Varaždin is a city in northwestern Croatia located along the banks of the Drava River, the historical, cultural, educational, economic, sports, and tourist center of Varaždin County, the oldest county in Croatia. The history of Varaždin is closely connected with the history of the medieval Varaždin County. There are assumptions that the tribal parish of Varaždin existed before the 12th century.

The biggest landmark of Varaždin is the fortress called the Old Town. It is located on the northwestern edge of the city center, and today it houses the Varaždin City Museum. Church architecture was present in medieval Varaždin, but today it is mostly not preserved. In the historical core of Varaždin, there are a number of noble palaces from the Baroque era. Palaces were built from the second half of the 17th century until the beginning of the 19th century and were built by Croatian or domesticated noble families of foreign origin.