Ten landmarks which you must see in Opatija

It was built around 1420 as a Benedictine community. This abbey later gave its name to the whole town. There is little left of its original form as it was reconstructed in 1506, renovated towards the end of the 18^th century and extended in the thirties of the 20^th century. A replica of the “Pieta” carved in relief from the renowned sculptor Ivan Mestrovič is kept there.

A copy of the statue which the Kesselstatt family had erected in memory of their tragically deceased son in 1891

General Manager of the Society for the Southern Railways; using his capital he bought “Villa Angiolina” and built the oldest hotel on the Croatian coast of the Adriatic in 1884 – Hotel Kvarner and its annex, other hotels and recreation centres. He is considered the forerunner of the development of Opatija into a modern tourist centre

In historical documents data can be found on the origins of the park in the period from 1845 to 1860, the area bordering on Villa “Angiolna” under the ownership of Iginije Scarpa, a great nature lover. Here one can find numerous plants transported from the Far East, South America, Australia and other parts of the world. The central Opatija Park is a horticultural monument covering 3.64 ha. It is divided into 60 fields with 150 plant types. A large number of them originate from far off corners of the world and are not typical for this region.

Among many interesting plants in the park is the Japanese camellia (Camellia japonica) which over time has become a well-known symbol of Opatija.

The oldest building in Opatija, the Church of St. James – which was first mentioned in historical records in 1449 - can be seen in the park.

Today, the park is divided into two main parts: one is along the church – St. James` park and the second is along Villa “Angiolina” – Park “Angiolina”.

This is the building which surely marked the beginning of the tourist era in the history of Opatija. Up until its construction in 1884 (in fact, conversion of an older building under the ownership of Baron Haller von Hallerstein), Opatija had been a relatively large settlement of about 120 houses, grouped mainly around a plot away from the sea coast and mainly orientated towards fishing and shipping. With the arrival of Rijeka`s patrician, Iginije Scarpa, his erection of the summer residence Angiolina (which received its name from his already deceased wife of the Sartoria family), Opatija opened its door to a whole list of guests and travellers, among whom were the Austrian Empress Maria Ana, the botanist Heinrich Noë, the Croatian Viceroy Josip Jelačić and others who, enchanted by the local vegetation and climate, spread the fame of Opatija, thus paving the way for the future health resort.

During Scarpa`s era, it was the focal point of Rijeka`s elite with summer entertainment on the terraces and towards the end of the Austrian era the headquarters of the Health Resort Board with a musical pavilion and lively strolls along the southern façade, the villa today has been earmarked as a town museum.

First hotel in Opatija and probably first on the east coast of the Adriatic. It was erected on the spot of the former vineyards of family Tomašić in 1884 and was constructed within the space of ten months by artisans and with material transported from the entire Austro-Hungarian monarchy. The hotel was primarily planned as a sanatorium for TB and other lung infections. The Society for the Southern Railways and its director, Friedrich Julius Schüller, were the initiators of the investment while the contractors were the planner Wilhelm and engineer Meese.

Initially, the northern part of the hotel had warm baths (Warmbäder), linked with the hotel`s roofed hall (Wanderlbahn). In front of the hotel right down to the sea was the terrace “The most elegant café in the world”, later moved from the sea promenade. The Crystal Ballroom, which today hosts the most ceremonious Opatija events and balls, was constructed in 1913 on the ruins of the burnt-out warm baths.