Hudi Bitek Favorites

Favorite thing: Sava was once the northern border line of Napoleon’s provinces. At the end of Savski most (Sava bridge – the oldest bridge close to Jadranski most) as you cross Sava and arrive to Novi Zagreb side there's this small obelisk saying

Frontiere des provinces Illyriennes au temps de Napoleon, 1800-1813.

Favorite thing: Sava river is the dividing line between old Zagreb and Novi Zagreb. In fact, this line is 300 metres wide. Because of its irregular flow, there are huge embankments around Sava. In the spring, when the snow melts in the Alps, all this gets filled with water.

Many tourists arriving to Zagreb aren’t even aware that there is a river in the middle of the city. Going to Novi Zagreb will be a good way also to see Sava.

Fondest memory: Embankments are popular place for walks, jogging and biking. Go there in the sunset, when the city is lit by reddish light.

Favorite thing: Surely, jealousy wasn’t enough reason to make such a big project. So the impetus was needed. And when the old location of Zagreb Trade Fair in Savska road became too small, the new location was found across the Sava river – in the middle of what is about to become Novi Zagreb.

The new area of Velesajam (Trade Fair) in Novi Zagreb was opened in 1956. With its area of 505,000 square meters (180,000 sq. metres of indoor space) Zagreb Trade Fair is still the 11th largest Trade Fair in the world. There are more than 20 different trade expositions organized during one year, the largest one being the Autumn Zagreb Trade Fair. Besides trade expositions, there are numerous congresses, conferences and other manifestations organized here that attract more than 1,000,000 visitors each year.

Fondest memory: Zagrebacki Velesajam
Avenija Dubrovnik 15
HR-10020 Novi Zagreb
+ 385 (0)1 6503 111

www.zv.hr

Favorite thing: Rapid urban growth was surely a strong reason for creation of the new town. But in fact, if we look at Zagreb’s urban territory – there are some areas that were simply jumped over. Close to central area we find old neighbourhoods of Trnje where life hasn’t changed much ever since the early 1930s.

So why did they have to jump on the other bank of Sava, and create a totally new town in the middle of nowhere, amongst the fields of Sava plains?

There are several reasons, but the main one was simply jealousy of Zagreb’s politicians of the time, led by its progressive mayor Veceslav Holjevac.

They simply couldn’t stand the idea that Novi Beograd started to take shape on the outskirts of Belgrade. And they decided to build a totally new town across Sava, naming it uninventionally Novi Zagreb.