Although there has been a church dedicated to the patron saint and protector of Rijeka since the Middle Ages the Cathedral as we see it today was founded in 1638 by the Jesuits, who were once an influential force in the Europeanisation of Rijeka under the Hapsburgs. It’s a rotunda, rather unu [...]

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The Port of Rijeka was founded in 1717 by the Austrian monarch Carl VI. Over the years, railway lines were built connecting the port with the large cities of the Austro-Hungarian empire, and trade boomed. By the late 19th century Rijeka was the main port for the transport of goods to Hungary, and in 1913, Rijeka ranked among the top ten European seaports by volume.
War then wreaked havoc over Rijeka’s fortunes. The First World War stopped the international transport of goods by sea. After the war, the Treaty of Rapallo handed the port of Rijeka to Italy, while Sušak, the suburb immediately to the east, became part of the short-lived Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. The city was effectively split in two.
During the Second World War, much of Rijeka’s harbour was destroyed. Rebuilding took place after 1945, focusing on the construction of facilities for the transport of specialised goods: oil, crops, bulk cargo, liquid cargo and containers. By 1980, Rijeka was handling over 20 million tons of cargo per year.
War hit the Adriatic again in the 1990s. Although the northern Adriatic was not directly affected by the conflict, it was damaging enough to shipping and industry to divert part of the trade to the neighbouring ports of Koper (Slovenia) and Trieste (Italy). Shipbuilding, Rijeka’s other important industry, went into steep decline.
Since the end of the war, the shipping industry has been getting back on its feet, and the yearly turnover of shipped goods now stands at more than 11 million tons.
One thing that hasn't changed is Rijeka's extremely favourable location. Strategically, Rijeka has a long-standing transport connection with the countries of Central Europe, with a direct link to Budapest. It’s an ideal point for the import and export of goods between the Mediterranean and Hungary and the countries that lie around it: Austria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, southern Germany and Poland, western Ukraine and more.
Forecasts show that by 2010 there will be so much demand from such markets that the capacity of the seaports in the Northern Adriatic will be saturated. There is a very concrete opportunity for Rijeka to exponentially increase its volume of business.
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Just above Trg Ivana Koblera is a massive and plain stone archway, the oldest structure in Rijake, once the entry into the Roman Praetorium, the military command centre. Built onto it is an odd structure: half-church, half socialist department store, with a Hapsburg era town house added on for [...]

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Perched on a hill overlooking the harbour area and keeping watch over the hinterland is the fortress Trsat, which has stood guard over the city since Illyrian times. Trsat is the site of the first settlement of Rijeka, inhabited since prehistoric times. It’s one of the best known symbols of the city.
You may also notice from a distance the elegant spire of a white church. Trsat is a complex comprising the fortress and church, a Franciscan monastery, a smaller church, a sports hall and exhibition centre (where many concerts are held), landscaped park gardens and a charming huddle of houses. It’s a serene place to linger over a coffee, and the ecclesiastical heart of Rijeka. The church, St Mary of Trsat, has been a shrine to the Virgin Mary and a place of pilgrimage for hundreds of years. The story goes that when, at the end of the 13th century, the Crusaders were taking Mary’s house from Nazareth to Loretto, where they would set it up as a pilgrim shrine, they stopped and rested at Trsat. A church was then built on the site by the Frankopans (who played a large role in the entire development of Trsat), and also became a place of pilgrimage. The church contains a great number of renowned religious paintings and a 14th century icon of Our Lady, reputed to be miraculous. It was presented to Croatian pilgrims in Loretto, and is venerated to this day. For more on the church and its sacral art collection see below. The fort has had many facelifts over the centuries, notably by local influential families, the Frankopans of Krk, the Captains of Bakar and the Hapsburgs. The last and most romantic alterations were made by Irish-born Count Laval Nugent, a commander of the Austro-Hungarian empire, who eventually made his home here and established a museum. Sadly, the museum no longer exists. There are attractive underground spaces (one of which once housed prison cells) which are now used as exhibition spaces, and apparently a secret passageway leads to the Rječina river. The Grecian style Nugent family mausoleum is also now a gallery space. The fort is well worth visiting for its architectural beauty and the stunning views over Rijeka and the Kvarner Gulf. It’s part of a chain of defences across the mountains that protected the Roman Empire from barbarian invasion.
You can reach Trsat using the 16th century stairs of Captain Petar Kružić – the traditional route for pilgrims. Before you start complaining, pilgrims often climb them on their knees as a mark of devotion. But if it’s hot or you’re feeling parky, you can also reach Trsat by road from the east of the centre, or take bus 1 or 1a. [...]

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The “Corso” is Rijeka’s main pedestrian street. Lined by elegant period buildings, shops and cafés, interspersed with refreshing fountains, this is where the locals gather by day to catch up on the latest, and to enjoy a promenade. Just behind the seafront, Korzo is the very heart of the town, and [...]

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