Essential Opatija

Villa Angiolina

Built in 1844 and seen as a landmark in the town’s development as a high-society resort. Fittingly, the high and mighty figures of the populace would relish in the villa surroundings, attending lavish balls and receptions. High-ranking guests included the governor of Croatia Josip Jelačić (1851), Archduke Maximilian von Habsburg (1859), and Emperor Franz-Jozef’s mother, the Empress Maria-Ana (1860).

The villa now serves as the Museum of Croatian Tourism (Hrvatski muzej turizma, Park Angiolina 1, tel. 099 239 14 46, open 10:00 -18:00. Closed Mon. June 15 - September Open 09:00 - 13:00, 17:00 - 22:00. Closed Mon. Admission free.) – well worth visiting not least because it gives you the chance to peek inside the villa’s ornate entrance hall, complete with intricate mosaic floors, painted ceiling and Corinthian-style columns. Displaying old photographs, antique guide-books and resort posters, the museum itself provides a colourful and entertaining introduction to the history of the travel industry.

The Juraj Šporer Art Pavilion

Occupying the site of the former Benedictine monastery buildings, this elegant colonnaded structure originally served as a seafront café. Lovingly restored, and named after one of the pre-World War I medical men who popularized Opatija as a health resort, the pavilion now hosts contemporary art exhibitions. Park sv. Jakova 1, tel. 27 22 25. Admission free.

The Girl with a Seagull

Definitely one of the most pictured motifs through which Opatija presents itself to the world is the sculpture of a girl with a seagull on her hand. It was made in 1956 by the sculptor Zvonko Car. It was placed on the same spot where the sculpture of the Madonna used to stand. Originally, the sculpture of the Madonna was put there in memory of Arthur Kesselstadt, who tragically died at sea in 1891. Due to wear and tear from the conditions near the sea, the sculpture had been damaged and was later transferred and restored. It can now be seen in St James’s Church above the Riviera. 

The Croatian Walk of Fame (Hrvatska ulica slavnih)

Initiated in 2006 and has become a must see spot on the city tour. This educational and tourist project honours renowned and famous Croatians who have been promoting Croatia to the world through sport, science, culture and arts success. Marble stars have been carefully placed along Opatija’s Slatina promenade and home the likes of poet Dragutin Tadijanović, tennis great Goran Ivanišević, handball player Ivano Balić, actor Pero Kvrgić and others.