitrius Csáky, after whom the city of Čakovec is named...
. 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
Auto show
An auto show, or motor show, is a public exhibition of current automobile models, debuts, concept cars, or out-of-production classics. It is commonly attended by automobile manufacturers. Most auto shows occur once or twice a year...
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
Fireworks
Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
at the central square every year during the celebration of the New Year
New Year
The New Year is the day that marks the time of the beginning of a new calendar year, and is the day on which the year count of the specific calendar used is incremented. For many cultures, the event is celebrated in some manner....
.
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 GoričanGorican
Goričan is a municipality in Međimurje County, Croatia.Goričan is the only village belonging to the municipality. Its population in the 2001 census was 3,148. Of the entire population, 3,088 people identified themselves as Croats....
with Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, Karlovac
Karlovac
Karlovac is a city and municipality in central Croatia. The city proper has a population of 49,082, while the municipality has a population of 59,395 inhabitants .Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County...
and the coast of the Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
. 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
Pribislavec
Pribislavec is a village and a municipality in Međimurje County, in northern Croatia. It is located just outside Čakovec, the seat and largest city of Međimurje County, with its western-most part basically connected with the city's eastern-most part....
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
The city districts/neighborhoods| No. | District |
|---|---|
| 1. | Centar |
| 2. | Jug |
| 3. | Martane |
| 4. | Buzovec |
| 5. | Sajmište |
| 6. | Globetka |
| 7. | Špice |
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 footballFootball (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
and athletics stadium with 7,000 places, an indoor hall mostly used for handball, basketball and volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
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 http://webograd.tportal.hr/kk_zeljeznicar_ck - ninepin bowling club
- KK Vajda, a basketball club
- NK ČakovecNK CakovecNK Čakovec is a Croatian football club based in Čakovec, in the northern part of the country. They are currently playing in the fourth tier of Croatian football....
, a football club in the Croatian Third LeagueTreća HNLThe Croatian Third Football League is the third tier of the football league system in Croatia. The league was established in 1991 following the dissolution of the Yugoslav League. It is operated by the Croatian Football Federation.-Subdivisions:... - 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 tennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
club - Disc Golf club Zrinski http://www.discgolf.hr
Gallery of Čakovec
Travnik - a residential part in Jug, the southern part of the cityMixed pictures of the city
Twin towns — Sister cities
Čakovec is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
Čakovec is currently twinned
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with these four cities or municipalities:
Nagykanizsa, Hungary Płońsk, Poland Schramberg
Schramberg
Schramberg is a town in the district of Rottweil, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated in the eastern Black Forest, 25 km northwest of Rottweil. With all its districts Talstadt, Sulgen, Waldmössingen, Heiligenbronn, Schönbronn and Tennenbronn it has about 22,000 inhabitants.One of...
, Germany Velenje
Velenje
Velenje is a town and municipality in northern Slovenia. The municipality has 33.331 inhabitants. Staro Velenje is first mentioned in written doucments dating to 1264 and 1374 as small market town and was a center of handicraft and trade...
, 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 BajukLidija BajukLidija Bajuk is a Croatian singer-songwriter and poet. She performs traditional Croatian folk songs, mostly from her native region of Međimurje, and writes songs inspired by traditional folk music...
, musician - Lujo BezerediLujo BezerediLujo Bezeredi was a Croatian-Hungarian sculptor and painter.He was born in Nova, Hungary, but after the death of his parents he moved to Čakovec, Croatia, where he completed his schooling at the public school and teacher's training school. He later studied at the College of Education in Budapest...
, sculptor and painter - Srećko BogdanSrecko BogdanSrećko Bogdan is a retired Croatian footballer who played a defender. He is now a youth coach in NK Inter Zaprešić.-Playing career:...
, football player/manager - Robert JarniRobert JarniRobert Jarni is a retired Croatian footballer who played as left winger or wingback. He is now a manager, but is currently without a club after resigning from his managerial post at Istra 1961 in September 2010....
, football player/manager - Ladislav Kralj-MeđimurecLadislav KraljLadislav Kralj-Međimurec was a Croatian painter and engraver. In the history of Croatian painting he is best known for his landscapes of his home county, Međimurje, and Zagorje, which he created throughout his entire life...
, artist - Dražen LadićDražen LadicDražen Ladić is a former Croatian football goalkeeper. Between 2006 and 2011 he was the head coach of the Croatian national under-21 team.-Club:...
, football goalkeeper - Ivana LisjakIvana LisjakIvana Lisjak is a female tennis player from Croatia. Her current WTA ranking is No. 266 . She began playing tennis at the age of three when her sister introduced her to the sport at their tennis club....
, tennis player - Franjo PunčecFranjo PunčecFranjo Punčec was a Croatian tennis player. He played for the Yugoslavia's team at the International Lawn Tennis Challenge, and later the Davis Cup, from 1933 to 1946...
, tennis player - Rudolf SteinerRudolf SteinerRudolf Joseph Lorenz Steiner was an Austrian philosopher, social reformer, architect, and esotericist. He gained initial recognition as a literary critic and cultural philosopher...
, philosopher - Josip Štolcer-SlavenskiJosip Štolcer-SlavenskiJosip Štolcer-Slavenski was a Yugoslav composer and professor at the Music Academy in Belgrade.-Early life:...
, composer - Filip UdeFilip UdeFilip Ude is a Croatian gymnast.On 9 August 2008 he qualified in 3rd place for the Olympic final of the men's pommel horse at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and on 17 August he won a silver medal in the finals....
, gymnast - Juraj IV ZrinskiJuraj IV ZrinskiJuraj IV Zrinski , , was a Croatian count, a member of the Zrinski noble family.-Life:...
- soldier, politician and patron - Juraj V ZrinskiJuraj V ZrinskiJuraj V Zrinski was a Croatian Ban , warrior and member of the Zrinski noble family.-Biography:Juraj V Zrinski was born in Čakovec, a town in the Međimurje County, the northernmost county of Croatia...
- soldier and politician - Nikola Zrinski, soldier, poet and philosopherPhilosophyPhilosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
- Nikola Šubić ZrinskiNikola Šubic ZrinskiNikola Šubić Zrinski , was a Croatian nobleman and general in service of Habsburg Monarchy, ban of Croatia from 1542 to 1556, and member of the Zrinski noble family...
- soldier and politician - Petar ZrinskiPetar ZrinskiPetar Zrinski was a Croatian Ban and writer. A member of the Zrinski noble family, he was noted for his role in the attempted Croatian-Hungarian rebellion of 1664-1670 which ultimately led to his execution for high treason.-Zrinski family:Petar Zrinski was born in Vrbovec, a small town near...
, soldier, politician and poet - Vinko ŽganecVinko ŽganecVinko Žganec is a well-known Croatian ethnomusicologist.Žganec was born in Vratišinec in Međimurje. He started to be interested in music early in his childhood and jotted down his first folk song in 1908. In 1916, he published his first book of Croatian folk songs from Međimurje...
, folklorist
External links
- Čakovec Online news portal
- Čakovec Tourist Board