Zagreb's history stretches as far back as 1094 when two Hungarian settlements in the area emerged: Kaptol and Gradec. In 1242, both settlements were destroyed by Mongols. Rebuilt, Kaptop and Gradec underwent a period of bitter rivalry but were finally united - somewhat unwillingly - against an advance by the Turks.

The name Zagreb first emerged in the 16th century to describe the two settlements, the sabor (the Croatian parliament) also emerged in Zagreb during this time. In 1557, it was first mentioned as a captial and in 1621 the city was picked to become the seat of Croatian viceroys.

After some poor fortunes in the 17th and 18th centuries down to (amonst other things) plague and fire, which even saw the parliament move to Varazdin, Zagreb once again rose to prominence in the 19th century. A number of buildings and institutions of cultural significance emerged, including the University in 1874 and the national theatre in 1890. Railway lines were built - prompting significant expansion in the Donji Grad (Lower Town), and a gasworks and waterworks were also built.

In the early part of the 20th century, Zagreb grew even quicker. A number of residential neighbourhoods emerged and expanded, which saw the population of Zagreb increase by 70% during the 1920s, and the city expanded further after World War II to create new areas such as Novi Zagreb. An industrial area was also created in 1949 and Zagreb Pleso Airport opened in 1962.

Zagreb was an important city within Yugoslavia, the second largest in the country (behind Belgrade) and was considered the economic centre of the country. In 1991, when Croatia declared independence, the city became capital of Croatia and was relatively unscathed in the resulting war.