Croatia is a famously popular holiday destination, particularly for those in search of sun, sea, and fun, as it has a long and incredibly beautiful coastline dotted by lots of amazing resorts and seaside towns. Many of these towns are slick and chic and filled with modern developments and villas but there are some older and more historic settlements among them. In particular, one of the most beautiful and intriguing seaside resorts is Opatija, which was a popular coastal getaway and fashionable resort in the 19th century and remains filled with stunning Habsburg-era villas to this day.
Opatija is a pretty and charming little gem that was in a bit of a decline for a long time but has been since revived in the last decade or so and now regularly draws a largely mature audience for its grand spa hotels, incredible location along the Adriatic, climate that supports pleasant weather for trips pretty much all throughout the year, and its famous Lungomare promenade that hugs the coast and offers wonderful views over the town and neighbouring islands. If you’re looking for peace, relaxation, a perfect seaside escape, and very pretty surroundings, a vacation rental in Opatija is an excellent idea.
During your time in Opatija, between swimming in little bays (as there aren’t real beaches to speak of), wandering the promenade, dining in the city’s brilliant restaurants, watching the sun set over the coast, and generally just kicking back and relaxing, you should probably head to the Villa Angiolina at some stage, which is the Croatian Museum of Tourism and the only traditional tourist attraction to speak of in the town.
Opatija is a pretty and charming little gem that was in a bit of a decline for a long time but has been since revived in the last decade or so and now regularly draws a largely mature audience for its grand spa hotels, incredible location along the Adriatic, climate that supports pleasant weather for trips pretty much all throughout the year, and its famous Lungomare promenade that hugs the coast and offers wonderful views over the town and neighbouring islands. If you’re looking for peace, relaxation, a perfect seaside escape, and very pretty surroundings, a vacation rental in Opatija is an excellent idea.
During your time in Opatija, between swimming in little bays (as there aren’t real beaches to speak of), wandering the promenade, dining in the city’s brilliant restaurants, watching the sun set over the coast, and generally just kicking back and relaxing, you should probably head to the Villa Angiolina at some stage, which is the Croatian Museum of Tourism and the only traditional tourist attraction to speak of in the town.
Villa Angiolina is a visual representation of the beginning of the epoch of grand tourism in Opatija. When the villa was built in 1844, Opatija was moving from being a fishing town that consisted of about 120 homes to the most fashionable seaside resort in the country that would welcome the Austrian Empress Mary Ann and many other noble and famous figures from both Croatia and abroad. It was to be the summer house of Iginio Scarpa, a patrician from Rijeka, and was named for his deceased wife. The family used Villa Angiolina as a leisure property and then it passed from owner to owner until it became the headquarters of the Croatian Museum of Tourism in more recent years.
The museum has an interesting curation of objects from the history of tourism in the country such the display of historic swimming costumes that would have been worn by the likes of those 19th and early 20th century visitors that made Opatija such a popular seaside resort, historic photographs, illustrated postcards from over the years, historic items from hotels, maps, souvenirs, memorabilia, and more. Entrance costs just about 2 euros per person. However, in addition to being a pretty pastel gem filled with interesting objects, the grounds around the villa are also beautiful and well worth coming to explore.
Villa Angiolina is surrounded by a park covering an area of 3.6 hectares that is divided into 60 fields and full of over 159 exotic plant species from Asia, South America, Australia, including the lovely Japanese Camellia that has become synonymous with Opatija. In addition to all of this, the park is home to the pretty terraces that were once used for evening entertainment, orchestral performances, and more in the summers and to the oldest building in Opatija, the Church of St. Jakov, which dates back to at least the 15th century.
So, if you are looking for a quiet and peaceful place for a seaside getaway in Croatia, a holiday rental in Opatija is a perfect choice and a wander around this pretty villa, interesting little museum, and stunning grounds makes for as busy an activity as you are likely to encounter. What a perfect place to relax!
The museum has an interesting curation of objects from the history of tourism in the country such the display of historic swimming costumes that would have been worn by the likes of those 19th and early 20th century visitors that made Opatija such a popular seaside resort, historic photographs, illustrated postcards from over the years, historic items from hotels, maps, souvenirs, memorabilia, and more. Entrance costs just about 2 euros per person. However, in addition to being a pretty pastel gem filled with interesting objects, the grounds around the villa are also beautiful and well worth coming to explore.
Villa Angiolina is surrounded by a park covering an area of 3.6 hectares that is divided into 60 fields and full of over 159 exotic plant species from Asia, South America, Australia, including the lovely Japanese Camellia that has become synonymous with Opatija. In addition to all of this, the park is home to the pretty terraces that were once used for evening entertainment, orchestral performances, and more in the summers and to the oldest building in Opatija, the Church of St. Jakov, which dates back to at least the 15th century.
So, if you are looking for a quiet and peaceful place for a seaside getaway in Croatia, a holiday rental in Opatija is a perfect choice and a wander around this pretty villa, interesting little museum, and stunning grounds makes for as busy an activity as you are likely to encounter. What a perfect place to relax!
Photo credits
Picture 1: Berthold Werner / CC BY-SA 3.0;
Picture 1: Berthold Werner / CC BY-SA 3.0;