Behind a clumsy title lurks an absolutely fascinating exhibition, one that is crucial to understanding the history of Opatija as a whole. Built by the Austrian Southern Railway company in 1873, the rail line to Rijeka (which ran through Matulji just up the hill from Opatija) opened up the whole region to tourism, and led to the development of the Opatija we know today. The tram link, opened in 1908, marked the culmination of Opatija’s pre-World War I tourist boom, marking it out as one of the most modern, chic spots on the Mediterranean at that time.