“Rijeka” means “river”, and the city didn’t get its name by chance – many waters sourcing in those mountains you see there wind their way through the city, underground and overground. The Rječina is the big sister of all of these. Downtown Rijeka lies west of the river, and east is the old neighbourhood Sušak (once a separate town, and at one time in a separate country), the dockland Brajdica and Pećine.
The mouth of the Rječina provided shelter for seafarers since before Roman times. When the port was developed, the Rječina was diverted, leaving its original course abandoned – you’ll see it on the map marked as “Mrtvi kanal” – “Dead canal”. In the middle of these is an area called Delta, where there’s a pleasant park, with its bandstand and café. The two sides are connected by bridges. Just in front of the Hotel Continental is the bridge where you’ll find a statue of the writer Kamov (see Landmarks) leaning against the railings. Further south, you’ll spot the brand new bridge built as a monument to the soldiers who defended Croatia in the recent war (see Landmarks). Fans of WW II history may also be interested to see the plaque commemorating Rijeka’s liberation from fascist rule by Tito’s partizans.