Kranj (, ) is the fourth-largest city in Slovenia and the largest urban center of the traditional region of Upper Carniola (northwestern Slovenia) and the Slovene Alps. It is located approximately northwest of the national capital Ljubljana, acting as the seat of the City Municipality of Kranj.

Geography

The nucleus of the city is a well-preserved medieval old town, built at the confluence of the Kokra and Sava rivers. The city is served by the Kranj railway station on the route from Ljubljana to Munich, Germany (via Jesenice and Villach, Austria) and a highway. Slovenia's national airport, Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport (in Brnik) is also very close to Kranj, considerably more so than to its nominal client, Ljubljana.

In Kranj, the Kokra cuts deeply into the conglomerate, forming a canyon deep. Kosorep, on the northern outskirts of Kranj, is a picturesque site along the river. Parts of the canyon can be reached by a walking trail. Below Kranj, at Drulovka, the Sava forms a deep canyon with conglomerate on both sides. Due to the dam for the Mavčiče Hydroelectric Plant, the river's flow there is very slow.

Climate

Kranj has a warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb).

Etymology

Kranj was attested in written sources in the 5th century and 670 as Carnium (and as via Chreinariorum in 973, actum Kreine in 1050–65, in loco Chreina in 1065–77, and Chrainburch in 1291). The Slovene name is derived from Slavic *Korn'ь, borrowed from Romance Carnium in late antiquity. Like the Latin regional name Carnia, it is derived from the Celtic tribe known as the Carnī (Greek: Κάρνοι). The name of the tribe is probably derived from the Celtic root *karno- 'peak, hill, pile of stones'. The German name of the town was Krainburg. The name of the historical region of Carniola is a Latin diminutive form of Carnia.

Middle Ages

Traces of the old Slavic settlement (a Slavic burial site) date from the 9th and 10th centuries. As the seat of the margraves of Carniola in the 11th century, it was the most important settlement in the territory. The town itself is believed to have developed in the early 13th century; citizens of the town of Kranj appear in a document from 1221, and Kranj was officially referred to as a town in 1256. It was the seat of a court whose jurisdiction extended between that of Radovljica and Kamnik. In 1414 a decision was issued relieving the citizens of the town from paying tolls. In 1422 an ordinance required houses to be built of stone to prevent fires. A parish school was established in Kranj in 1423, and the same year the right was granted to Kranj to elect its own judge. Kranj was laid waste in 1471 in an Ottoman attack. Emperor Frederick III granted Kranj the right to collect tolls in documents from 1488 and 1493, and a 1493 document also granted the town the right to hold fairs twice a year. The town hospice records date back to the 15th century. The German authorities dismantled the Jugo-Češka textile works, replacing the machinery with equipment to produce aircraft. On 21 March 1944, German forces discovered several communist activists and functionaries at the Šorli Mill in Rupa in the northern part of the town, where military supplies for the Partisans were being stored. Three of the men at the mill were killed and the German forces then burned the mill.

Economy

Kranj is a mainly industrial city with significant electronics and rubber industries. It experienced a wave of deindustrialisation with many of its factories going bankrupt following independence in 1991, leaving behind several brownfields. In recent years, its manufacturing sector has become more based around highly-competitive export-oriented industries. Major industrial companies operating in Kranj include Goodyear (under their subsidiary Goodyear Dunlop Sava), Iskratel and Hidria.

Landmarks

thumb|left|120px|St. Cantianus' Church

St. Cantianus and Companions Parish Church

The St. Cantianus and Companions Parish Church () is the largest church in Kranj and also the seat of the Kranj Parish and Deaconates. It was built in the 14th century, and measures . Construction was commissioned by the counts of Kranj.

Kieselstein Castle

The castle was built in the mid-16th century by Baron Johann Jakob Khisl. Later owners included the families of Moscon, Ravbar, Apfaltrer, Auersperg, and Pagliaruzzi. The building was renovated in 1952 by the architect Jože Plečnik in his late period. The castle garden is currently used as a concert setting.

Culture

The city is known for its sports facilities, including soccer, tennis and basketball, as well as the biggest aquatic centre in the country, which hosted the 2003 Men's European Water Polo Championship (along with Ljubljana, hosting the women's competition). The annual Teden Mladih (Youth Week) festival and Carniola Festival are very popular.

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File:Kranj 03.jpg|View of Kranj from Mount St. Margaret ()

File:Kranj glavni trg fotomorgana.jpg|Main Square at night ()

File:Kranj (54212425639).jpg|Old town street

File:Kranj City Hall 01.jpg|Kranj Town Hall

File:Gimnazija Kranj 02.jpg|Kranj Gymnasium

File:Kranj Center 05.jpg|Corner building on Main Square (), Prešeren Street () right, Jenko Street () left

File:St Joseph church in Kranj 04.jpg|St. Joseph's Church

File:Kranj - Pungert 01.jpg|Pungert - Old Defense tower with St. Roch's Church

File:Kranj - stara Posta 01.jpg|Stara Pošta shopping center

File:Kranj - Grad Kieselstein 01.jpg|Kieselstein Castle

File: Kranj- fotomorgana 1.jpg|Old Town street

File:Kranj - Maistrov trg.jpg|Maister Square

File:Pedestrian in Cankar Street, Kranj, 2013.jpg|Cankar street

File:Kranj - skakalnica Bauhenk.jpg|Bauhenk ski-jumping hill in Kranj

File:Kranj Train Station 01.jpg|Kranj Train Station

File:Kranj_Kokra_01.jpg|Kokra River in Kranj

File:Sava River in Kranj with Kranj HE.jpg|Sava River, Sava Hydroelectric Plant on right

File:Kranj 06.jpg|Kamnik–Savinja Alps seen from Kranj

File:Kranj - panorama 03.jpg|Panoramic view of Kranj and Kamnik–Savinja Alps from Mount St. Margaret ()

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International relations

Twin towns and sister cities

Kranj is twinned with:

  • Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Bitola, North Macedonia
  • Büyükçekmece, Turkey
  • La Ciotat, France
  • Colorado Springs, United States
  • Doberdò del Lago, Italy
  • Eisenkappel-Vellach, Austria
  • Grožnjan, Croatia
  • Herceg Novi, Montenegro
  • Kočani, North Macedonia
  • Kotor Varoš, Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Oldham, England, United Kingdom
  • Pula, Croatia
  • Rivoli, Italy
  • Senta, Serbia
  • Villach, Austria
  • Zemun (Belgrade), Serbia
  • Zhangjiakou, China

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Notable people

Notable people that were born or lived in Kranj include:

  • Miroslav Ambrožič (1885–1944), physical education specialist
  • Franjo Bradaška (1829–1904), historian and geographer
  • Nika Prevc (born 2005), Olympian, ski jumper
  • Peter Prevc (born 1992), ski jumper
  • Janez Puhar (1814–1864), inventor of a glass photography process