Varazdin County

For twenty years, Varaždin was Croatia's capital. From 1756 until the great fire of 1776, this city hosted the Croatian Sabor and served as seat of the Royal Croatian Council under Empress Maria Theresa. The fire destroyed 80% of the town—and also destroyed its political future, as administrative functions relocated permanently to Zagreb. What survived was architecture: the baroque reconstruction that followed the fire created what locals call 'Little Vienna,' an ensemble of rococo palaces and ornate churches that draws comparisons to Habsburg Austria.

The county occupies prosperous territory between the Drava River and the Zagorje mountains, with excellent transport links north to Hungary and south to Zagreb. These connections explain why Varaždin attracted foreign investment even during Yugoslavia, and why it became one of few Croatian regions that escaped significant war damage in 1991-95. The textile industry that Varteks (originally Tivar, founded 1901) built here once made Varaždin the country's largest clothing manufacturer.

The city's civic pride dates to medieval privileges: free royal borough status since 1209, defensive fortifications against Ottoman raids structured around the old Wasserburg castle. An annual baroque music festival running since 1971 celebrates the architectural and cultural heritage. Thermal springs at Varaždinske Toplice, mentioned in royal documents from 1181, continue to attract visitors seeking the same mineral waters that drew medieval Hungarian kings.

By 2026, Varaždin County's challenge is familiar across Croatia: maintaining manufacturing competitiveness and cultural distinctiveness against the pull of Zagreb and Western Europe. The county's advantages—Habsburg infrastructure, transport links, industrial tradition—create a foundation, but cannot guarantee that workers will stay where the baroque palaces are rather than where the highest wages are.