Čakovec, Međimurje, Croatia

🇭🇷 Čakovec is a city in northern Croatia, located around 90 km north of Zagreb, the Croatian capital. Čakovec is both the county seat and the largest city of Međimurje County, the northernmost, smallest and most densely populated Croatian county.

Economy The city of Čakovec has a 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 textile, 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. Many books published in the country are printed in this factory. The city is also a base for several companies engaged in construction, production of building materials, 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 producers in the city. Promming is also one of the biggest factories in Čakovec, they produce metal shelves designed specially for supermarkets.

Sights, facilities and events Most of the historical buildings in Čakovec are located in the town centre or in the centrally located Zrinski Park, and the town's historical core has been well preserved. The Čakovec Castle near the park houses a museum with some 17,000 exhibits. Other landmark buildings in the town centre are a palace built in the Vienna Secession style (Secesijska palača), and Saint Nicholas' Church (Crkva Svetog Nikole). The Southern Čakovec (Čakovečki jug) is a relatively new neighborhood, with 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, outdoor basketball and handball grounds and a running track.

The city has a casino, designed by architect Henrik Böhm.

At the central square there is a library, a theater, a cinema, a large shopping centre and a few confectioners' shops and restaurants. Other businesses in the town centre are mostly clothing stores, bookshops, electronics stores and finance companies. A hospital and the central bus station are located only a few steps from town centre. The largest hotel in Čakovec is located across the park, about 300–400 meters from the central square, and there is also a smaller one in close proximity of the main square.

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

City districts and neighborhoods The city districts/neighborhoods (gradske četvrti/kvartovi) of Čakovec are: I. Centar; II. Jug; III. Martane; IV. Buzovec; V. Sajmište; VI. Globetka; VII. Špice.

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

Sports clubs • IHK Pozoji, an inline hockey club • KK Željezničar Čakovec - ninepin bowling club • KK Međimurje, a basketball club • NK Međimurje, a football club in the Croatian Second League • ŽRK Zrinski, a women's handball club in the Croatian First League • MRK Čakovec, a handball club in the Croatian First League of Handball • TK Franjo Punčec, a tennis club • Disc Golf club Zrinski.