Friday, 28 January 2011

Krapina

Coordinates	28°28′00″N49°00′25″N
Official name	Krapina
Pushpin map	Croatia
Latns	N
Longew	E
Coordinates display	inline,title
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name	Croatia
Subdivision type1	County
Subdivision name1	Krapina-Zagorje
Leader title	Mayor
Leader name	Josip Horvat (HDZ)
Area land km2	47.53
Population as of	2001
Population total	12,950 (municipality)
Timezone	Central European Time
Utc offset	+1

Krapina is a town in northern Croatia and the administrative centre of Krapina-Zagorje county with a population of 4,647 (2001) and a total municipality population of 12,950 (2001). Krapina is located in the hilly Zagorje region of Croatia, approximately 55 km away from both Zagreb and Varaždin.

In 1899, on a hill called Hušnjak near modern Krapina, the archaeologist and paleontologist Dragutin Gorjanović-Kramberger found over eight hundred fossil remains belonging to Neanderthals. Moreover, these fossil remains are said to exhibit traces of cannibalism and/or mortuary defleshing. At the site where the Neanderthals were discovered, there is now a park with many statues. These statues include a bear, moose, and a beaver.

Krapina has been known since 1193. It has always been a favourite site for castles and country houses of Croatian and Hungarian rulers.

Today it is a reasonably developed town, boasting its festival kajkavskih popevki sung in the local Kajkavian dialect of the Croatian language.

There is also a nearby municipality of Krapinske Toplice (the spas of Krapina).

Krapina is also the home of Ljudevit Gaj. Ljudevit Gaj was a revolutionary of Krapina, and in 1850 he made a new version of the Croatian grammar. His home is now a museum where visitors can learn about his life and mission.

References

External links

Category:Archaeological sites in Croatia Category:Paleontological sites of Europe Category:Spa towns in Croatia Category:Cities and towns in Croatia

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