Bjelovar is located in the northwest of Croatia. The city of Bjelovar stands on a plateau in the southern part of Bilogora (north-west Croatia), 135 metres above sea level.  

It is the capital of Bjelovarsko-bilogorska county, and the natural, cultural and political centre of the area. Other big cities are: Daruvar, Čazma, Garešnica and Grubišno Polje.

GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION

Regarding economic potentials, Bjelovarsko-Bilogorska County has food and timber-processing industry. It gives attention to the development of trade, forestry, metal-processing and textile industries. The county has potential in traffic, catering, tourism and commerce. It abounds in natural resources as oil, gas, quartz, sand, clay and thermal waters as well as a rich cultural heritage.

Bjelovarsko-Bilogorska County

The city of Bjelovar has an area of 191.9 km2 and administratively it includes 31 other areas.

North-east of Bjelovar there is a long, low elevation called Bilogora, with an average height of 150–200 m (highest point: Rajčevica, 309 m).

                        The Name Bjelovar

There are many theories about the origin of the name Bjelovar. Here are some:

BELABLATA- this is a name of the area mentioned in 1200 in the document of king Mirko.

BELAWAR- this is a trace of the name which appears in the letter- a deed of gift of king Sigismund in 1413 and in the document of the same king, the name BELOBLATHYE is mentioned in 1423.

BELOWARCZ- this name is mentioned in the letter of Čazma body of canons from 1483.

BELAUC, BELOUAX, WELLOWAR- these names are mentioned from 1579 to 1611 as a fortification or a fortress for defense from the Turks.

Until 1982 name BELOVAR was used and then it became BJELOVAR.

The town's urban centre

The town's urban centre has regular square structure of the streets and a centre pavilion in the park, which is according to many people, the biggest music pavilion made of stone in Europe and possibly in the world. It was made out of Brač stone during the Second World War.

There are four stone statues in the central park. dedicated to Saint Terezija Avilska – the protector of Queen Marija Terezija, Saint Juraj, Saint Jelena Križarica and Saint Ivan Nepomuk. Statues were destroyed after World War Two, but they were restored and placed back to the original spots.