Opatija

With the arrival of Iginio Scarpa, a patrician from Rijeka and building of his summer house Villa Angiolina in 1844, Opatija opened her doors to a whole line of guests and passengers. This is the building that certainly marked the beginning of the tourist epoch in the history of Opatija.

Volosko has a long tradition of holding different events whose topics are mostly culture, music and gastronomy. Given that tradition, and with the aim of harmonizing cultural, artistic and gastronomic contents, a festival called Voloskana has been founded with the scope to bring together traditional events into one manifestation. In addition to maintaining the tradition and identity of Volosko as a fishing village with a rich gastronomic offer, cultural content and artistic and musical performances, the festival will strive to become an urban and attractive event for visitors of various interests and ages. The picturesque harbor and old town core will serve as the perfect location for various performances and gastronomic offer. Even three music stages will allow visitors to enjoy performances by several performers of different types of music: pop, jazz and electronic music. Local caterers will present their own kitchen at their stand in the gastrodyte. Each restaurant will design 3-4 self-contained dishes that will be presented and sold at promotional prices.

This exhibition of the Croatian Museum of Tourism from Opatija offers a cross-section of the very beginnings of the bathing grounds created on the Adriatic coast, as well as the deliberate efforts of the then General Director of the Southern Railway Friedrich Julius Schüler, who made huge investments in the design of the Climate Spas and Sea Baths in Opatija, counting on the increased number of service users of the newly built railroads between Vienna and Rijeka - Vienna.

Most probably built in 1420, as a colony of Benedictine refugees from the Friulian monastery of Saint Peter in Rožac (San Pietro di Rosazzo), the entire settlement will later be named after this abbey. Today very little has been preserved of its original appearance.

A wide-ranging culinary offer and excellent entertainment programmes make the Juraj Šporer Art Pavilion and the surrounding park a place not to be missed during the festive season. In December and January, the area in front of the pavilion, around the distinctive stone circle, attractively decorated and additionally enhanced by fantastic light effects, turns into the town’s winter garden and a venue for attractive performances by superb jazz, rock and pop musicians with the sound of the sea in the background. The harmony of sensations is rounded off with the traditional Christmas aromas of mulled wine, hot teas, and popular fast food dishes served at festively decorated wooden kiosks. Earlier during the day, the Juraj Šporer Art Pavilion is a popular meeting point for children because of the entertainment programmes it offers, while in the afternoon and evening it turns into a stage for great musical performances.

Luxuriously decorated streets and squares, an ice skating rink, and various musical and theatrical performances at numerous magnificent locations are just a small part of the enchanting Advent in Opatija programme. The sound of Christmas carols can be heard all around, and the delightful scents of mulled wine and hot chocolate guarantee a truly memorable experience for all visitors. A festive atmosphere, mild winter climate and the closeness of the sea together make the perfect recipe for the Advent of your dreams.

Opatija's Saint James Park is located in the centre of the town, in the protected historic part, next to the Church of Sveti Jakov (St. James) and the former monastery. Its location was the nucleus for the development of the town. The upper part is dominated by the neo-baroque fountain Helios and Selene, the work of the sculptor Hans Ratkausky from 1889.

The building that the inhabitants and guests of Opatija today mostly know as a venue for various exhibitions, concerts and theatrical performances, was originally a pastry shop. It was built in 1900 for the Quarnero company of Vienna, and expanded in 1908 following the plan of the Opatija architect Sandor Neuhausler.

The Croatian Walk of Fame is a symbolic tribute to all the people whose sporting, scientific, cultural or artistic endeavors have contributed significantly to the worldwide promotion of Croatia. Check who are the laureates!

The Open Air Theatre is situated on the green "peninsula" of the well-known Opatija’s “Angiolina Park”, right by the sea. This unique location and its ambiance created by the combination of stone walls and greenery make it the most spectacular and the most beautiful venue of this kind in the Mediterranean.