The City of Varaždin is the economic, cultural, educational and transport hub of Northern Croatia. With its high-level municipal infrastructure and well-developed road network, the city offers one of the highest quality of life in the country to its 44,000 residents. The current administration’s focus on sustainable urban mobility is no stranger to this recognition, with particular attention given to improving and developing cycling. This direction builds on both tradition and the commitment to high-quality infrastructure – two key ingredients in Varaždin’s efforts to become a cycling city.
“Every woman and man in Varaždin owns a bicycle – it is part of our tradition – and we want to turn that tradition into a daily cycling habit by developing better cycling infrastructure. [...] We plan to review existing cycling lanes and paths to improve safety and to build new ones to increase the number of cyclists and the number of kilometres travelled by bicycle.”
The city has given itself the means to fulfil its ambitions and now occupies a leading position in Croatia’s cycling landscape. Cycling is integrated into Varaždin’s Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan, prepared by the Department of Logistics and Sustainable Mobility of the University North and updated in 2023, setting clear objectives for further improvement of cycling infrastructure and an increased cycling modal share. Cycling is also included within broader municipal traffic infrastructure projects. Between 2021 and 2025, €430,716.77 was invested in cycling infrastructure through construction and maintenance.
Although Varaždin is one of Croatia’s leading cities in cycling development, the current administration plans significant improvements in cycling infrastructure and recognises that a fully satisfactory urban mobility model has not yet been achieved. While experiential data indicate that bicycle use is significantly higher, the official cycling modal split in Varaždin is below 1%, a number that is expected to be multiplied by four by 2030. This has only pushed the municipality to further innovate and adapt to change residents’ mobility habits – demonstrating that becoming a cycling city does not only rely on costly projects.
“Among the low-budget initiatives that enhanced Varaždin’s recognition as a cycling city is the purchase of e-bikes for municipal staff. City administration employees, including the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, use bicycles for their daily duties, increasing the visibility of cycling among citizens. In addition to the reputational effect, the use of these bicycles improves administrative efficiency and reduces the municipal car fleet.”
Photo credit: City of Varaždin
Mayor Neven Bosilj and Deputy Mayor Miroslav Marković cycling in Varaždin
Sustaining long-term change also requires understanding and adapting to residents’ needs, a task that is part of the city’s priorities.
“The city administration strives to maintain dialogue based on arguments, respecting citizens’ views as well as expert opinions, even when they are not always aligned. Over the past five years, citizens have been able to propose small municipal projects through participatory budgeting. These proposals have included safer bicycle parking racks (“bike staples”) and other initiatives contributing to traffic safety, with particular attention to cyclists.”
By observing how people actually move through Varaždin, the city administration has successfully adapted its approach to cycling to improve the coexistence between road users and cyclists’ safety. This people-centred mindset has helped identify recurring challenges, such as contraflow cycling in one-way streets, and rethink the application of traffic rules to fit cyclists’ needs. What started as a challenge has since become one of the cycling achievements the city administration is most proud of.
“Over the past five years, the number of streets in the city centre where car traffic has been restricted or reduced in favour of cyclists has increased. Cycling is now permitted throughout the entire pedestrian city centre. [...] In certain streets, car traffic was allowed in only one direction, while cyclists shared narrow streets with dense car traffic. The city administration observed that many cyclists were riding in the opposite direction, thereby violating traffic regulations. As a result, regulations were amended, and through acceptable and relatively low-cost signage solutions, contraflow cycling towards the city centre was officially permitted, thereby opening corridors for uninterrupted bicycle travel from one end of Varaždin to the other.”
Photo credit: City of Varaždin
The City of Varaždin’s commitment to cycling is part of a broader effort to build a balanced and integrated mobility ecosystem that works for everyone. Alongside improvements for cyclists, the city encourages residents to combine walking, cycling, public transport and regional rail so that daily travel becomes cleaner and more efficient. Several initiatives support this shift, including the electrification of the entire public transport system in 2026, a ban on electric scooters in the city centre, automated camera enforcement in pedestrian zones, and ongoing efforts to update street‑design standards to better accommodate pedestrians and cyclists. Car owners’ needs are also accounted for, ensuring that mobility solutions benefit all groups. Within this framework, the city has introduced targeted incentives that directly support residents in choosing cycling.
“For five consecutive years, the City of Varaždin has implemented a €50,000 annual incentive programme co-financing the purchase of new bicycles and the servicing of bicycles already owned by citizens. [...] This measure has been very well received by citizens and contributes to overall cycling safety in the city. At the same time, the needs of car owners will not be neglected. The city will continue to ensure enough parking spaces and plans to build new underground and above-ground parking garages. The goal of the current administration is to achieve an optimal balance between pedestrians, cyclists, cars and public transport – thus justifying Varaždin’s slogan as a ‘city tailored to people’.”
Photo credit: City of Varaždin
The City of Varaždin’s proactive approach is reinforced through active participation in cycling‑related projects, events and networks at different levels. The city is part of the €6.5 million Green Places for Recreation and Active Sustainable Tourism project under the Integrated Territorial Investments (ITI) mechanism, which strengthens cycle‑tourism connections with nearby towns. It is also actively engaged with ECF, first as a member of the Cities & Regions for Cyclists network since 2022, but also as one of the first Croatian cities to obtain the Cycle Friendly Employer certification. Through its network membership and its participations in Velo‑city conferences, the city has learned from leading cycling countries such as the Netherlands, Denmark and Belgium, while carefully adapting foreign solutions to local habits and traffic behaviour.
The City of Varaždin also seeks to champion cycling at the national level by developing its own initiatives to inspire change.
“Two years ago, Varaždin introduced the CikloParking web application, enabling citizens to report issues in existing cycling infrastructure, particularly the lack of standardised bicycle parking facilities. This initiative forms part of a professional effort to develop a National Database for the Improvement of Cycling Infrastructure. The success of such initiatives depends on the number of cities joining them in order to influence the national cycling strategy in a well-argued manner. Unfortunately, apart from Varaždin, only a small number of Croatian cities have joined so far. We hope this number will increase over time.”
Varaždin’s experience shows that becoming a cycling city and reshaping everyday mobility habits is the result of steady political commitment – an inspiring example for cities facing similar situations. As Deputy Mayor Miroslav Marković notes:
“Decisions that favour cyclists and pedestrians sometimes require political wisdom, vision and courage – especially when reducing car parking spaces to make room for cycling lanes and infrastructure. Some citizens are still reluctant to give up the convenience of car use, overlooking the fact that public street space is not intended exclusively for car owners. Courage and perseverance are essential, along with respect for citizens’ opinions and efforts to motivate them to use bicycles and public transport more frequently.”
For more information on Cities & Regions for Cyclists, click here.
For more information on the City of Varaždin, click here.
“Every woman and man in Varaždin owns a bicycle – it is part of our tradition – and we want to turn that tradition into a daily cycling habit by developing better cycling infrastructure. [...] We plan to review existing cycling lanes and paths to improve safety and to build new ones to increase the number of cyclists and the number of kilometres travelled by bicycle.”
The city has given itself the means to fulfil its ambitions and now occupies a leading position in Croatia’s cycling landscape. Cycling is integrated into Varaždin’s Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan, prepared by the Department of Logistics and Sustainable Mobility of the University North and updated in 2023, setting clear objectives for further improvement of cycling infrastructure and an increased cycling modal share. Cycling is also included within broader municipal traffic infrastructure projects. Between 2021 and 2025, €430,716.77 was invested in cycling infrastructure through construction and maintenance.
Photo credit: City of Varaždin
Although Varaždin is one of Croatia’s leading cities in cycling development, the current administration plans significant improvements in cycling infrastructure and recognises that a fully satisfactory urban mobility model has not yet been achieved. While experiential data indicate that bicycle use is significantly higher, the official cycling modal split in Varaždin is below 1%, a number that is expected to be multiplied by four by 2030. This has only pushed the municipality to further innovate and adapt to change residents’ mobility habits – demonstrating that becoming a cycling city does not only rely on costly projects.
“Among the low-budget initiatives that enhanced Varaždin’s recognition as a cycling city is the purchase of e-bikes for municipal staff. City administration employees, including the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, use bicycles for their daily duties, increasing the visibility of cycling among citizens. In addition to the reputational effect, the use of these bicycles improves administrative efficiency and reduces the municipal car fleet.”
Photo credit: City of Varaždin
Mayor Neven Bosilj and Deputy Mayor Miroslav Marković cycling in Varaždin
Sustaining long-term change also requires understanding and adapting to residents’ needs, a task that is part of the city’s priorities.
“The city administration strives to maintain dialogue based on arguments, respecting citizens’ views as well as expert opinions, even when they are not always aligned. Over the past five years, citizens have been able to propose small municipal projects through participatory budgeting. These proposals have included safer bicycle parking racks (“bike staples”) and other initiatives contributing to traffic safety, with particular attention to cyclists.”
By observing how people actually move through Varaždin, the city administration has successfully adapted its approach to cycling to improve the coexistence between road users and cyclists’ safety. This people-centred mindset has helped identify recurring challenges, such as contraflow cycling in one-way streets, and rethink the application of traffic rules to fit cyclists’ needs. What started as a challenge has since become one of the cycling achievements the city administration is most proud of.
“Over the past five years, the number of streets in the city centre where car traffic has been restricted or reduced in favour of cyclists has increased. Cycling is now permitted throughout the entire pedestrian city centre. [...] In certain streets, car traffic was allowed in only one direction, while cyclists shared narrow streets with dense car traffic. The city administration observed that many cyclists were riding in the opposite direction, thereby violating traffic regulations. As a result, regulations were amended, and through acceptable and relatively low-cost signage solutions, contraflow cycling towards the city centre was officially permitted, thereby opening corridors for uninterrupted bicycle travel from one end of Varaždin to the other.”
Photo credit: City of Varaždin
The City of Varaždin’s commitment to cycling is part of a broader effort to build a balanced and integrated mobility ecosystem that works for everyone. Alongside improvements for cyclists, the city encourages residents to combine walking, cycling, public transport and regional rail so that daily travel becomes cleaner and more efficient. Several initiatives support this shift, including the electrification of the entire public transport system in 2026, a ban on electric scooters in the city centre, automated camera enforcement in pedestrian zones, and ongoing efforts to update street‑design standards to better accommodate pedestrians and cyclists. Car owners’ needs are also accounted for, ensuring that mobility solutions benefit all groups. Within this framework, the city has introduced targeted incentives that directly support residents in choosing cycling.
“For five consecutive years, the City of Varaždin has implemented a €50,000 annual incentive programme co-financing the purchase of new bicycles and the servicing of bicycles already owned by citizens. [...] This measure has been very well received by citizens and contributes to overall cycling safety in the city. At the same time, the needs of car owners will not be neglected. The city will continue to ensure enough parking spaces and plans to build new underground and above-ground parking garages. The goal of the current administration is to achieve an optimal balance between pedestrians, cyclists, cars and public transport – thus justifying Varaždin’s slogan as a ‘city tailored to people’.”
Photo credit: City of Varaždin
The City of Varaždin’s proactive approach is reinforced through active participation in cycling‑related projects, events and networks at different levels. The city is part of the €6.5 million Green Places for Recreation and Active Sustainable Tourism project under the Integrated Territorial Investments (ITI) mechanism, which strengthens cycle‑tourism connections with nearby towns. It is also actively engaged with ECF, first as a member of the Cities & Regions for Cyclists network since 2022, but also as one of the first Croatian cities to obtain the Cycle Friendly Employer certification. Through its network membership and its participations in Velo‑city conferences, the city has learned from leading cycling countries such as the Netherlands, Denmark and Belgium, while carefully adapting foreign solutions to local habits and traffic behaviour.
The City of Varaždin also seeks to champion cycling at the national level by developing its own initiatives to inspire change.
“Two years ago, Varaždin introduced the CikloParking web application, enabling citizens to report issues in existing cycling infrastructure, particularly the lack of standardised bicycle parking facilities. This initiative forms part of a professional effort to develop a National Database for the Improvement of Cycling Infrastructure. The success of such initiatives depends on the number of cities joining them in order to influence the national cycling strategy in a well-argued manner. Unfortunately, apart from Varaždin, only a small number of Croatian cities have joined so far. We hope this number will increase over time.”
Varaždin’s experience shows that becoming a cycling city and reshaping everyday mobility habits is the result of steady political commitment – an inspiring example for cities facing similar situations. As Deputy Mayor Miroslav Marković notes:
“Decisions that favour cyclists and pedestrians sometimes require political wisdom, vision and courage – especially when reducing car parking spaces to make room for cycling lanes and infrastructure. Some citizens are still reluctant to give up the convenience of car use, overlooking the fact that public street space is not intended exclusively for car owners. Courage and perseverance are essential, along with respect for citizens’ opinions and efforts to motivate them to use bicycles and public transport more frequently.”
For more information on Cities & Regions for Cyclists, click here.
For more information on the City of Varaždin, click here.
