Day 1 in Opatija

Start your trip with a nice sightseeing walk. Make your way to Volosko and stroll the streets of this charming village. Once you make it to the roundabout near the ferry port, walk south onto the Franz Josef I Seaside Promenade, better-known to locals as the Lungomare. The Lungomare stretches from Volosko in the north down to Lovran in the south, passing through Opatija and other towns along the way. On your way back to Opatija, you will pass by Volosko Beach (a great place for sunbathing if you are so inclined) and the memorial dedicated to Franz Josef I, the former Emperor of Austria-Hungary. Two-fifths of a mile down from the memorial is the centerpiece of Opatija, the beautiful, green Park Angiolina, sprawling over eight acres on the small peninsula of land between the Opatija cruise port and St. Jacob`s Church. At the end of the peninsula is a popular event venue, the Opatija Open Air Theatre. End the day by exploring the grounds of St. Jacob`s Church, but save the statues for tomorrow. There's still a lot to do!

Day 2 in Opatija

Begin the day at the historic Opatija Market Hall, and buy yourself something for breakfast there. (If you want to eat at a cafe, there are many lining the street on Radnicka cesta close by. Afterwards, return to Park Angiolina and visit the building that started the entire tourist convergence to Opatija: the Villa Angiolina, once owned by the Scarpa family and now operated as the Croatian Museum of Tourism.

Return to St. Jacob`s Park, where St. Jacob`s Church is located, and admire the iconic statues of Opatija. North of the church is the gilded Madonna del Mare statue. The Madonna del Mare statue was originally built in the same place as the current Maiden with the Seagull statue, but after it was destroyed in a 1956 storm, the replacement statue was installed closer to the church. Johann Rathausky was the Austrian sculptor who had created the original Madonna del Mare as well as another statue you`ll see in the park, the Fountain of Helios and Selena. Toward the end of the park, you will see a newer statue, a seaman `welcoming` visitors to Opatija with an outstretched hand. It is directly across from the Juraj Sporer Art Pavilion, where a number of fine art and performing art exhibitions are held each summer. At the end of the southern road in the park, you can view the Maiden with the Seagull, which has become perhaps the most iconic image associated with the town.

In the afternoon, have a leisurely lunch near Slatina Beach, which is southwest of St. Jacob`s Park. Nearby is the monument to Miroslav Krleza, one of the most important figures in modern Croatian literature. You will see a star dedicated to him, inventor Nikola Tesla, and other notable Croatians in history on the Croatian Walk of Fame, located between the beach at Slatina and the main north-south road in Opatija, the Ulica Marsala Tita. Head down the Lungomare again until you reach the Slatina Shopping Centre. Turn right and walk one block over to visit another noteworthy church, the Church of Mary`s Annunciation. On your way back to Central Opatija, you will pass by some souvenir shops. Look around and see if you can buy something for your family and friends! Return to your hotel at the end of the evening.

Day 3 in Opatija

In the morning, walk from the Villa Operetta on Ulica Marsala Tita down to the Hotel Kvarner for breakfast. The Hotel Kvarner is the oldest luxury hotel on the eastern Adriatic Coast, having been in operation for over 130 years. After breakfast, head past Nova cesta for a lively hike along the breathtaking Carmen Sylva Forest Path.

If you would like to hike some more trails today, head west to Ucka Nature Park and make it to the top of Vojak, the tallest mountain in the Ucka chain at 4500 feet above sea level. If you want to walk a trail which involves less exertion, go to the Lungomare in town and walk south through the popular tourist village of Icici, eventually making it to the less-traveled yet historic and exciting villages of Ika and Lovran. The Lungomare ends in Lovran, about three and a half miles south of Opatija. If you have time, make arrangements to travel to Sipar Beach, a secluded beach in the town of Moscenicka Draga. Whatever you decide, be sure to have a nice meal in either Ika, Lovran or Moscenicka Draga, and return to your hotel at the end of the evening.

Additional Days in Opatija

Take the D66 road and see what the Istrian Peninsula has to offer. The D66 in Opatija is called Nova cesta, and in the southern part of town, before Icici, Nova cesta and Ulica Marsala Tita merge into one road, D66. D66 passes near the town of Brestova, a relaxed village at the foot of the Ucka Mountains, which offers travelers the opportunity to take a catamaran to visit the nearby island of Cres. The town of Labin sits at the top of a hill overlooking the coast and the smaller town of Rabac; walking inside the walls of the old town in Labin is an experience you should not miss. Smaller villages, such as Barban and Marcana, dot the picturesque drive down to D66`s terminus in the largest city in Istria, Pula. In Pula, you can view such important sights as the Pula Arena, the only Roman-era amphitheatre in the world to be fully preserved, even more so than the Colosseum in Rome. Another noteworthy and iconic sight is the Arch of the Sergii, dating from the time of the Romans, paying tribute to a family which had a lot of power and privilege in the century or two preceding the Common Era. The Temple of Augustus, one of the largest surviving Roman temples left in the world, has stood watch over Forum Square since it was finished in the year 14 CE. Walking through Pula`s Old Town, you will notice that some of the stones in the paved streets were installed by the Romans.

Your Last Day in Opatija

Depart your hotel and head to the airport for your return home. We hope you enjoyed the noteworthy sights of Opatija and Kvarner Bay!