Informations on Zagreb

About Zagreb

Zagreb (pronounced /'zgr?b/) is the capital and the largest city of Croatia. Zagreb is the cultural, scientific, economic and governmental center of the Republic of Croatia in the Prigorje region. The city's population in 2006 was 784,900 (approx. 1.1 million in the metropolitan area). It is situated between the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain and both northern and southern bank of the Sava river at an elevation of approximately 122 m above sea level.

Its favorable geographic position in the southwestern part of the Pannonian Basin, which extends to the Alpine, Dinaric, Adriatic and Pannonic regions, provides an excellent connection for traffic between Central Europe and the Adriatic Sea.

The transport connections, concentration of industry, scientific and research institutions and industrial tradition underlie its leading economic position in Croatia. Zagreb is the seat of the central government, administrative bodies and almost all government ministries.

Demographics

Zagreb is the largest city in Croatia, and is the only Croatian city whose metropolitan population exceeds one million people. Most people live in the city proper. There are 1,088,841 people in the Zagreb metropolitan area, which includes the smaller cities of Samobor, Velika Gorica and Zapresi?. While the official 2001 census states that the population of Zagreb itself is 779,145, the official estimation for 2006 is 784,900. The majority of its citizens are Croats making up 91.94% of the city's population (2001 census). The same census records 40,066 residents belonging to ethnic minorities. Such ethnic minorities comprise: 18,811 Serbs (2.41%), 6,204 Bosniaks (0.80%), 4,030 Muslims by nationality (0.52%), 3,389 Albanians (0.43%), 3,225 Slovenes (0.41%), 1,946 Roma (0.25%), 1,131 Montenegrins (0.17%), 1,315 Macedonians (0.17%), together with other smaller minor ethnic communities.

Climate

The climate of Zagreb is continental, with four separate seasons. Summers are hot and dry, and winters are cold. The average temperature in winter is 1°C (34°F) and the average temperature in summer is 20°C (68°F). The end of May, particularly, gets very warm, with temperatures rising above 30°C (86°F). Snowfall is common in the winter months, from December to March, and rain and fog are common in autumn (October to December).

Origin of name

The modern name Zagreb likely comes from the Croatian word "zagrabiti", which cannot exactly be translated into English directly; its meaning could best be expressed by saying, "to scoop up" or "scoop out". There are several legends about the origins of the name of Zagreb. According to one legend, a lady was thirsty and she took water from a lake (now the fountain) Mandusevac in Zagreb. While she was taking the water, other people shouted, "Zagrebi Mando, zagrebi!" which means, "Scoop it, Manda, scoop it! (the water)"[citation needed]. Another legend says that a Croatian ban (viceroy) was moving with his army through a deserted region and the soldiers were struck by thirst. In his anger, the ban thrust his sabre into the ground, at which point water began to pour out, and he ordered the soldiers to scrape the soil, or zagreb in Croatian, in order to get to the water[citation needed].

The verb zagreb in the sense of digging is also believed to have something to do with the name of the city as the city lay behind a water-filled hole (graba). This theory is supported by some scientists[citation needed].

There is also an interesting theory that Zagreb may mean a place behind a hill ("za breg"), i.e. behind the Sava river's bank, and then the name just changed into Zagreb. This theory is supported by the fact that Sava had once flowed nearer to the centre of the city. At today's Ban Jela?i? square in the very centre of Zagreb, pieces of what was once a wooden boat have been unearthed[citation needed].

Some scientists believe that the name Zagreb is not of Slavic origin, just as the name Croat (Croatian: Hrvat) is believed not to be of that origin[citation needed]. However, if the name does derive from Slavic origins, then possibly the most acceptable explanation is the city za grebom, i.e. "behind the tomb". The tomb could be the one in Dr?i?eva Avenue or one of many other still undiscovered tombs near Gri? or Kaptol[citation needed].

The name used in Austria for a long time was Agram, while Germany sticks to the Croatian name.

History

The history of Zagreb dates as far back as 1094 when the Hungarian King Ladislaus founded a diocese. Alongside the bishop's see the canonical settlement Kaptol developed north of the Cathedral, as did the fortified settlement Gradec on the neighbouring hill. Today the latter is Zagreb's Upper Town (Gornji Grad) and is one of the best preserved urban nuclei in Croatia. Both settlements came under Tatar attack in 1242. As a sign of gratitude for offering him a safe haven from the Tatar the Croatian and Hungarian King Bela IV bestowed Gradec with a Golden Bull, which offered its citizens exemption from county rule and autonomy, as well as its own judicial system. According to legend, Bela left Gradec a cannon, under the condition that it be fired every day so that it did not rust. Since 1 January 1877 the cannon is fired from the Lotrs?ak Tower on Gri? to mark midday.

The main square of the Gornji Grad is dominated by the Gothic church of St. Mark's. It was built at the end of the 14th and the beginning of the 15th century and a late Baroque bell tower was added later.

Fighting ensued between the Zagreb diocese and the free sovereign town of Gradec for land and mills. Sometimes also for political reasons. The term Zagreb was used for these two separate boroughs in the 16th century. Zagreb was then seen as the political centre and the capital of Croatia and Slavonia. In 1850 the town was united under its first mayor - Josip Kaufman.

It was not until the 17th century and Nikola Frankopan that Zagreb was chosen as the seat of the Croatian viceroys in 1621. At the invitation of the Croatian Parliament the Jesuits came to Zagreb and built the first grammar school, the St. Catherine's Church and monastery. In 1669 they founded an academy where philosophy, theology and law were taught.

During the 17th and 18th centuries Zagreb was badly devastated by fire and the plague. In 1776 the royal council (government) moved from Vara?din to Zagreb and during the reign of Joseph II Zagreb became the headquarters of the Vara?din and Karlovac general command.

In the 19th century Zagreb was the center of the Croatian National Revival and saw the erection of important cultural and historic institutions.

The first railway line to connect Zagreb with Zidani Most and Sisak was opened in 1862 and in 1863 Zagreb received a gasworks. The Zagreb waterworks was opened in 1878 and the first horse-drawn tramcar was used in 1891. The construction of the railway lines enabled the old suburbs to merge gradually into Donji Grad, characterized by a regular block pattern that prevails in Central European cities. This bustling core hosts many imposing buildings, monuments, and parks as well as a multitude of museums, theaters and cinemas. An electric power plant was erected in 1907 and development flourished 1880-1914 after the earthquake in Zagreb when the town received the characteristic layout it has today.

Working class quarters emerged between the railway and the Sava, whereas the construction of residential quarters on the hills of the southern slopes of Medvednica was completed between the two World Wars.

From 1921 - 1931 the population of Zagreb went up by 70 percent  »” the largest demographic boom in the history of Zagreb. In 1926 the first radio station in the region began broadcasting out of Zagreb, and in 1947 the Zagreb Fair was opened.

The area between the railway and the Sava river witnessed a new construction boom after World War II. After the mid-1950s, construction of new residential areas south of the Sava river began, resulting in Novi Zagreb (New Zagreb). The city also expanded westward and eastward, incorporating Dubrava, Podsused, Jarun, Blato, and other settlements.

The cargo railway hub and the international airport Pleso were built south of the Sava river. The largest industrial zone (?itnjak) in the southeast represents an extension of the industrial zones on the eastern outskirts of the city, between the river Sava and Prigorje region.

In 1991, it became the capital of the country following secession from Second Yugoslavia. During the 1991-1995 Croatian War of Independence, it was a scene of some sporadic fighting surrounding its JNA army barracks, but escaped major damage. In May 1995, it was targeted by Serb rocket artillery in the Zagreb rocket attack that killed seven civilians.

Urbanized lines of settlements connect Zagreb with the centres in its surroundings: Sesvete, Zapresi?, Samobor, Dugo Selo and Velika Gorica. Sesvete is the closest one to become a part of the conurbation and is in fact already included in the City of Zagreb.

The data in column 3 refers to the administrative arrangement valid at time of census. The data in column 4 is broken down to the territory now defined as 'The City of Zagreb' (as from regulative published in NN No.10, from 10th of January 1997)

If not stated else the data is from population cesuses, carried out according to regulations valid at that time.

Economy

Zagreb is the most developed city of Balkan region. Most important branches of industry are: production of electric machines and devices, chemical, pharmaceutical, textile, food and drink processing. Zagreb is international trade and business center, and the transport crossroad of Central and East Europe.

The city of Zagreb has the highest nominal GDP per capita in Croatia ($ 28,800, compared to the 2008 Croatian average of $ 12 890)

As of October 2007, the average monthly net salary in Zagreb was 5,980 kuna, about $1,300 in 2007 (Croatian average is 5,000 kuna, about $1104$ in 2007) . In 2006 the average unemployment rate in Zagreb was around 8.6%.

34% of companies in Croatia have headquarters in Zagreb, and 38.4% of Croatian workforce works in Zagreb, including almost all banks, utility and public transport companies.

Companies in Zagreb create 52% of total turnover and 60% of total profit of Croatia in 2006 as well as 37% of Croatian export.

Cityscape

There have been many recent constructions in Zagreb, such as the Almeria Tower, Eurotower, HOTO Tower and Zagrebtower. Several new skyscrapers, such as Center ?rnomerec, Sky Office Tower and the Tower 123 are planned for construction in 2008, along with proposed business districts in Kajzerica and Buzin, both in Novi Zagreb.

Metropolitan administration

According to the Constitution, the city of Zagreb, as the capital of Croatia, has special status. As such, Zagreb performs self-governing public affairs of both city and county.

City administration bodies: city assembly as representative body, mayor and city government as executive body.

Members of the city assembly are elected at direct elections. Members of the city assembly elect the mayor and members of the city government by majority vote.

City government has 11 members elected on mayor's proposal by the city assembly by majority vote. The mayor is the head of city government and has two deputies.

Organization of city administrative bodies is composed of 12 city offices, 3 city bureaus and 3 city services. They are responsible to the mayor and the city government.

Local self-government is organized in 17 city districts represented by City District Councils. Residents of districts elect members of Councils.

The city assembly is composed of 51 representatives, presided by Tatjana Holjevac (ind. rep.), coming from the following political parties:

Transport

Zagreb is the hub of five major Croatian highways. Until a few years ago all Croatian highways either started or ended in Zagreb.

The highways A1 and A6 start at Lu?ko interchange and concur until the Bosiljevo interchange. The former leads to Rijeka and forms a part of the Corridor Vb while the latter connects Zagreb and Split (as of September 2007 ?estanovac). Further extension of A1 up to Dubrovnik is in construction. Both highways are tolled.

Highway A3 (formerly named Bratstvo i jedinstvo) was the showpiece of Croatia in the SFRY. It is the oldest Croatian highway. A3 forms a part of the Corridor X. The highway starts at the Bregana border crossing, bypasses Zagreb forming a big part of the Zagreb bypass and ends at Lipovac near the Bajakovo border crossing. It continues in Southeast Europe in the direction of Near East. This highway is tolled except for a stretch between Bobovica and Ivanja Reka interchanges.

Highway A2 is a branch of the Corridor X. It connects Zagreb and the frequently congested Macelj border crossing forming a continuous highway-level link between Zagreb and Western Europe except for the Slovenian part, which is still just a primary route.

Forming a part of the Corridor Vb, highway A4 starts in Zagreb forming the northeastern wing of the Zagreb bypass and leads to Hungary until the Gori?an broder crossing. It is the least used highway around Zagreb.

The railway running along the Sutla river and the A2 highway (Zagreb-Macelj) running through Zagorje, as well as traffic connections with the Pannonian region and Hungary (the Zagorje railroad, the roads and railway to Vara?din - ?akovec and Koprivnica) are linked with truck routes.

The southern railway connection to Split operates on a line via the Lika region (renovated in 2004 to allow for a five-hour journey); a faster line along the Una river valley is currently in use only up to the border between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The railway and the highway A3 along the Sava river that extend to Slavonia (towards Slavonski Brod, Vinkovci, Osijek and Vukovar) are some of the busiest traffic corridors in the country.

The city has an avenue network with several main arteries up to six lanes wide and Zagreb bypass, a congested four-lane highway encircling most of the city. There is much congestion in the city center and a parking problem during the rush hour. The parking problem is supposed to be somewhat alleviated by the construction of new underground multi-storey parking lots (Importanne Centre, Importanne Gallery, Lang Square, Tuskanac, Kvaternik Square, Klai? Street). The busiest road is the main east-west artery, consisting of Ljubljanska Avenue, Zagreba?ka Avenue and Slavonska Avenue.

As of 2007, Zagreb has seven road traffic bridges across the river Sava. In downstream order, these are:

There are two rail traffic bridges across Sava, one near Sava bridge and one near Mi?evec.

Public transportation in the city is organized in two layers: the inner parts of the city are mostly covered by trams and the outer suburbs are linked with buses. The public transportation company, ZET (Zagreba?ki elektri?ni tramvaj, Zagreb Electric Tram), operating trams all inner bus lines and the most of the suburban lines, is subsidized by the city council.

The funicular (uspinja?a) in the historic part of the city is a tourist attraction. Taxis are readily available, but very expensive.

As of 1992, the state rail operator H? (Hrvatske ?eljeznice, Croatian Railways) has been developing a network of suburban trains in metropolitan Zagreb area.

Zagreb has an extensive tram network with 15 day and 4 night lines covering much of the inner- and middle-suburbs of the city. Trams commenced on September 5, 1891 and have been in continual service since. Trams usually travel at speeds of 25-50 km/h (15-30 mph), but slow considerably during rush hour. The network is unique as it operates mostly at the curb.

An ambitious program is currently underway to replace old trams with the new and modern ones built mostly in Zagreb by companies Kon?ar elektroindustrija and, to a lesser extent, by T?V Gredelj. Dubbed "TMK 2200", 70 trams have been delivered in 2005-2007 period, and delivery of additional 70 trams is contracted and already started.

In 2005, suburban rail services were increased to a 15-minute frequency serving the middle and outer suburbs of Zagreb, primarily in the east-west direction and to the southern districts. This has enhanced commuting opportunity.

A new link to the nearby town of Samobor has been announced and is due to start construction in 2009. This link will be standard-gauge and tie in with normal Croatian Railways operations (the previous narrow-gauge line to Samobor was closed in the 1970s).

Zagreb Airport (IATA: ZAG, ICAO: LDZA), known as 'Pleso Airport' is the main Croatian international airport, situated 14 km south-west from Zagreb in the suburb of Pleso. The airport is also a main Croatian airbase featuring helicopters, as well as military and freight transport aircraft. New terminal is planned for 2011 to replace the current inadequate building, with construction commencing in 2008.

Zagreb has a second, smaller airport, Lu?ko (ICAO: LDZL). It is home to sports airplanes and the Croatian special police, as well as a military helicopter airbase. Lu?ko was once the main airport for Zagreb.

A third, small grass airfield, Busevec, is located just outside Velika Gorica. It is primarily used for sports purposes.

Education

There are 136 primary schools and 100 secondary schools including 30 gymnasiums. There are 5 public higher education institution and 9 private professional higher education schools.

Zagreb is the home of the oldest secondary school in Croatia and the southeastern part of Europe - the Zagreb Classical Gymnasium (Klasi?na gimnazija). It was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1607 and has operated continuously ever since.

The school was bombed on May 2, 1995 during the bombing of Zagreb in the Croatian war of independence.

The University of Zagreb (1669) is the oldest and one of the largest universities in South-Eastern Europe. Ever since its foundation, the University has been continually growing and developing and now consists of 29 faculties, three art academies and the Centre for Croatian Studies.

Cultural sites

Zagreb's numerous museums reflect the history, art and culture not only of Zagreb and Croatia, but also of Europe and the world. Around thirty collections in museums and galleries comprise more than 3.6 million various exhibits, excluding church and private collections.

The Archaeological Museum (19 Nikola ?ubi? Zrinski Square) collections, today consisting of nearly 400,000 varied artifacts and monuments, have been gathered over the years from many different sources. These holdings include evidence of Croatian presence in the area. The most famous are the Egyptian collection, the Zagreb mummy and bandages with the oldest Etruscan inscription in the world (Liber Linteus Zagrabiensis), as well as the numismatic collection.

The Croatian Natural History Museum (1 Demetrova Street) holds the world's most extensive collection of Neanderthal remains found at one site.[neutrality disputed] These are the remains, stone weapons and tools of prehistoric Krapina man. The holdings of the Croatian Natural History Museum comprise more than 250,000 specimens distributed among various different collections.

The Technical Museum (18 Savska Street) was founded in 1954 and it maintains the oldest preserved machine in the area, dating from 1830, which is still operational. The museum exhibits numerous historic aircraft, cars, machinery and equipment. There are some distinct sections in the museum: the Planetarium, the Apisarium, the Mine (model of mines for coal, iron and non-ferrous metals, about 300 m long), and the Nikola Tesla study.

The Museum of the City of Zagreb (20 Opati?ka Street) was established in 1907 by the Association of the Bra?a Hrvatskog Zmaja. It is located in a restored monumental complex (Popov toranj, the Observatory, Zakmardi Granary) of the former Convent of the Poor Clares, of 1650. The Museum deals with topics from the cultural, artistic, economic and political history of the city spanning from Roman finds to the modern period. The holdings comprise 75,000 items arranged systematically into collections of artistic and mundane objects characteristic of the city and its history.

The Arts and Crafts Museum (10 Marshal Tito Square) was founded in 1880 with the intention of preserving the works of art and craft against the new predominance of industrial products. With its 160,000 exhibits, the Arts and Crafts Museum is a national-level museum for artistic production and the history of material culture in Croatia.

The Ethnographic Museum (14 Ivan Ma?urani? Square) was founded in 1919. It lies in the fine Secession building of the one-time Trades Hall of 1903. The ample holdings of about 80,000 items cover the ethnographic heritage of Croatia, classified in the three cultural zones: the Pannonian, Dinaric and Adriatic.

The museum called the "Art Collection of Ante and Wiltrud Topi? Mimara" or, for short, the Mimara Museum (5 Roosevelt Square), was founded with a donation from Ante "Mimara" Topi? and opened to the public in 1987. It is located in a late 19th century neo-Renaissance palace. The holdings comprise 3,750 works of art of various techniques and materials, and different cultures and civilisations.

The Croatian Naive Art Museum (3 ?irilometodska Street) is considered to be the first museum of naive art in the world.[citation needed] The museum keeps works of Croatian naive expression of the 20th century. It is located in the 18th century Raffay Palace in the Upper City (Gornji Grad). The museum holdings consist of 1500 works of art - paintings, sculptures, drawings and prints, mainly by Croatians but also by other well-known world artists. From time to time, the museum organises topics and retrospective exhibitions by naive artists, expert meetings and educational workshops and playrooms.

The Museum of Contemporary Art was founded in 1954 and a rich collection of Croatian and foreign contemporary visual art has been collected throughout the decades. The Museum (2 St. Catherine's Square) is located in a space within the Kulmer Palace in the Upper City (Gornji Grad). A new Museum building in Novi Zagreb has been under construction since 2003. The Museum's permanent art collection will be presented to the public when it moves into its new building planned for 2007.

Valuable historical collections are also found in the Croatian School Museum, the Croatian Hunting Museum, the Croatian Sports Museum, the Croatian Post and Telecommunications Museum, the HAZU (Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts) Glyptotheque (collection of monuments), and the HAZU Graphics Cabinet.

The Strossmayer's Old Masters Gallery (11 Zrinski Square) offers permanent holdings presenting European paintings from the 14th to 19th centuries, and the Ivan Mestrovi? Studio, (8 Mleta?ka Street) with sculptures, drawings, lithography portfolios and other items, was a donation of this great artist to his homeland The Museum and Gallery Centre (4 Jesuit Square) introduces on various occasions the Croatian and foreign cultural and artistic heritage. The Art Pavilion (22 King Tomislav Square) by Viennese architects Hellmer and Fellmer who were the most famous designers of theatres in Central Europe is a neo-classical exhibition complex and one of the landmarks of the city centre. The exhibitions are also held in the impressive Mestrovi? building on Hrvatskih Velikana Square  »” the Home of Croatian Fine Artists. The World Centre "Wonder of Croatian Naïve Art" (12 Ban Jela?i? Square) exhibits masterpieces of Croatian naive art as well as the works of a new generation of artists. The Modern Gallery (1 Hebrangova Street) comprises all relevant fine artists of the 19th and 20th centuries.

There are about 20 permanent or seasonal theaters and stages. The Croatian National Theater was built in 1895 and opened by emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. The most renowned concert hall is named "Vatroslav Lisinski", after the composer of the first Croatian opera was built in 1973.

Animafest, the World Festival of Animated Films, takes place every even-numbered year, and the Music Bienniale, the international festival of avant-garde music, every odd-numbered year. It also hosts the annual ZagrebDox documentary film festival. The Festival of the Zagreb Philharmonic and the flowers exhibition Floraart (end of May or beginning of June), the Old-timer Rally annual events. In the summer, theater performances and concerts, mostly in the Upper Town, are organized either indoors or outdoors. The stage on Opatovina hosts the Zagreb Histrionic Summer theater events.

Zagreb is also the host of Zagrebfest, the oldest Croatian pop-music festival, as well as of several traditional international sports events and tournaments. The Day of the City of Zagreb on the November 16 is celebrated every year with special festivities, especially on the Jarun lake near the southwestern part of the city.

Religious organizations

The Archdiocese of Zagreb is a metropolitan see of the Catholic Church in Croatia, serving as its religious center. The current Archbishop is Josip Cardinal Bozani?.

Zagreb is also the Episcopal see of the Metropolitan of Zagreb, Ljubljana and all of Italy of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The current Metropolitan is Jovan.

Islamic religious organization of Croatia has the see in Zagreb. Current president is Mufti ?evko Omerbasi?.

Surroundings

The wider Zagreb area has been continuously inhabited since the prehistoric period, as witnessed by archaeological findings in the Veternica cave from the Paleolithic and excavation of the remains of the Roman Andautonia near the present village of itarjevo.

The picturesque former villages on the slopes of Medvednica, ?estine, Gra?ani and Remete, maintain their rich traditions, including folk costumes, ?estine umbrellas, and gingerbread products.

The Medvednica Mountain (Zagreba?ka gora), with its highest peak Sljeme (1,033 m), provides a panoramic view of metropolitan Zagreb, the Sava and the Kupa valleys, and the region of Hrvatsko Zagorje. In mid-January 2005, Sljeme held its first World Ski Championship tournament.

From the summit, weather permitting, the vista reaches as far as Velebit Range along Croatia's rocky northern coast, as well as the snow-capped peaks of the towering Julian Alps in neighbouring Slovenia. There are several lodging villages, offering accommodation and restaurants for hikers. Skiers visit Sljeme, which has four ski-runs, three ski-lifts and a chairlift.

Old Medvedgrad, the recently restored medieval burg built in the 13th century, represents a special attraction of Medvednica hill. It overlooks the western part of the city and also has the Shrine of the Homeland, a memorial with an eternal flame, where Croatia pays reverence to all its heroes fallen for homeland in its history, customarily on national holidays. Travel agencies organize guided excursions to the surroundings as well as sightseeing in Zagreb itself.

Tourism

Zagreb is an important tourist center, not only in terms of passengers travelling from Western and Central Europe to the Adriatic Sea, but also as a travel destination itself. Since the end of the war, it has attracted around half a million visitors annually, mainly from Austria, Germany and Italy. However, the city has even greater potential as many tourists that visit Croatia skip Zagreb in order to visit the beaches along the Croatian Adriatic coast and old historic Renaissance cities such as Dubrovnik, Split, and Zadar.

The historical part of the city to the north of Ban Jela?i? Square is composed of the Gornji Grad and Kaptol, a medieval urban complex of churches, palaces, museums, galleries and government buildings that are popular with tourists on sightseeing tours. The historic district can be reached on foot, starting from Jela?i? Square, the center of Zagreb, or by a funicular on nearby Tomi?eva Street.

Numerous shops, boutiques, store houses and shopping centres offer a variety of quality clothing. Zagreb's offerings include crystal, china and ceramics, wicker or straw baskets, and top-quality Croatian wines and gastronomic products.

Many Zagreb restaurants offer various specialities of national and international cuisine. Domestic products which deserve to be tasted include turkey, duck or goose with mlinci (a kind of pasta), strukli (cottage cheese strudel), sir i vrhnje (cottage cheese with cream), kremsnite (custard slices in flaky pastry), and orehnja?a (traditional walnut roll).

Recreation and sports

There are several sports and recreational centers in Zagreb. Recreational Sports Center Jarun, situated on Jarun Lake in the southwest of the city, has fine shingle beaches, a world-class regatta course, a jogging lane around the lake, several restaurants, many night clubs and a discotheque. Its sports and recreation opportunities include swimming, sunbathing, waterskiing, angling and other water sports, but also beach volleyball, football, basketball, handball, table tennis, and minigolf.

Dom Sportova, a sport center in northern Tresnjevka features six halls. The largest two can accommodate 12,000 and 4,000 people, respectively. This center is used for basketball, handball, volleyball, hockey, gymnastics, tennis, and many others. It is also used for concerts.

Zagreb Arena is going to be finished by the end of 2008. The construction started in July 2007. It will have 16,300 seats and it will be used for many sports and events.

The Dra?en Petrovi? Basketball Hall seats 5,400 people. Alongside the hall is the 94-meter (310 ft) high glass Cibona Tower.

Sports Park Mladost, situated on the embankment of the Sava river, has an Olympic-size swimming pool, smaller indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a sunbathing terrace, 16 tennis courts as well as basketball, volleyball, handball, football and field hockey courts. A volleyball sports hall is within the park.

Sports and Recreational Center ?alata, only a couple hundred meters from the Jela?i? Square, is most attractive for tennis players. It comprises a big tennis court and eight smaller ones, two of which are covered by the so-called "balloon", and another two equipped with lights. The center also has swimming pools, basketball courts, football fields, a gym and fitness centre, and a four-lane bowling alley. Outdoor ice skating is a popular winter recreation. There are also several fine restaurants within and near the center.

Maksimir Tennis Center, located in Ravnice east of downtown, consists of two sports blocks. The first comprises a tennis center situated in a large tennis hall with four courts. There are 22 outdoor tennis courts with lights. The other block offers multipurpose sports facilities: apart from tennis courts, there are handball, basketball and indoor football grounds, as well as track and field facilities, a bocci ball alley and table tennis opportunities.

Recreational swimmers can enjoy a smaller-size indoor swimming pool in Dani?i?eva Street, and a newly opened indoor Olympic-size pool at Utrine sports center in Novi Zagreb. Skaters can skate in the skating rink on Trg Sportova (Sports Square) and on the lake Jarun Skaters' park. Hippodrome Zagreb offers recreational horseback riding opportunities, while horse races are held every weekend during the warmer part of the year.

The 40,000-seat Maksimir Stadium, currently under renovation, is located in Maksimir in the northeastern part of the city. Upon renovation, it will seat 55,000 spectators, and sport a fully retractable roof. The stadium is part of the immense Svetice recreational and sports complex (?RC Svetice), south of the Maksimir Park. The complex covers an area of 276,440 m² (68 acres). It is part of a significant Green Zone, which passes from Medvednica Mountains in the north toward the south. ?RC Svetice, together with Maksimir Park, creates an ideal connection of areas which are assigned to sport, recreation and leisure.

The latest larger recreational facility is Bundek, a group of two small lakes near the Sava in Novi Zagreb, surrounded by a partly forested park. The location had been used prior to the 1970s, but then went to neglect until 2006 when it was renovated.