Nedelišće


Nedelišće is a village in Međimurje County, in northern Croatia, and the seat of the Municipality of Nedelišće, which also includes 10 other villages in the south-western part of Međimurje County.
Nedelišće itself is a suburban village located just outside the county seat, Čakovec, around 3 kilometres from the city's centre. Despite not being designated as either a city or a town, the village of Nedelišće was the second most populated place in Međimurje County in the 2011 census, with 4,320 people living in the village at the time of the census.

History

Nedelišće was first mentioned in 1226, in the Donation of the Hungarian King Béla IV. The settlement was named after Sunday, since the local people worship The Holy Trinity to which their Catholic parish is dedicated.
In the Middle Ages, the place has developed into a market consisting of fairs and crafts. Between 1570 and 1586, Nedelišće was also the seat of one of the first Croatian printing offices. The first document about the establishment of a local school originates from 1660, when Međimurje was reigned by the Zrinski family. The local volunteer fire department was founded in 1908 and is the oldest in the municipality.

Today

Nedelišće is also the seat of the Municipality of Nedelišće. The municipality consists includes Nedelišće and 10 other surrounding settlements, with its current population estimated at approximately 11,500 people. Other settlements in the municipality are Črečan, Dunjkovec, Gornji Hrašćan, Gornji Kuršanec, Macinec, Parag, Pretetinec, Pušćine, Slakovec and Trnovec.
The main international road going through the centre of Nedelišće is an important connection between Croatia, Hungary and Slovenia. There are also two railroads going through the municipality, one connecting Čakovec with the Slovenian city of Ptuj and the other one connecting the city with other Croatian cities such as Varaždin and Zagreb.
Nedelišće is also known as the host of some manifestations, most notably the largest annual business fair in Međimurje County, MESAP, which usually takes place in June and gathers various companies from all over the county.
The local sports and gymnastics centre, SGC Aton, is considered the best-equipped gymnastics centre in the north-western Croatia. The local sports teams include the football club NK Nedelišće, who play in the Croatian Third League, and the volleyball club OK Nedelišće, who play in the Second Croatian Volleyball League.