Cities & Culture

Opatija

The grand Habsburg Riviera resort of the Kvarner coast.

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COUNTRY: Croatia
REGION: Kvarner & Islands
BEST TIME TO VISIT: Spring and autumn for walking the Lungomare
DURATION: 1–2 days

ABOUT THE DESTINATION

Opatija is the grand dame of Croatian coastal resorts, developed in the 19th century as the Austrian Riviera and still lined with elegant Habsburg-era villas, parks and a 12-km seaside promenade, the Lungomare. It is a year-round spa and walking resort, quieter and greener than the Dalmatian coast to the south, and the natural pair to Rijeka just along the gulf.

MAP & LOCATION

Opatija

THROUGH THE LENS

From the road

HISTORY & CULTURE

The Story Behind the Place

Opatija became a fashionable Habsburg spa resort from the 1840s, when the merchant Iginio Scarpa built Villa Angiolina and the South Railway Company developed the town with grand hotels and parks. It drew Austrian, Hungarian and European aristocracy, and its villas and the Lungomare survive from that era. After the empire it remained a resort under Yugoslavia and independent Croatia, quieter and greener than the Dalmatian coast that drew the mass tourism.

TOP THINGS TO DO

Experiences Not to Miss

THINGS TO DO

Walk the Lungomare

Walk all or part of the 12-km Lungomare from Volosko to Lovran — the essential Opatija experience.

THINGS TO DO

Swim from the Rocky Bathing Platforms

Swim from the rocky bathing platforms and ladders along the Lungomare — Opatija’s distinctive way into the water.

TOP ATTRACTIONS

Sights & Highlights of Opatija

ATTRACTIONS

Lungomare

A 12-km seaside promenade from Volosko to Lovran, passing villas, parks and rocky bathing spots along the Habsburg Riviera.

ATTRACTIONS

Villa Angiolina & Parks

The 19th-century villa that launched Opatija’s tourism, set in a botanical park of exotic trees and the heart of the resort’s green centre.

ATTRACTIONS

Historic Villas & Waterfront

The grand Habsburg-era villas and hotels along the waterfront — the architectural legacy of the Austrian Riviera.

FOOD & DRINK

WHERE TO EAT

Restaurant Plavi Podrum — fine dining in Volosko

Opatija’s café-lined promenade

HOTELS & STAYS

WHERE TO STAY

Hotel Kvarner — the original grand hotel

Boutique villas along the coast

ITINERARIES

Keep Driving

More here soon — the road is still being mapped.

NATURE & WILDLIFE

The Living Landscape

Opatija’s greenery is deliberate — the botanical parks of Angiolina and St James were planted with camellias, palms, cedars and exotic species to give the resort a subtropical character, and the pines along the Lungomare were planted for shade. Behind the town the Učka Nature Park rises to a limestone ridge with hiking trails and views over the whole Kvarner Gulf. The gulf itself holds dolphins and the usual Adriatic fish, and the rocky shore is habitat for crabs and blennies visible to snorkellers off the platforms.

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Practical Information

Getting There

Opatija is 15 minutes from Rijeka by bus or car, and about 2 hours from Zagreb. The nearest airport is Rijeka (on Krk). Direct buses run from Zagreb, Rijeka and Pula.