September 27, 2021 - In honour of Ban Jelačić, the Jelačić Days manifestation will present both this important protagonist from Croatian history as well as the town of Zaprešić.

Back during the times of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, the title of ''Ban'' was a noble title appointed by the monarch, and that person served as viceroy to the Croatian territory. Out of many people to earn the privilege, perhaps nobody is more known and loved by the Croats than Josip Jelačić.

This is particularly great for Zaprešić, a lovely town located (give or take) about 20 kilometres from Zagreb. The official day of Zapruđe is the same as Jelačić's birthday; October 16. In honour of both Zaprešić and the historic personality of Jelačić (who is buried in the town), Zapruđe is the host of Jelačić's Days.

''The central programme of this manifestation is the interactive play called ''A Moment of Memory with Ban''. The unique journey begins with the fun thematic Jelačić train that returns all visitors from the Zagreb Railway Station back to 1849 to the ranch of Ban Josip Jelačić,'' reads the Zaprešić Tourist Board website.

''The goal of Jelačić's Days manifestation is to tell the story of Ban Jelačić as one of the most important persons from Croatian history and revive the historical space of the New Jelačić Palace. With a rich cultural-educational-entertaining programme, we wish to attract as many tourists as possible to come and get better acquainted with Zaprešić,'' the Zaprešić Tourist Board site added.

The aforementioned New Jelačić Palace has been rated by the Zaprešić Tourist Board as a unique monument of cultural and historical heritage.

''Back in 1855, Ban Jelačić built the neo-Gothic chapel of St Joseph on a meadow next to the Palac, when, back in September of 1855, his nine-month-old daughter Ana suddenly died in Bohemia, her body was laid to rest in a vault inside the chapel. Later, the remains of Ban Jelačić (16th May 1859) and his brother Antun (1875) were buried inside the same chapel. When in 1991 works began on the restoration of the chapel, the remains were temporarily moved to Zagreb's famous Mirogoj, and in 1992 they were finally laid to rest in the renewed family vault,'' explains the Zaprešić Tourist Board.

This attractive tourist destination is relatively new, and TCN wrote about it in 2018.

After the aforementioned play detailing Jelačić's life, the rich programme will present an abundance of handicrafts, antiques, workshops, and agricultural products from local manufacturers.

Ban Jelačić (born on October 16 1801 in Petrovaradin, today's Novi Sad in Serbia) was most noted for suppressing the national revolution of the Hungarians in 1848 which wasn't problematic only for the Austrian crown, but for Croatian national interests too, as the Hungarians and Croats didn't really have mutual interests (quite on the contrary).

Whether celebrating Jelačić's birth or death (as TCN covered in May), Ban Jelačić remains a well-remembered person from Croatia's rich and often tumultuous history. Whether in Zaprešić or in Zagreb, whose main square named after Jelačić, he remains the beating heart of the city's daily dynamics.

Learn more about Croatian Politics and History since 1990 in our TC guide.

For more about history in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

May 21, 2021 - Yesterday marked the Ban Josip Jelačić death anniversary, and the Zaprešić Tourism Board has prepared a series of activities to celebrate its most famous inhabitant.

The 162nd anniversary of the death of Ban Josip Jelačić will be marked by the Tourist Board of the City of Zaprešić on Saturday and Sunday, May 22 and 23, with a special and interesting program for all generations. 

As turistickeprice.hr reports, the program that celebrates the Ban Josip Jelačić death anniversary will be held in the New Palace of Ban Jelačić, and all visitors will have the opportunity to meet the Ban, the Jelačić family, and New Palace through themed guided tours and interesting stories brought to them by costumed characters from the Ban era.

In addition to interesting walks, the Tourist Board is organizing a new fun-educational workshop for boys and girls. Through play, fun, and education, and under the watchful eye of the animators, they will spend one typical day on Ban’s estate. While the children will explore the property, parents can relax and enjoy the beautiful ambiance of the Jelačić New Palace.

Credit: Zaprešić Tourist Board

This will be an opportunity for the Tourist Board of the City of Zaprešić on Saturday, May 22, to present an educational and entertaining guide for the youngest visitors of the New Palace, as well as the project "Come to Zaprešić". And the performance of the Honorary Company of the Tie Regiment, which will present its program with horses and honor guards, is especially pleasing.

Sunday also brings a guided walk through the streets of the ‘‘City of Zaprešić Love; they also make them from the pages of the novel”, and reveals interesting details of Zaprešić's love stories. In addition to the already well-known tours of the New Courts, don't miss two new guided themed walks called "The Night When the Sky Wept for the Ban" and "Walk through the Ban's Legacy".

During the weekend of May 22 and 23, the Museum and the Tourist Information Center will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and admission to the Matija Skurjeni Museum will be free for all visitors.

On Saturday, May 22, the Tie Regiment will pay tribute to Ban Jelačić by laying wreaths and candles, and the Zaprešić Tourist Board invites all visitors to pay homage to the Ban with flowers and candles, thus expressing gratitude and respect for the great of Croatian history.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

January 27, 2020 - Thousands of handball fans and Croatian citizens gathered at Ban Jelacic Square in Zagreb on Monday to welcome the Croatia handball team after taking the silver medal at the 2020 European Championship.

After a surprise welcome at Zagreb Airport, where 500 fans gathered to greet the team at 1 am, the party continued to the capital’s central square on Monday, where a reception was held for the Croatia handball team to congratulate them on a job well done at the 2020 European Championship.

Just after 12:30 pm, the team was announced on stage, followed by the coach and crucial members of the staff and federation.

Coach Lino Cervar was the first to address the crowd. 

"Dear citizens of Zagreb, I am proud to have led our team with passion and immense love. I am grateful to all the generations and this team that has shown incredible unity. I look forward to seeing many children and many young people here. That's why I say, parents guide your children and help them when it is difficult for them. And I also ask the children for their endless gratitude to their parents so that you can say thank you to them. No one will take away our family, as the family is the cradle of life. And these guys showed how to fight when it's the hardest.

I wanted to say something else.

We have fewer and fewer children in our country. That is why we need communion, every day. To go into the future, universal values must be respected, namely truth, righteousness and love."

Igor Karacic, a member of the All-star team at the Euro, was the next to take the microphone.

“This is beautiful. I think that in these 20 days we delighted our people, and it was wonderful to be a Croat in those moments. It’s a shame that we just missed it, but when we see these people, we are happy and we can move forward. The worse team didn’t lose, but that’s sport. We were all together, as one, and the team breathed like a family,” said Karacic.

"I'm not a talker like Lino, but I’m sorry that we made you guys so nervous. Thank you on behalf of the whole team. We hope this is not the last reception,” the MVP of the European Championship and Croatia captain Domagoj Duvnjak concluded.

You can watch the reception in its entirety below.

Source: HRT

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.

After four decades of decay, the castle grounds in Zaprešić are turning into a centre of culture and arts