Prelog, Croatia

Prelog (Template:Langx Kajkavian: Prilok) is a town in Međimurje County, in northern Croatia.

The town is located in the southern part of Međimurje County, on the shores of the Drava River and Lake Dubrava, a reservoir on the river. The town is located 16 kilometres from the county's capital Čakovec, to which it is connected by the D20 state road.

History

Prelog (Template:Langx) was first mentioned on 6 December 1264, and that date is celebrated annually with a local festival. The name Prelog is probably derived from the Croatian word prelaz, meaning crossing, because the town was a crossing over the Drava River.<ref name="About">Template:Cite web</ref>

In September 1480, the Croatian-Hungarian king Matthias Corvinus stayed in Prelog with his entire army. The town was a trade centre when the Zrinski family (Nikola Zrinski, Petar Zrinski, etc.) controlled the region. In 1671, Petar Zrinski was accused of treason and executed. After that, the population of Prelog decreased due to fear and suspicion of foreign German armies present nearby. In 1716, however, the population started to grow and the town became a major centre for the distribution of rock salt. There was also a silk plant called filandra, which eventually closed in 1848.<ref name="About"/>

The parish church in Prelog was first dedicated to Saint Lawrence but later became the Church of St. James the Great. The current church was built from 1758 to 1761 and renovated from 1987 to 2008.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The first bank in Prelog opened in 1873, and another one in 1905. By the end of the 19th century, the number of residents was around 4,100.<ref name="About"/> The town was the seat of the Perlak district (Template:Langx) of Zala County in the Kingdom of Hungary until it was occupied and annexed by Yugoslavia in 1918.<ref>Template:Cite work</ref>

During World War II, Prelog was occupied by Hungary again, as the entire Međimurje region was annexed by the Hungarians between 1941 and 1945. After World War II, Prelog was gradually stripped of many administrative functions, and in 1962 it became just a local community.<ref name="About"/>

After Croatia declared independence, Prelog became a municipality and in February 1997 it received town status.<ref name="About"/>

Demographics

In the 2021 census, the town had a population of 7,027 in the following settlements:<ref name="Census 2021"/> Template:Div col

• Cirkovljan, population 694
• Čehovec, population 634
• Čukovec, population 257
• Draškovec, population 539
• Hemuševec, population 224
• Oporovec, population 334
• Otok, population 303
• Prelog, population 4,042

Administration

The current mayor of Prelog is Ljubomir Kolarek (HDZ) and the Prelog Town Council consists of 13 seats.

Groups	Councilors per group
HDZ-HSS	Template:Composition bar
SDP	Template:Composition bar
NPS	Template:Composition bar
HNS	Template:Composition bar
Source:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Economy and education

More than 50% of Prelog's income is based on industry and manufacturing. Agriculture accounts for approximately 19% of the income, while 23% of it is based on commerce and tourism.<ref name="About"/>

Prelog's elementary school serves Prelog and the settlements of Cirkovljan, Čehovec and Otok. In 2025, the school had 488 pupils.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> There is also a secondary school in the town, the only one in Međimurje County that is not located in Čakovec. The secondary school offers education for jobs in tourism, catering and food processing and in 2024 it had 270 students.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Sports and recreation

Prelog is considered the hometown of motorcycle speedway in Croatia, as the local speedway club was one of the country's first organised clubs in the sport. The speedway was held at the Mladost Stadium, which hosted important events including qualifying rounds of the Speedway World Team Cup in 1972, 1978 and 1996,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> qualifying rounds of the Speedway World Championship in 1973 and 1980,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the Speedway World Pairs Championship in 1974 and 1981.

There are more than 20 different sports clubs in the town and its wider area, with the most popular sports including football, tennis, basketball, table tennis, handball, etc.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> There is also a small airfield for powered hang gliders on the shores of the Drava, as well as a small marina on Lake Dubrava nearby, with the lake also being a popular destination for anglers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Culture

The museum ’"Croata insulanus"’ is located in Prelog and was opened on March 19, 2013. It is located in a building built between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Prelog also has a monument dedicated to the Croatian ban Josip Jelačić.<ref>Memorial to ban Josip Jelačić unveiled</ref>

Gallery

• 
  Church of Saint James the Great
• 
  Lake Dubrava near Prelog
• 
  Hotel Panorama

External links

• Template:Official Template:In lang