Kvarner Destination Guide

This coastal town has been known to attract tourists since the 19th century, hence its nickname, ‘the Nice of the Adriatic’. Opatija is famous for its 12 km long promenade along the coast as well as many Opatija hotels that stretch throughout this lovely promenade.

Check out Opatija tours for a great guided tour of Opatija !

This is a major port city in Croatia and a transportation hub. Land and sea routes converge here to connect Croatia to the world by air, train, bus and ship. When visiting Croatia, take some time to explore Rijeka – there will be many pleasant surprises in store for you. When searching for an accommodation, check our Rijeka hotel offer. Rijeka means “river” in Croatian and the city is so named after the river Rječina that flows through the city, dividing it in half. It is strategically located between two important tourist regions – the Opatija Riviera to the west and Crikvenica-Vinodol Riviera to the east.

For culture and history buffs, there’s plenty to explore in Rijeka. You can visit the fort of Trsat in the oldest part of the city. There’s the Sanctuary of the Madonna Trsatian, going back seven centuries. She is worshipped as the patron saint of Croatian seafarers.

The Old Gate is a 17th century Roman arch in the heart of the old town, near Korzo. Several beautiful heritage monuments can be found in this area, like the theatre of Ivan Zajc (1756), the Governor’s palace and the 19th century baroque city clock tower. Look out for several well-preserved buildings from the Austro-Hungarian era. All of this and many more is included in Rijeka tours and Rijeka sightseeing offer.

Being a coastal town, Rijeka offers plenty of aquatic sports like the Fiumanka sailing regatta, spear fishing, sea-fishing competitions and water polo. There’s also Rijeka’s own carnival, a centuries old tradition that has now grown to become the world’s third largest carnival. Other events held here are music festivals, concerts and gastronomy-related folk festivals.

Nature lovers can take off to the Učka nature park, in the mountain bearing the same name. Two more nature reserves, in the highland region of Gorski Kotar, are Risnjak and Bjelolasica. Want to lie on a beach? Rijeka has several of its own, and there are others in nearby towns like Opatija and Kostrena.

Cres ("Tseres") in the northwestern part of the bay has been inhabited since the Paleolithic era; it was also once a part of the Roman Empire. Today, Cres has 16 small towns, all connected by one road. There's also a freshwater lake here, Lake Vrana; at a depth of 76 m, it's one of Eastern Europe's deepest lakes. Legend has it that there's a castle hidden in its depths.

Endowed with pleasant weather, natural beauty and a beach that runs around the entire coast, Cres is a veritable paradise for travellers who want to get away from it all. Getting here is easy. There are daylong ferries operating from the island of Krk. Also, there’s a daily service from Rijeka port.

In recent times, Cres has seen a sharp rise in tourists due to its secluded atmosphere and charming environment. It has also helped that local communications have been beefed up considerably. Nevertheless, it has still remained relatively intact, with only few Cres hotels on the island.

Biking around is an ideal way to explore the unspoilt beauty of Kvarner. Tarmac and gravel cycle tracks in the mountains, forests, along coastal areas or on the islands make this a pleasurable and easy option. Check out this guide for bicycle paths in Kvarner.

There’s a stunning world under the sea, waiting to be explored – divers can expect to see shipwrecks, glowing corals and a host of ancient artefacts lying in the depths of the Adriatic.

In terms of natural beauty, the Kvarner region is spectacular, as sailing enthusiasts will discover when they negotiate the waters through craggy cliffs, quiet coves, deserted islets, limestone mountain sides rising out of the sea, and islands carpeted with oak and olive groves.

The region of Rijeka city is also known for having the best conditions in Croatia for paragliding and other flying sports. For paragliding on Kvarner please visit Paragliding club Flumen.

Kvarner is famous for its numerous old Slavic Glagolitic scripts, the oldest one dating from the year 1100, called Baščanska ploča (Baška tablet) found in the paving of the Romanesque church of St. Lucy (Sveta Lucija) in Jurandvor on island of Krk in 1851. This oldest Slavic alphabet was originally created for all the Slaves by famous Christian missionaries Cyril and Method in 9th century, but since 12th century it remained in use solely among the Croats.

One of the biggest attractions of Kvarner is its carnival tradition and International Carnival Parade of Rijeka, one of the biggest in Europe with 10,000 participants and more than 110,000 spectators. The carnival celebration spans through January and February with the parade through Rijeka city centre as the main event. A highlight every year during Carnival in Rijeka are the local Zvončari - bell ringers, covered in sheepskin, wearing animal masks with bells hanging around their waists that scare away evil powers, calling the spring and celebrating the birth of a new life. What makes Carnival in Rijeka so special is it's particular mixture of the bourgeois style (Venetian and Austrian) and ancient Slavic traditions. In 2009, Carnival's bell ringers were included in UNESCO's Non-Material Cultural Heritage List.

See our photo and video page for carnival pictures and videos.

The Croatian Apoxiomen, a statue of an ancient Greek athlete, is one of the seven Apoxyomenos models in the world. This magnificent bronze statue was found in 1999. in Losinj island archipelago, at the depth of 45 meters by a tourist diver. Statue is dated to roughly 3rd century B.C. , one century after the original model was made. It will be permanently exhibited in the town of Mali Lošinj in 2010.