Rijeka - Opatija city tour

Rijeka
The cosmopolitan character of this Mediterranean-Middle European town is visible at every step. Rijeka is a town of seafarers and shipbuilders that has always been well-connected with the entire world. It is also a town with a rich industrial past. The first torpedo in the world was produced in Rijeka after the pioneering work of Robert Whitehead and Ivan Luppis. Here you will also find myriad examples of modern European architecture and of the city's rich cultural identity. Visit the old gates, which were erected in Roman times in the first century. Other attractions include the theatre, the City tower, the Modern Gallery's Glagolitic exhibition, the Trsat stairs, and the Governor's Palace where the Maritime and Historical Museum of the Croatian littoral region is located.

Opatija Riviera
The Riviera is an elegant string of pearls consisting of ten beautiful resorts. The brightest one is surely Opatija, where Austrian emperors and kings, dukes and counts found accommodation in fashionable villas and hotels as far back as the nineteenth century. Relax while enjoying the sounds of the sea waves, surrounded by camellias and magnolias. A coastal path connects the small towns of Volosko, Ika, Icici, Lovran, Medveja and Mošćenička Draga. Other tracks, heading to the mountain Učka, lead to wonderful belvederes, from which views extend over the whole Riviera.

If you are just looking for hotels in Opatija or Rijeka, check our Opatija hotels and Rijeka hotels accommodation offer.

Rijeka

Rijeka tour starts with a visit to the Main Market, Modello Palace and the imposing buildings of the Croatian National Theatre, which are truly a masterpiece of architecture. The impressive statues and ornaments were made by the famous Venetian sculptor, August Benvenuti, and the paintings on the ceilings were painted by Franz Matsch and the famous brothers, Gustav and Ernest Klimt.

After this you will visit the Maritime and Historical Museum of Croatian Litoral, situated in the former Governor's Palace. This palace was built as a residence for the Hungarian governor who ruled Rijeka from 1868 until 1914. It is a historical building and a museum in its own right. The museum was founded in 1876 and it gives a historical review of the development of the maritime the culture of Rijeka and the surrounding region. The exhibits include the models of ships, pictures of sailing ships and numerous archaeological, hydrological and numismatic discoveries. Among other pieces of history, you can see an authentic life-vest from the Titanic.

You will then go for a short walk to St. Vitus' Cathedral, the church of St. Sebastian, the ruins of the late antiquity castrum and the Roman arch, Old Gateway, the oldest historical monument of Rijeka. Then, you will pass above the City tower, a visual symbol of the city and a link between the old and the new city of Rijeka.

End your visit to Rijeka with a short walk through Korzo, the heart of the city, to the Church of the Assumption and the Leaning Tower. Catch a bus to Trsat, and visit the famous ancient church of Trsat, which is the centre of Marianism in this part of Croatia, the Franciscan monastery and the beautiful fortifications of the north Adriatic Trsat Castle.

Opatija

The excursion continues with a bus ride to the oldest and the most renowned tourist centre in Croatia-Opatija. A pearl of the Austro-Hungarian Riviera since the end of the nineteenth century, Opatija was a popular holiday destination for Austrian and European high society. Emperors, famous artists and celebrities like Wilhelm II, Franz Joseph, Empress Sissy, Gustav Mahler, Isadora Duncan, Anton Pavlovich Chekhov and many others have holidayed here. During Opatija tour you will witness numerous luxury villas, dazzling neoclassic and art nouveau hotels located in luxuriously trimmed gardens and parks that bear witness to this city's glorious past.

The St. Jacob's Church is situated in Opatija's park. It was built around 1420 as a Benedictine colony. This abbey later gave its name to the whole city (Opatija means Abbey). Walking through the park, you will have the opportunity to see a vast number of camellias, magnolias, palm trees and other subtropical plants. The Villa Angiolina, the first summer residence in Opatija, which was built in 1844 is also located here.

You will also have the opportunity to enjoy some free time to explore this splendid park on your own and to walk along a 12 km long coastal promenade which joins the main points along the Opatija Riviera-Volosko, Opatija, Ičići, Ika and Lovran. You can also opt to relax in one of the many sunny terraces in Opatija.