 The region contains most of the 180 preserved or restored castles and manor houses in Croatia, as it was spared any large-scale war damage throughout its history.Varaždin and Zagreb occupy prominent spots in terms of culture among the region's cities.The west of the region represents a natural barrier between the Adriatic Sea and the Pannonian Basin, and this, along with Ottoman conquest and resulting military frontier status, has contributed to the relatively poor development of the economy and infrastructure of that area.