June 3, 2022 - The first Cres Fringe Festival had its grand opening on May 30 on Croatia's largest island with a varied and rich cultural and artistic programme. The festival is set to continue until this Sunday, and attendees can still enjoy its diverse content until then.

The Cres Fringe Festival is a festival that connects, educates, and supports performers, all kinds of art, music, culture, filmmakers, artists, and locals. But it‘s more than this. There are fringe festivals all over the world, with the first one being the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, which started 70 years ago. The Cres Fringe Festival is one of a kind as it is the very first in Croatia, the only difference is the kind of art, the compilation, and its singularity. The Cres Fringe Festival is running in parallel to the Creski Kaić, which takes place on the main square of the city, while the Cres Fringe Festival present its shows in different venues around the city of Cres.

Those who attend will have the chance to connect with artists, producers, and many interesting people from diverse backgrounds. Lots of international performers, drag shows, singers and artists are currently in the city of Cres. In addition, visitors be able to attend a film festival whose programme revolves around the pandemic and the psychological effects produced as a result of it. Likewise, attendees will not just be spectators, since they'll also have the opportunity to share, perform and celebrate their own art. Numerous exhibits will be available at the festival, as will street art, and attendees can also visit the marketplace to buy handmade goods, traditional art, photos, and designs.

International performers and artists, such as Deaby De Lux, will be present at various venues around the city of Cres.

If you are at the Cres Fringe Festival, you can also attend different workshops, presentations, and discussion panels. An entertainment programme is also guaranteed, with the possibility of seeing shows, the circus, cabaret, and much more. The festival will also allow those from abroad to get better acquainted with Croatian culture up close, as well as many other types of cultural exchanges. As if that weren't enough, those present can win prizes throughout each day as well. Finally, considering the great weather at this time of the year, Cres Fringe Festival attendees will be able to enjoy a great location on a beautiful Croatian island, excellent food and drinks, and the gorgeous sea around Kvarner Bay.

You can go home with a tattoo done at the Festival itself!

Additionally, there will be a tattoo artist at the festival for those who wish to take home a unique and very permanent ''souvenir'', as well as a live artist, who will draw the attendees or even the artists while they perform on stage, finishing their incredible drawings in small time frames of between 3 and 5 minutes.

The organisers are also pleased to announce that this year, the Cres Fringe Festival has been held in collaboration with the European Burlesque and Variety Congress.

The talented Koes Komo will be in charge of portraying attendees and artists in less than five minutes.

One might wonder why all this would take place on the island of Cres, of all places. The answer lies in the fact that the island the founder's home, and she always dreamed of bringing more art and diversity to the island while also doing something for the local residents there. Those behind the organisation of the first-ever Cres Fringe Festival want to start the season earlier, bringing more people to the island and the city, as it‘s an opportunity for property owners on Cres to accommodate people by renting out their apartments and houses for the duration of the festival.

Cres, Croatia's largest island and one of the most beautiful, is ready to become a hotspot for Fringe tourism.

Those who benefit will be not only property owners but also venue owners, who will be able to have world-class entertainment and performers at their venues, completely organised by the festival's producers.

Among the main venues of the Cres Fringe Festival are Arsan, Luna Rossa, Cine Cres, Vina Miramar, and Plavica Bar.

The organising team for the first Cres Fringe Festival includes Croatian founder and producer Celeste de Moriae, and her co-producers Amanda Blyth from the UK, Sylwester Biraga from Poland, and Wini Di from the Netherlands. Also part of the team are Larisa Štefančić from Croatia and Magenta Lust from Scotland, as well as Miss Botero from France as a consultant.

As part of the objectives of the organisers, it's worth highlighting the intention to promote and grow fringe tourism in the country and thus be part of the World Fringe Community. But, above all, the aim is to attract more tourists and make both the island and the city of Cres more popular destinations by bringing a unique world event to the island.

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

November 18, 2021 - The Croatian maritime industry wants to return to its place as one of the strongest by establishing a global center for innovation and maritime skills in Kvarner. 

The MarInn Association - Maritime Innovation Cluster was presented at the Ambasador Hotel in Opatija, marking a big step forward for the whole destination, but also Croatia, reports HRTurizam.

By establishing this cluster, Croatia wants to return to the map of the strongest maritime countries. One of the main goals is to establish a global center for innovation and smart skills in the maritime industry in Kvarner. Thus, MarInn will become the backbone of the development of the maritime sector in the Republic of Croatia, and the priority areas that the cluster will develop will be autonomous vehicles, clean technologies with an emphasis on hydrogen, transformation of waste into energy, and smart, green, and self-sustainable marinas.

Through a unique and innovative event, new technologies in the maritime sector, goals, and areas of activity of the Maritime Innovation Cluster were presented. In addition, a new online platform will serve to connect partners and achieve cooperation on projects in the maritime sector.

A green and digital vision of the future of the maritime industry

The founders of the Cluster are Lürssen Design Center Kvarner d.o.o., Maritime Center of Excellence d.o.o. and Gitone d.o.o. while the partners are Jadrolinija, ACI, University of Rijeka, ERNAFA, Novatech, BrightDock, FER, regional development agency PRIGODA, AVL, City of Rijeka, and Primorje-Gorski Kotar County.

"By establishing this cluster, the Lürssen Group wants to bring together the entire eco-innovation system, from academia, the business sector, local government, and non-governmental organizations, and strengthen cooperation in the maritime industry and position itself, both in Croatia and in Europe, as a center of excellence for the development of new technologies and smart skills in the maritime sector. Furthermore, by joining the cluster partners, we enable work on already existing commercial projects, but also on future EU projects related primarily to innovation, research, and development in the maritime industry," said Peter Lürssen, co-owner of the Lürssen group behind the cluster.

MarInn is a platform for preparing research and development projects and the development of research infrastructure that will be available to all cluster members. By establishing and expanding the cluster, Croatia has the opportunity to show how it has the people and potential to achieve top results in the maritime industry, especially in the development of the vessels of the future, clean technology, autonomous platforms, and many other technologies.

"Our idea is to bring together all the Lurssen Group's commercial projects, but also new EU projects, to help us solve innovation challenges so that our technologies, these ships, are as green as possible, as clean as possible," said Ana Odak, President Maritime Innovation Cluster for the RI Channel.

The maritime innovation cluster will be located in the Innovation Arena, which will soon begin construction on the Rijeka campus.

Also, the construction of the most modern marina Porto Baroš will soon begin in Rijeka as one of the most significant investments in nautical tourism. This year, ACI d.d. and GITONE Kvarner d.o.o., part of the famous Lurssen Group, founded a joint company ACI-GITONE d.o.o. The combined company applied and won the tender for the concession for the construction and economical use of the nautical tourism port Porto Baroš in Rijeka, the future ACI marina Rijeka, which is also the largest and most important maritime project in the history of the Republic of Croatia.

The marina will have 260 berths and become a new Adriatic center for megayachts, and the estimated value of the project is 363.7 million kuna. It is planned to employ 132 workers.

The beginning of the sea part of the marina is planned for 2024, and the beginning of the land part of the marina with the main building is expected in 2025. With the new marina, Rijeka will be side by side with the most modern marinas across Europe.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

October 25, 2021 - To promote Primorje-Gorski Kotar County as a dog friendly destination, a guide called "Paws in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County" has been published with tips for dog owners, recommendations for trips and walks, and detailed information on accommodations and beaches that allow dogs.

In the new project of the Coordination Working Group for the Protection of Animals of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, abbreviated KRAS, this Guide for dog owners " Paws in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County" was published for the local population and guests, reports HrTurizam.

The new pet friendly guide is intended for dog owners and offers useful tips and ideas, such as recommendations for trips or walks with a dog, with information on accommodation that accepts pets and beach locations for dogs in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County or Kvarner. The guide also contains many other useful details related to dog behavior, regulations for entering Croatia, dog health, and more, thus promoting the region as a dog friendly destination.

As we know, the Tourist Board of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County holds the quality label "Kvarner Family", a family accommodation branding system, from which other sub-brands such as ''Pet Friendly'' designate service providers that specialize in household pets and their owners.

These are, first of all, accommodation of "Kvarner Family" quality with an additional "Pet Friendly" offer, also restaurants with "Kvarner Gourmet" and "Kvarner Food" quality with a special place on the terrace for your four-legged friend, beaches where swimming for dogs is allowed, dog waiting shops, veterinary clinics, dog hotels, dog grooming salons, pet shops, and all other services that your pet may need during their vacation in Kvarner. 

Irena Peršić Živadinov, director of the Kvarner Tourist Board, commented on the tourist context of the guide, pointing out the greatest demand for content and locations where guests can stay with their pets. "At the European level, there is a noticeable increase in guests who come on holiday with pets. Problems and lack of information are not uncommon. For this reason, we have launched "Kvarner Pet Friendly", a label and brochure with locations where pets are welcome. This is a very nice addition which aims to make it easier for guests, but also to further promote Primorje-Gorski Kotar County", added Perišić Živadinov.

The guide brings together everything that tourists who travel with their pets need to know when they come to Kvarner, a dog friendly destination, and is available in a digital edition in Croatian and English. Download the guide attached.

Download the "Paws in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County" guide in English HERE.

If you want to learn more about pets in Croatia, be sure to check Total Croatia's guide. Now in your language!

For more on lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

September 24, 2021 - After a successful summer, the jewel of Kvarner Bay joins festivities across the globe, as Opatija celebrates World Tourism Day with an exciting repertoire of activities and events starting tomorrow.

Sports and recreational walks, a costumed tour through the history of Opatija, oldtimers, and klapa concerts will fill Opatija with content for three days. From 25 to 27 September, the Tourist Board of Opatija celebrates World Tourism Day with a diverse program aimed at promoting the social, cultural, political, and economic values ​​of tourism, as well as the contribution that this sector makes in the field of sustainable development.

This year, after a long period marked by a pandemic, this day is dedicated to the impact of tourism on inclusive development through the promotion of the diversity and uniqueness of each culture and individual on our planet.

The program in Opatija begins with an exhibition of oldtimers in the port of Opatija, where fans of antique cars will present their well-preserved vehicles to visitors as a "warm-up" for the Liburnia Classic Rally, a traditional oldtimer race that will depart from the port at 10.30. At 10 o'clock in front of Villa Angiolina, an active walk will start, ie a recreational Nordic walking program. In addition to contributing to the health of the participants, this activity will also provide an opportunity to see Opatija's natural and cultural sights.

On Sunday, September 26, the cultural and historical features of the "cradle of Croatian tourism" will be presented in a unique way through a costumed walk through the history of Opatija, which will start in front of Villa Angiolina at 10 am. The guided tour will take place in Croatian and English, and the participants will discover the secrets of Opatija's past with some of the interesting historical figures who participated in them. After the walk, from 11.30 am, a performance of the klapa Baladur will take place in Portić, a small port in front of the Juraj Šporer Art Pavilion.

The World Tourism Day itself, Monday, September 27, will be marked by a klapa song. On that day, from 7 pm, the music program of Klapa va Portić will be held at the same place.

Finally, let’s say all the programs are free and maintained in accordance with epidemiological measures.

To learn more about one of Kvarner's most impressive jewels, be sure to read our complete Total Croatia guide, Opatija in a page. Now in your language!

For more, check out our travel section.

September 18, 2021 - Yesterday, in ​​the city of Krk, 1,014,259 overnight stays in commercial accommodation were achieved for this year's period (01.01 - 16.09.2021), which is as much as 83% of the record year 2019, and 54% more overnight stays compared to 2020 in the same period.

As reported by HrTurizam today, when it comes to commercial accommodation in the city of Krk, most overnight stays were realized in camps with 459,012 overnight stays,  61% more than in the same period last year, and this realization accounted for 84% of overnight stays compared to the same period in 2019, followed by 441,055 overnight stays in households. 38% more compared to the same period last year and 86% of overnight stays in 2019, and hotels with 94,121 overnight stays, which is even 138% more compared to the same period last year and 68% of overnight stays in 2019.

"In this year's extremely demanding working conditions, I congratulate all representatives of the tourism sector, tourism workers, on the enormous effort this season, responsible approach, and excellent results", said Ivana Kovačić, director of the Krk Tourist Board.

In the month of September 2021 (until 16 September), 124,970 overnight stays were realized in commercial accommodation, which is 12% more than in the same period in 2019, and 175% more than last year. All commercial accommodation facilities recorded better results in September than in September 2019.

In September, the highest number of overnight stays was realized in camps, 59,559, which is 169% more than in 2020 and 8% more than in 2019, followed by household facilities with 48,584 overnight stays, which is 149% more than in 2020 and 19 % more than in 2019, while 14,130 overnight stays were realized in hotels, which is 403% more than last year and 6% more compared to the same period in 2019.

Top markets (according to realized overnight stays) are Germany (+ 45% compared to 2020, 94% achieved in 2019), Slovenia (88% compared to 2020, 66% achieved in 2019), Austria (+ 140% compared to to 2020, 84% of 2019,), Croatia (95% of 2020, 95% of 2019), Hungary (+ 88% of 2020, 96% of 2019), Czech Republic (+30 % compared to 2020, + 20% compared to 2019), Italy (+ 50% compared to 2020, 35% achieved in 2019), Poland (+ 16% compared to 2020, + 9% in compared to 2019), the Netherlands (+ 227% compared to 2020, 67% of 2019) and Slovakia (+ 96% compared to 2020, 80% of 2019).

For more, check out our dedicated travel section.

ZAGREB, 9 May 2021 - The original works of Pablo Picasso and Joan Miro will be exhibited this summer in the Juraj Šporer Art Pavillion in Opatija, a press conference heard last Wednesday.

The exhibition opens on 2 June and will last until 10 October 2021, the director of the Opatija Festival, Ernie Gigante Dešković, said. A part of the exhibition is dedicated to Picasso and the other to Miro, under the common title "Friendship, Freedom", said Gigante Drašković.

"A few years ago we brought back the performances of great international music stars to the Summer Stage. Thus the Summer Stage again became one of Croatia's most important music locations. Now we have decided to do the same with the Juraj Šporer Art Pavillion", he said.

Those behind the Opatija Festival have decided to turn that exhibition area into one of the most important locations in Croatia, where it will be possible to see attractive international exhibitions.

In order to meet the high standards and conditions required by this exhibition, the gallery space is being remodeled and special security measures are being introduced.

As a co-organizer of the exhibition, the director of IPL Art, Iva Piglić Lazić, said that the preparation had been underway for seven months now. The works that will be on display are part of private collections and could not be seen in Croatia by now, she said.

Of the 140 works available, we will exhibit most of them, Piglić Lazić said. She especially thanked the Opatija Tourist Board and the City of Opatija, who had recognized the project, for cooperation, as well as other associates and sponsors.

For more travel information about Opatija, be sure to visit Total Croatia's guide HERE.

For more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

March 25, 2021 - Both the Croatian Ministry of Tourism and Sports and Croatian tourist boards recognised the development of health tourism as a high priority for Croatia.

To discuss the development of health tourism in Croatia, a branch that is becoming one of the more important Croatian tourist products, Croatian Tourism and Sports minister Nikolina Brnjac met with Kvarner Tourist Board director Irena Peršić Živadinov, Kvarner Health Tourism cluster president Vladimir Možetič, and Zagreb Tourist Board director Martina Bienenfeld. As life expectancy and healthy lifestyle trends increase, the value of health tourism grows. The novel coronavirus only made that growth even more rapid.

"Over 80,000 tourists in 2020 visited Kvarner (well-known for Lošinj Island and its hospital for respiratory issues) for health services. Today, many people are recovering from the consequences of the novel coronavirus there," said the Kvarner Tourist Board director Živadinov.  

"We have all the advantages for further development of health tourism: a good reputation of health services, qualified staff, natural richness of thermal sources, good climate, and long tradition of tourism," said minister Brnjac. Her goal is to pull Croatia out of the perception of a country only good for the summer season.

Croatia offers health services in wellness and medicine tourism. Health tourism is most associated with the regions of Kvarner, Istria, northern Croatia, and Zagreb, but the goal is to include other regions that have the potential for health tourism and to achieve the goals of a strategy that needs to be accomplished by 2030.

Martina Bienenfeld said that the Zagreb Tourist Board is working on the City's recognition as the centre of medical excellence. She pointed out good traffic connections, a mixture of the Mediterranean and mid-Europe climate, as well as good prices of health services as great advantages of Croatia's capital to the international clientele.

The Health Care Bill and Services in Tourism Bill now allow hospitality and health tourism services in hospitals and medical centres. These legal changes are also significant in attracting further investments in the field.

For more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

January 27, 2021 – They promised its arrival this spring and, true to their word, these first-look photos show the construction of the beautiful new Rijeka Hilton Costabella Beach Resort & Spa is complete

With an investment of €80 million and the keen co-operation of the city authorities, the arrival date of the new Rijeka Hilton Costabella Beach Resort & Spa was never in doubt. They said it would be ready for spring and due to open its doors in April. As these first look pictures show, they've been true to their word. Construction of the new Rijeka Hilton Costabella Beach Resort & Spa is complete.

Its been at times difficult to fully visualise the completed project from the glossy, computer-generated builders' images of how they predict the finished product will look. Rijeka residents too have had their worries – would the new promenade in front of the complex (paid for with city money) place a section of their beloved coastline off-limits to those not staying at the Rijeka Hilton Costabella Beach Resort & Spa?

They needn't have worried. As these new images show, the major construction work at the Rijeka Hilton Costabella Beach Resort & Spa is complete. It looks as though they could throw open the doors tomorrow. The worried-over promenade snakes between the main complex and the hotel residents' beach area. It allows pedestrians full access to the seafront – they can pass along the entire front facade of the Rijeka Hilton Costabella Beach Resort & Spa and enjoy the view from the shore just as much as hotel residents. When the Rijeka Hilton finally opens its doors, they'll also be able to take advantage of all of its spa facilities too, which will be opened up to local residents via a membership scheme.

The Rijeka Hilton Costabella Beach Resort & Spa complex has been built across a considerable 18,000 square metres. The main building complex has 10 floors which hold 132 rooms. The site also has 66 villas separate to the main building, six restaurant/bar/food outlets, a private beach, and one of the largest wellness facilities in the region - the two-floored spa area covers more than 3,000 square metres.

The new photos of the complete Rijeka Hilton Costabella Beach Resort & Spa, which are signed as Mr. Fly, were posted publicly to the Facebook group Riječka enciklopedija - Fluminensia by renowned Rijeka photographer Dario Matijević, whose breathtaking images of the nature, landscapes and cityscapes of the Kvarner region are often signed as Baredice Photo and can be enjoyed here. They were subsequently used by RiPortal in their coverage of this story.

January 24, 2021 – With breathtaking views of the Kvarner Gulf and island Cres, Opatija Villa Design is an award-winning triumph of contemporary architecture, its purchase a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

Sitting on the coastal road to Rijeka, only around one and a half kilometres northeast of Opatija, the village of Volosko has almost been consumed by its famous and opulent neighbour. Indeed, many today refer to Volosko as a neighbourhood of Opatija. But, that wasn't always the case.

The beautiful seaside village of Volosko and its harbour © Visit Opatija

With its own micro-climate and its own distinct bay within the Kvarner Gulf, Volosko is one of the best places in the region for windsurfing. Taking advantage of the best conditions in the very early morning, as dawn spreads a brightening light over Volosko, surfers get a great view of its harbour. Before the village became regarded as part of Opatija, it was actually tied to the great walled town of Kastav, located some five kilometres above on the mountainside. Volosko was the town's port.

Surfers eyeing the Volosko shoreline might also get a glimpse of the incredible Opatija Villa Design, sitting in the foothills above Volosko. Once you see it, it's tough to miss. It looks like literally nothing else within eyesight. An oblong box with glorious sea-facing windows, truth be told, you have to get much closer to Opatija Villa Design to fully appreciate all of its award-winning design.

While instantly noticeable because it extends out diagonally, leaving half of the dwelling floating in space, this prominent rectangular box is actually less than half the story of Opatija Villa Design. The part you can't spot from the surf is another whole half of the property - a brick-walled structure lies beneath, built into the hillside like a cave, covered atop with gardens and grass. There's also a sleek outdoor swimming pool.

Opatija Villa Design was commissioned back in 2010 and was originally called Nest and Cave House. In 2012, the villa earned architect Idis Turato the national Drago Galić award as part of the Annual Realization Exhibition for the most successful achievement in residential architecture. Later that year, Opatija Villa Design was nominated for the Mies Van der Rohe International Award.

© idisturato.com

However impressive its upper floor may look from the sea, that's nothing compared to the view of the Adriatic gifted by the positioning of the Opatija Villa Design. Stretching out before you in widescreen is the entire Kvarner Gulf – to the left, the buzzing city of Rijeka, less than 20 minutes by car, similarly perched in the rising foothills. In front of you, the island of Cres floats on the waves, beneath you the Austro-Hungarian grandeur of Opatija proper, between them the speeding sails of the windsurfers. To grant maximum time before this breathtaking view, the living space is located on the upper floor, the bedrooms hidden from the intense heat of midsummer in the cavern below.

On the upper floor's 100 square metres are a living room, dining room, kitchen, storage and toilet, beside a garage of 35 square meters. Beyond the driveway and upper lawns lie solar panels which top up the Opatija Villa Design's electricity.

An open staircase leads to the lower floor - also around 100 square metres - which contains a more formal living room for entertaining plus a double bedroom and another bedroom. Outside of the cave's patio doors lie a large outdoor dining area (shaded from the sun by the floating part of the upper floor), extensive lawn space and the pool. The entire property is surrounded by hedges or walls to maintain privacy.

Ten years after its inception, the property is once again in the spotlight because it has come up for sale. Its price tag? A not inconsiderable 3,011,806 dollars, or 18 million kuna. According to great regional portal Fiuman.hr, the property is listed on the pages of luxury real estate agent Croatia Sotheby's International Realty. For someone who can meet the asking price, Opatija Villa Design offers the chance to turn dream living into a reality.

All images © Croatia Sotheby's International Realty unless otherwise accredited

January 7, 2021 – From the Bay of Bakar through the beaches of Rijeka to the opulence of Opatija and up, all the way to the border with Slovenia, Kvarner residents and visitors will be able to travel with just one ticket across the whole of the Rijeka integrated rail and bus network

An existing co-operation between rail and bus operators in Kvarner was today extended, allowing the Rijeka Integrated Rail and Bus network to continue for at least another year. This holds exciting implications for travel in the region for years to come.

Planned changes to the infrastructure of the coastal part of the north Kvarner Bay mean that within the Rijeka integrated rail and bus scheme, you will soon be able to travel from the Bay of Bakar, stop off at a series of Rijeka beaches, hop back on public transport to go to Opatija and even travel beyond the coast, all the way to the border with Slovenia, using just one ticket. Passengers will not be limited in their choice to travel by either aril or bus.


An Autotrolej bus, longtime providers of local bus services in Rijeka © Grad Rijeka

The Rijeka integrated rail and bus scheme, organised through Kvarner County, Rijeka, Matulji and Bakar Town Halls, rail and local bus operators is an eco-friendly drive that seeks to encourage people to leave their cars at home and instead choose public transport. However, access to the Rijeka integrated rail and bus network is not limited to commuting workers and travelling students. Although the scheme is most cost-effective using a monthly ticket, day tickets are available for the network which may be of huge appeal to visitors wishing to explore a wider portion of Kvarner's northern coast.


The train station of Opatija Matulji © Damir Covic 1939 / Matulji Tourist Board

Rijeka integrated rail and bus: International

What makes the extension of the Rijeka integrated rail and bus scheme even more welcome is the planned overhaul of infrastructure that will accompany it.

Fifteen extra stations will be added (or reactivated) on the route between Kantrida in the west of Rijeka, along the Rijeka seafront and on to the outskirts of Bakar. Furthermore, the entire train line from Bakar to Šapjane will be brought into the Rijeka integrated rail and bus scheme with the completion of a second train track along the route.

Trains along the line at Šapjane. Next stop Slovenia! © DiningCar_

Šapjane, in the municipality of Matulji, lies 20 kilometres inland, north of Opatija. It sits right on the border with Slovenia. The train line extends across this border, through the Slovenian town of Ilirska Bistrica, and then on to Postojna and Ljubljana, Italy or Austria. This means the Rijeka integrated rail and bus scheme will be directly linked to another green, international travel network.

These routes will all be linked to the incoming, double-tracked Pan-European fast train network, which, as TCN highlighted last year, will connect this part of Kvarner with France, Spain and Portugal in the west all the way to eastern Hungary via Zagreb and Budapest. Needless to say, it will require more than a single day ticket (cvikalica) from the Rijeka integrated rail and bus network to make such a journey!