About Bjelovar

Set on a plateau in the southern part of the Bilogora hills, 135 metres above sea level between the small rivers Bjelovacka and Plavnica, Bjelovar is the seat of Bjelovar-Bilogora County and the cultural, political and natural heart of this part of Croatia.

Officially founded in 1756 by decree of Empress Maria Theresa, Bjelovar is one of the youngest towns in Croatia – yet the area is known to have been continuously settled since the Bronze Age. According to the 2021 census, Bjelovar today has 36,433 inhabitants across an area of 187.701 km².

Bjelovar was purpose-planned, which is why the very centre of town – the first part to be built – follows a regular, square grid. Its name comes from the adjective bijel (“white”) combined with the Hungarian word var, meaning town or fortress.