In the town of Opatija there is one of the most beautiful spas. The bay Kvarner is an ideal direction for vacation, for everyone who wants to breathe from the crowds. The region of the location between the Istria Peninsula and the northwood coast offers the seaside atmosphere of the surrounding area: Opatiji, Rijeki, Crikvenica and the town of Novi Vinodolski, island attractions at KRK, Rab, Cres and Lošinj, as well as mountains. The Gorski curtain is located only 20 minutes by car from the sea. J
Croatia. Opatija, what to see?
Emerald water, the smell of camellia, juicy green palm trees and the unusual nineteenth -century villas are just a substitute for what awaits in Opatiji. A small town is considered one of the most beautiful and the oldest spas of Croatia. Tourists thirsty for healthy air have come here for over a hundred years. However, not only the microclimate deserves attention here. The charming town has much more to offer. Just go around Lungomare (a seaside promenade that runs through Opatija) to see the potential. The whole promenade is 12 kilometers and stretches from Volosk to Lovran. This last town is also worth visiting. Even to see the villa of Stanisław Witkiewicz. The creator of the Zakopane style, sick with tuberculosis, settled there permanently, and, repairing health, walked along the maritime promenade. If a walk is not enough, you can go to the top of Učka, which rises to a height of 1401 m above sea level, the views from above are breathtaking.
Opatija – attractions
A lady with a man or a girl with a sea is one of the symbols of Opayji and the entire Kvarner Bay. The statue we see today, walking around Lungomare, was set on the seaside rock in 1956 and replaced the nineteenth-century Madonna del Mare. The original Madonna from gold is stored in Villa Angiolin (Tourism Museum in Opatiji). A gold -plated copy can be viewed in the church of St. Jakub. Madonna was placed on a rock, in memory of the tragedy from 1891, when the local count Arthur Kesselstadt lost his life in a spring storm. The sculpture was repeatedly destroyed by waves and renewed. Ultimately, she was replaced by a girl with a man, by Zvonko Tsar.
Opatija – beaches
Opatija has a lot of beautiful beaches, many of which are marked with a blue flag. Unfortunately, the city beach – Slatina – is considered a mistake by many residents, mainly due to the ubiquitous concrete. There are showers, beach umbrellas, deckchairs, restaurants, sports fields and sports equipment. Fortunately, there are a lot of other beaches around. It is worth checking the beaches: Tomaševac, Lido, Lipovica and Škrći.
Opatija – Avenue of the Stars
The Croatian Avenue of Stars is located on the promenade along Marszałka Tito Street. In this way, residents want to honor athletes, scientists and artists distinguished for the promotion of Croatia in the world. Citizens also chose names. The first eight stars were received by: Nikola Tesla, Miroslav Radman, Dragutin Tadijanovic Krleza, Drazen Petrovic, Janica Kostelic, Kresimir Cosic and Oliver Dragojevic.
Park I Villa Angiolina
Villa Angiolina is one of the biggest tourist attractions of Opatija. Established around 1845, her builder – Iginio Scarpa (a rich wood and wheat trader) gave her the name of his deceased in 1832, at the age of only 30 years old. Villa was a fashionable meeting place for the most outstanding personalities of those times. Iginio and his son Paolo arranged lavish parties in both the villa and the garden full of exotic plants surrounding her. At the request of the then owner – the captains of the ships who wrapped in the port of Fiume, brought exotic cuttings of trees and shrubs from China, Japan, Arabia or South America. The gardens look beautiful to this day, and in Villi the Croatian Museum of Tourism has its headquarters.
St. James
Opatija is a town around the former Benedictine abbey. Today, the church of St. Jakub, in which there is a copy of “Pieta” of the most famous Yugoslav sculptor Ivan Mestrovicz.
Opatija – Polish accents
Walking around Lungomare, maybe you will notice the commemorative plaque of Józef Piłsudski. The marshal rested in a spa in 1914. On the 80th anniversary of Poland regaining independence, a plaque was unveiled here in his honor in Polish and Croatian languages. Next to it is the bust of Henryk Sienkiewicz. According to legend, our Nobel Prize winner rested in Opatija in 1887-1909 and it was here that “Quo vadis” was to write.
Croatia – Opatija. What to eat?
In Opatija we have the atmosphere of the sea and mountains, so in local restaurants we will get seafood, but also lamb and sheep cheese. It is worth trying a grilled octopus with a pršut (dried ham), stewed in the wine langustine or Ćevapi – grilled chops – look more like sausages – from ground or chopped meat. Crni Rižot, or risotto colored with squid ink, with the addition of seafood is also popular. The delicacy is also a riba na Žaru, i.e. fresh grilled fish, seasoned only with salt, pepper and olive oil. Depending on the season, you can try different species of fish, such as Dorada, Okoń Sea or Tuna.
Croatia – Opatija. How to get there? Car, bus, train, plane
The car is the most popular access option to Rijeka. The route from Warsaw to Opatija is about 1200 km and takes about 12-14 hours of driving. You have to remember about highway fees in the Czech Republic, Austria and Slovenia. Route: Warsaw – Czech Republic (Ostrava) – Austria (Vienna) – Slovenia (Maribor) – Croatia (Zagreb – Rijeka – Opatija).
You can get to Opatija from several Polish cities (including Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław) by Flixbus bus. The journey lasts about 20-24 hours.
If you are planning a plane, the nearest airport is located in Rijeka (RJK), about 40 km away from Opatija. In the 2025 season there are no direct connections from Poland.
From June 27, you will be able to reach Opatij by rail. PKP Intercity launches a direct connection from Warsaw to Rejka with stops in several cities, including Opatiji. We write more about the railway connection.
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