Opatija Croatia

Opatija is a town located in the bay of Kvarner and has the longest tradition in tourism in Croatia, 170 years. It is often called the pearl of the Adriatic. Opatija has developed from the Benedictine abbey of St. Jacob which was first mentioned in 1453. There were 250 inhabitants in Opatija who were mainly engaged in agriculture, fishing and maritime affairs.

The beginnings of tourism were marked in 1844when Iginio Scarpa, a patrician from Rijeka, built in Opatija a villa and named it Angiolina after his deceased wife. Opatija began to develop intensively under the rule of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In 1889 Opatija was proclaimed a climatic health resort. It became a popular destination and many famous people visited it: James Joyce, Giacomo Puccini, Franz Joseph, Isadora Duncan…

What to see and do in Opatija

The first thing worth visiting is the famous 12 km long Opatija promenade which was built in 1911. Walking along the promenade you get to see the luxurious villas – examples of the Secession architecture as well as the symbol of Opatija, the Maiden with Seagull.

Walk along the Croatian Walk of Fame and see the tribute to all the people whose work (scientific, cultural, sporting, artistic) has contributed to the promotion of Croatia.

Opatija is known for its numerous beautiful and well maintained parks. Among the best known is the Park Angiolina from the second half of the 19thcentury. The park has a romantic touch with decorated objects such as the Swiss House, the Music Pavillon… The park has some of the exotic plants from the Caucasus and California as well as banana trees and date fruits. The St. James Park is located within the historic protected part of the town. It has several times been awarded as the most beautiful park in Croatia.

Day trips from Opatija

Opatija has a great position which means you can take one day trips wherever you want. First of all, you can take a tour of Istria and visit its seaside towns like Pula, Porec, Rovinj and more or its continental part with small medieval towns on hilltops like Hum and famous Istrian vineyards and olive groves.

An hour drive from Opatija, you can visit the Ucka Nature Park where you can enjoy the nature hiking or riding a bike along the trails. Also, not far from Opatija is the Risnjak National Park; other national parks that can be visited from Opatija is the National park Brijuni, Plitvice Lakes which is the most visited Croatian national park and the National Park of Northern Velebit.

Boat trips are also organized either to the Riviera of Opatija or the islands of Kvarner like Krk and Cres.

As Opatija is close to Slovenia, trips to the Postojna Caves are also popular.

How to get to Opatija

Opatija can be reached by all means of transport. If you travel by car from other parts of Croatia (Zagreb or Dalmatia) you can use the highway and exit in Rijeka; from Rijeka it takes 15 minutes to get to Opatija. Coming from Slovenia and Italy, take the Rupa and Pasjak border crossing, exit at Matulji and continue to Opatija.

Travelling by bus, you will find plenty of national and international connections with Opatija.

The nearest airport is on the island of Krk (Rijeka airport) which is connected with the mainland by a bridge; bus rides are organized from the airport to Opatija. Another option is to fly to the Pula airport and take a bus from Pula to Opatija; travelling time is approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes.