Opatija

This cosmopolitan tourist town beneath Mt. Ucka on the Rijeka Bay is a seaside resort, bathing area and climatic health resort. It is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Croatia, and an important tourist centre in the Mediterranean. There are many different kinds of tourism, such as vacation, health, bathing, nautical and congress tourism, so the season lasts all year. Thalassotherapia Opatija is a specialized institution for medical rehabilitation of coronary and pulmonary diseases, and rheumatisms. A special attraction is the 11-km-long coastal promenade beneath cypress, oak and palm trees, which leads from Volosko through Opatija to Lovran. Opatija was named after the Benedictine Abbey (opatija) of sv. Jakov (St. James), which was first mentioned in 1453. The only remaining part is the church, which was restored before World War II. Opatija has the longest tradition of tourism on the eastern Adriatic coast. Its beginnings date back to 1844, when the Villa Angiolina and the road to Rijeka were built.

Development intensified with railway connections between Rijeka and Vienna via Pivka and Ljubljana (1851), and between Rijeka and Budapest via Zagreb (1873). Large hotels, pensions, vacation villas, pavilions, health resorts, bathing complexes and parks began to be built in the middle of the 1880s. The first hotel, Quarnero (now Kvarner), dates from that period. In 1889, Opatija was declared the first maritime climatic health resort. It received electricity in 1895, a water-supply system in 1897, and a tramway in 1908.

The town port is almost always occupied. It is dangerous to moor on the outer side due to sudden gusts of the bora, which causes troublesome waves. The port has a launch ramp and a lift, and there is a sailing club nearby. The port is exposed to all winds except the westerly, so anchorage is only possible in fair weather. The best anchorage can be found in front of the main beach. Admiral Marina (051) 271-389 - It is often occupied and berths need to be reserved. There are 160 berths at a depth of 5 m, 40 spaces for dry storage, a repair shop for engines, and a 5-ton lift. The depth of the sea at the pier is up to 4 m. (051) 271-710,271-310