Opatija – the perl of the Adriatic

Soured between the Učka mountain and the Adriatic sea lies the Perl of Adriatic, The Queen of Tourism, Old Dame, Nice of Adriatic – Opatija. What is Nice for France, that is Opatija for Croatia - rich and magical place, which leads you straight to fairy-tale life of former aristocracy. With its mild climate, green winters and middle-warm summers, during the 19th century Opatija was a very popular holiday destination for Austro-Hungarian nobility. So popular that they even built villas and residences here; those waste buildings are now beautiful luxury hotels.

Opatija doesn't have a long tourism tradition. In 1844 patrician Iginio Scarpa built Villa Angiolina so that year is known as the beginning of tourism in Opatija. Many noblemen followed Scarpa, so today you can see buildings in many different styles, such as Renaissance, Baroque, Classicism or even Gothic style. You can find inspiration for yourself (if the artist is hidden inside you) as many artists did by visiting Opatija. Go for a walk to see many monuments which keep secrets of many intrigues, forbidden romances and political games of the past centuries. Stay in one of the historical hotels in Opatija and go back in time where sophistication and elegance prevailed.

Besides luxury and intriguing history, Opatija can offer amazing nature surrounding. Don’t miss spend some time in one of the beautiful parks. One of them is Opatija’s central park that circles St. Jacob's church, the first building made here and the place from which Opatija grew. Park in front of Villa Angiolina has very charming coloring mosaic, and you can enjoy on some of the benches with a sea view.

Opatija is also famous for its celebrity guests, as many music and sports stars visited this place. So, skip the beach for one day and go for sightseeing. You will be thrilled with an unusual but again so incredible combination of the nature and luxury and be sure that you will get few autographs and pictures with celebrities. ;)

How to get there: Opatija is only 15 km away from Rijeka city, 44 km from Rijeka airport and 200 km from Zagreb airport. You can get there also by highway A1: Zagreb – Karlovac – Rijeka – Opatija.