August 15, 2020 - Opatija Mayor, Ivo Dujmic, asked the Croatian Government and National Headquarters to divide Croatia into epidemiological regions as soon as possible. Dujmic believes that the counties of Istria and Primorje-Gorski Kotar should not bear the consequences of the unfavorable situation in Split-Dalmatia County.

We have transmitted his post on Facebook in its entirety:

"Urgently divide Croatia into epidemiological regions"

"This way, I must express my dissatisfaction with the current situation, i.e., that the Civil Protection Headquarters is avoiding dividing Croatia into regions and thus save the tourist season in those counties that have a favorable epidemiological situation.

I am primarily thinking of Primorje-Gorski Kotar and Istria counties, which have, by far, the most tourists in Croatia and, in addition, have a very favorable situation with the coronavirus. We must keep these good tourist figures, that is, take care of the existence of many families, entrepreneurs who depend on tourism, but also the budget of our cities, counties and the state itself.

I don't even have to say how many problems the citizens of Primorje-Gorski Kotar and Istria counties have who work in neighboring countries and go to Italy or Slovenia daily or weekly. Why do the new measures of the Headquarters apply to the whole of Croatia, i.e., why do our entrepreneurs have to bear the consequences of the bad epidemiological situation in Split-Dalmatia County?!

Therefore, I ask the Government and the Civil Protection Headquarters of the Republic of Croatia to urgently divide Croatia into epidemiological regions, i.e., green, orange and red regions, which would be a clear message to other countries, especially those on which our tourism depends. I also ask that the measures be determined by regions and not linearly for all counties.

We don't have time anymore; decisions must be made as soon as possible!”

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

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As miss7/Daniela Horvat writes on the 9th of August, 2020, the editor-in-chief of the miss7 brand, Tonkica Zlacki, found herself in a rather scandalous situation in Opatija, where she intended to spend a relaxing weekend with her young daughter. She booked accommodation for the pair at the prestigious Imperial Hotel, which turned out to be closed.

The tourist season is in full swing, but the old lady of Croatian tourism, Opatija, can't boast of the results it enjoyed in previous years. According to local media, tourist workers in Opatija are complaining that this year's season is "catastrophic" and "twice as bad as last year's". Since there is a fierce fight for every guest on the entire Croatian Adriatic, the event that shocked the editor-in-chief of the miss7 brand Tonkica Zlacki is especially surprising.

Namely, in the company of her eight-year-old daughter, she went to Opatija, where she booked accommodation at the prestigious Remisens Premium Heritage Hotel Imperial. It is one of the oldest hotels in Opatija, located along the shoreline not far from the city's sights, and which boasts the fact that the second hotel built on the Croatian coast. The aforementioned historical hotel is widely known to the people of Opatija and their guests, but Tonkica Zlacki was surprised when she was greeted at the door by an announcement - that the hotel was closed!

"It's a scam, people are being misled. It's not sloppiness, it's a targeted scam to get you there. It's scandalous," the editor-in-chief of the miss7 brand stated when discussing the matter. "I chose that hotel, I didn't want another one. People want to get what they've paid for. I wanted to be near the beach I've been coming to with my family for years. But that's not even the crucial part, the crucial thing is that this is what I chose, it was available to be booked, and then I get here to be greeted by a piece of A4 paper stuck on the door saying that it's closed,'' Tonkica stated.

When Tonkica contacted the hotel staff, she revealed that her reservation had been redirected to the Remisens Premium Hotel Ambasador, which is also one of the hotels within the Liburnia Riviera Hotels company.

"They tell you that they transferred you to another hotel on their own initiative, it doesn't matter what the categorisation is, although that alternative hotel has five stars. I wasn't interested in it because it's not in the location I wanted, nor is it a hotel that I chose. If I wanted to stay at that hotel, I'd have booked it,'' she said, revealing that at this point, a disillusioned guest has only two things left at their disposal - to accept the offered accommodation or simply look for another.

"It's completely insane. They're selling something that doesn't exist. That's the main point. As a consumer, you have no control over this process, but they put you in accommodation that suits them and they don't regulate the price in any way," Tonkica concluded.

Miss7 decided to check out the whole story and headed to Booking.com where they successfully booked accommodation at the Imperial Hotel for themselves. Furthermore, they decided to check the availability of accommodation in this hotel and on the pages of other online advertisers (RevNGo, Uniline, Agoda) and they succeeded in doing so. Moreover, it was shown that accommodation can also be booked on the official website of Liburnia Riviera Hotels, the group that owns the hotel, which clearly shows that this is not merely an accidental mistake.

In addition, the official website of the group didn't publish any information on how the aforementioned hotel was closed. Therefore, as a potential guest, miss7 contacted the reservation centre of Liburnia Riviera Hotels which confirmed to us that the Hotel Imperial was closed. When asked how it's possible to book accommodation in a hotel that is not open at all, the clerk answered with the following: "It's a decision that has been taken at a higher level. All guests will be moved to Hotel Ambasador. It's a five star hotel."

They couldn't reveal the reasons for the closure of the Imperial Hotel. This scandalous business practice of the Liburnia Riviera hotel group, which holds as many as ten hotels in Opatija, is very difficult to understand. According the information, such methods are not only a consequence of the crisis after the coronavirus epidemic, but such situations have happened before, but out of season. It's quite shocking that guests who have chosen this facility with their own will and money, will be transferred on the spot by the "take it or leave it" method to another hotel that suits the hotel group the most at that moment. Truly scandalous.

For more, follow our lifestyle page.

July 8, 2020 - Ikador Luxury Boutique Hotel & Spa has become a member of an exclusive club -  Möet & Chandon Privilege Club.

Almost everybody in the world, especially all the wine lovers and champagne lovers, knows that brand name Möet & Chandon, when connected to any other brand, person, or event  – means a lot.

So, the news that a small hotel on the Croatian Opatija Riviera, Ikador Luxury Boutique Hotel & Spa, became a member of an exclusive club -  Möet & Chandon Privilege Club, which is very good news indeed.

Only a few locations in the world own this prestigious membership, and Ikador hotel is very excited to share exclusive selections of rarities from the Grand Vintage collection, as well as rarities from renowned brands such as Dom Perignon, Krug and Hennessy! The collaboration between Ikador and the Möet Hennessy group is more than good news for those who know their wines and cognacs and appreciate a nice glass of the precious drink.

Ikador Luxury Boutique Hotel & Spa opened its doors in the spring 2019 and already then it was a member of renowned hotel association Leading Hotels of the World, but also a number of carefully selected, world-famous partners who successfully promote not only Opatija Riviera, but also the whole of Croatia as a luxurious destination for supreme hedonism.

ZAGREB, May 14, 2020 - About 60 bar and restaurant owners and hoteliers in Opatija started a campaign called "19 Days of Defiance," and until June 1 they will offer their guests discounts and in a symbolic way show defiance against the situation caused by the coronavirus pandemic and hope that a better period would come.

"Most bar and restaurant owners in Opatija, all hotels open in May and the Thalasso Wellness Centre will have special offers and discounts for their guests until June 1, and through the symbolism of number 19 they will express their defiance against the situation caused by the pandemic, as well as hope that a better period will come," the Opatija Tourist Board said in a press release.

As they said, bar and restaurant owners and hoteliers in Opatija had decided to mark the end of a two-month period of closed facilities and distance from guests with the "19 Days of Defiance" campaign.

"For the next 19 days, by June 1, most bars and restaurants in Opatija will have special offers for their guests, adjusted to the establishment's offer and type - ranging from discounts on some services to a general discount of a symbolic 'COVID' 19 percent."

The Opatija Tourist Board underscored that Opatija's bar and restaurant owners had been proactive and creative and that they had, in cooperation with the tourist Board, encouraged other tourist facilities to join the action.

They also underscore that other hoteliers, which have not reopened in May or taken part in the programme, will open for business at the beginning of June.

May 1, 2020 - Tourism is on hold, but most of us have plenty of time. So let's look at the virtual resources available to explore Croatia virtually. We continue our new Virtual Croatia series with the tools to discover Opatija.

A few weeks ago I wrote that being a tourism blogger in the corona era was about as useful as being a cocktail barman in Saudi Arabia. I feel less useless now, a few weeks later, and I am encouraged by the number of Croatian tourism businesses who are contacting us wanting to start thinking of promoting post-corona tourism. 

One of the challenges of writing about tourism at the moment is that there is nothing positive to write about. With people confined to their homes and tourism in Croatia currently not possible, many have decided to go into hibernation until it is all over. 

I think that this is a mistake, and I have greatly enjoyed the TCN series by Zoran Pejovic of Paradox Hospitality on thinking ahead to tourism in a post-corona world.  You can find Zoran's articles here.

Way back on March 14 - several lifetimes ago - I published an article called Tourism in the Corona Age: 10 Virtual Ways to Discover Zagreb. The way I saw things, now was an OUTSTANDING opportunity for tourism promotion. People have time, they yearn for their freedom and former lives, so give them the tools to thoroughly research and enjoy your destinations, and you will have then longing to be there. And when they do come, they will have a deeper understanding of the destination due to their research. 

South Africa and Portugal were the first to do their post-corona tourism promotion videos several weeks ago (Post-Corona Tourism Planning: Lessons from South Africa and Portugal), a trick which has been followed by other tourism countries, the latest being Croatia with the national tourist board campaign, #CroatiaLongDistanceLove, going live yesterday.

But while these campaigns create longing and market presence, they don't really educate. People now have time to really get into destinations. And dreams of escape to somewhere more exotic are high on the list of priorities of many. 

So TCN has decided to help with that education with a new series called Virtual Croatia, where we will be helping you discover many of Croatia's destinations with all the best virtual tools available on your self-isolating sofa at home. 

We started last week with Tourism in the Corona Age: 10 Virtual Tools to Discover Hvar.

After this, we put our a press release (which you can read here in English and Croatian) offering a free article to any local tourist board in Croatia who would like the free promotion in our Virtual Croatia series. 

The Sinj Tourist Board was the first to respond, and now you can see just how rich the tourism offer is in this proud Alka town - your virtual tools to Discover Sinj.

Next up, Zeljka Stasic from the Opatija Tourist Board, who sent me some virtual tools to help us 'Dream Today, Visit Opatija Tomorrow.' 

Let's begin! 

Dream Today, Visit Opatija Tomorrow 

The current message and latest Opatija Tourist Board video release - Dream today, visit Opatija tomorrow.

Some more intro videos - Opatija, Queen of the Adriatic 

Opatija, Be Charmed. 

Opatija from the air.

Discover Opatija as It Once Was

A look at how life and tourism used to be in this beautiful Adriatic destination. 1984.  

1965. 

The 1950s. 

Opatija, an event destination throughout the year

There is a LOT going on all year in Opatija - you can take a tour with the official tourist board events page for the latest. Some highlights below. 

RetrOpatija is a musical time machine in which swing, rockabilly, rock, jazz and electric disco music merge together to create a fantastic party dedicated to the key decades and musical styles of the twentieth century. This retro festival brings together excellent Croatian and foreign musicians, pin-up models, dancers, jugglers, street musicians, makeup artists and hair stylists, and presents vintage cars and motorcycles, such as Vespas, Tomos and Fiats. Dance at the hot ‘party of the century’ beneath a large disco ball together with thousands of other visitors.

Liburnija Jazz Festival. 

Liburnia Film Festival 

Viennese Ball. 

Hedonist Gourmet and Wine Festival. 

Advent in Opatija. 

Opatija Chocolate Festival. 

The warmup for the Eurovision Song Contest representative from Croatia - Dora is an annual institution in Opatija.  

Step aside, Monaco. Opatija used to host one of the most famous motorcycle races in Europe - the Adriatic Grand Prix, held on a 6-kilometre track from Preluk to Opatija between 1939 and 1977. As the region was ruled by Italy in the 30s, the track was first known as Circuito di Abbazia (Opatija Circuit) and Circuito del Carnaro (Kvarner Circuit). It became internationally popular after the Italian team decided to compete in Opatija instead of participating in the French Grand Prix in Rheims. The rest is history, as they say - read more here. 

When the Grand Prix fame died down, Opatija didn't allow for racing to go out of style, instead introducing a peculiar manifestation named Balinjerada. The race features hand-made vehicles running on ball-bearings (balinjere in Croatian) which zoom past the delighted audience gathered along Opatija's main street. Both the drivers and their vehicles don themed costumes, giving the entertaining race an air of a next-level carnival. 

And when you have had enough events, take the Opatija Walk of Fame.

Romantic Opatija, the perfect wedding destination

Thinking of tying the knot? Why Opajita may be a great option to consider. 

The birthplace of tourism in Croatia, and a health, wellness and congress tourism destination today

The first holiday home in Croatia was built in Opatija in 1844 - 174 years ago. While we can't exactly speak of organised tourism at that point in time, Villa Angiolina hosted famous historical figures since it first opened its doors, including Emperor Franz Joseph I, Empress Maria Anna and the Croatian Ban Josip Jelačić. Owing to the line of renowned guests who stayed at the villa, the year is considered to mark the beginning of tourism in Opatija. 

Opatija's tourism has always included an element of health tourism, with its excellent healthcare and temperate climate. Opatija clinics are competitive with the very best in Europe, and one cannot complain about the location either.

The pleasant climate mentioned above has always been one of Opatija's most attractive features, and it makes no surprise the town grew to become a famous wellness destination. Franz Joseph I declared Opatija a spa town in 1889; from the 19th-century elites gathering in Opatija in colder months of the year to the current impressive offer of wellness services in Opatija's most distinguished hotels, the town has remained a desirable destination for those who want to relax and recharge their batteries while getting pampered in well-equipped facilities.

Opatija is also one of the Adriatic coast's strongest destinations for congress tourism. You can learn more about Opatija's congress facilities here.

A beach and sailing destination, with the oldest sailing club in Croatia

How could a holiday town on the coast not have a long history of sailing to match? In 1877, an Austrian cartographer and writer named Heinrich von Littrow founded the first sailing club on the Adriatic coast in Opatija, naming it Union Yacht Club Quarnero. More than a century later - in 1990, to be more precise - ACI Marina Opatija was opened in the nearby town of Ičići as the 18th marina in the prestigious Croatian network.

And if you prefer to laze the day away on the beach instead, there are plenty of options. 

The Lungo Mare

One of Opatija's most beloved features is the seaside promenade that spans from Volosko town all the way to Lovran, with Opatija standing as the centrepiece. Officially named the Franz Joseph I Promenade, the lovely trail is commonly referred to as Lungomare and measures around 10 kilometres in length. The northern part from Volosko to Opatija was built in 1889, while the second leg to Lovran was completed in 1911. On weekend mornings, you'll find plenty of tourists and locals taking a relaxing walk in the fresh air, every now and then stopping to take a photo of the stunning scenery.

Moho

Andrija Mohorovičić, a Croatian meteorologist and seismologist, was born in the small town of Volosko near Opatija. An earthquake near Zagreb in 1909 led Mohorovičić to discover the boundary between the Earth's crust and the underlying mantle, which is nowadays referred to as 'Mohorovičić discontinuity', Moho for short. The scientist is considered one of the founders of modern seismology; take the Lungomare to Volosko to see his place of birth and read more about Moho here.

Klapa Opatija

No Adriatic destination would be complete without those beautiful male a capella voices - meet Klapa Opatija.  

A 360 Panorama of Opatija

Take a 360 panoramic tour.

Official Opatija Tourist Board and 25 things to know about the Old Dame of Kvarner

Discover Opatija via the official Visit Opatija website.

For even more detail on Opatija, get to know the destination through TCN's 25 things to know about the Old Dame of Kvarner. 

THIS. IS. OPATIJA. When can we expect your visit? 

To discover more of virtual Croatia, you can follow this series in our dedicated section, Virtual Croatia. 

If you are a local tourist board in Croatia and would like your destination featured in this series for free, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Subject Virtual Croatia (and destination name)

ZAGREB, March 10, 2020 - Opatija is hosting a two-day maritime conference as part of Croatia's presidency of the Council of the EU at which participants are discussing digitisation, safety, environmental protection and boosting the status of maritime careers.

Speaking of health challenges, European Maritime Safety Agency director Maja Markovčić Kostelac said a special recommendation was made, as part of the International Maritime Organization and health institutions, that applied to ships of all countries.

The European Commission has issued a similar recommendation and the situation is under control for now, she added.

The state secretary at the Sea and Transport Ministry, Josip Bilaver, said the latest challenge in the maritime industry was how to respond to the coronavirus crisis.

Asked about prevention measures, he said the ministry was following and participating in the work of the national civil protection authority. "Our ports, Ploče, Zadar, Split and Rijeka, are in sensitive regions, so we communicate with the port authorities on a daily basis."

Asked if the Jadrolinija shipping company would suspend its route to Ancona, Italy, its CEO David Sopta said that for now it would not but that it would if necessary. He added Jadrolinija seafarers were equipped with masks, gloves and disinfectants.

More news about Croatia and the EU can be found in the Politics section.

March 1, 2020 - The Dora was held in Opatija on Saturday night to crown the best song to represent Croatia at the Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam. Of the sixteen singers that competed, Damir Kedzo was named the winner with his song "Wild Wind".

HRT reports that with the song "Wild Winds" ("Divlji vjetre"), Damir Kedzo will represent Croatia at the Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam in May! The Omišalj singer won Saturday night’s Dora competition in Opatija and thus fulfilled his childhood dream.

The winner of the 26th Dora was decided by the audience and an expert jury from five HRT centers. In the tense final, Rijeka singer Mia Negovetic and Damir Kedzo had an equal number of points, and since the song with more audience points won, Kedzo was crowned the winner.

The 65th Anniversary Eurovision Song Contest will be held from May 12 to May 16, and Damir will compete in the first semi-final night to enter the grand finale.

This was Kedzo’s third appearance at Dora and, apparently, the time was a charm. The song "Wild Winds” is written by his permanent collaborator Ante Pecotic, along with composers Bojan Salamon Shalla and Matija Rodic-Matroda, the only Croatian to be on the list of the world's best DJs and producers.

"When I got off the stage, I said, 'this was really good, I can stand behind this'," said the winner of this year's Dora in his first public address at a press conference.

Kedzo was accompanied by five excellent singers - four Rijeka singers Anja Stanic, Ana Kabalin, Medea Market Sindik and Gina Skulic and Opatija's Mateja Majerle who wore traditional Croatian jewelry from each region.

Kedzo was handed the Dora statue, created by artist Ivica Propadal, by the Director-General of Croatian Radio and Television Kazimir Bacic. The Dutch Ambassador HE Mr Hendrik Jan Voskamp wished him good luck at this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam.

Second place went to Mia Negovetic with the song "When It Comes to You", while the third place went to Indira Levak with the song "You Will Never Break My Heart".

The full list of performers who fought for a spot in the Netherlands on Saturday were Elis Lovric, Bojan Jambrosic, Edi Abazi, Zdenka Kovacicek, Alen Vitasovic & Bozidarka-Matija Cerin, Djana, Akle Neon, Nikola Marjanovic, Lorenzo feat Dino Puric & Rapper from the Room, Marin Juric- Chivro, Lorena Bucan, Indira, Jure Brkljaca, Colonia, Mia Negovetic and Damir Kedzo.

To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

February 13, 2020 - While the carnival season lasts in Croatia until Shrove Tuesday, the highlight of this year's carnival celebrations in Opatija will take place this weekend, February 14 - 16.

Three of the main carnival events in Opatija will take place: a concert by numerous local klapa choirs will happen on Friday night (which is also Valentine's day evening, so it's obvious that love songs will be the focus of the evening). On Saturday a dance party will be held in the Gervais club, announced as the traditional old dance party for the carnival, and the organisers expect that the dance floor will be filled for the entire evening.

On Sunday, you're invited to visit Opatija and their traditional Balinjerada race. The name of the race comes from the local term for a ball bearing and can be translated as an "exhibition of ball bearings".

But, it's much more fun than what it sounds: it's a race in which only the vehicles built to run on ball bearings are allowed to participate! This year the costumed race will take place for the 37th time.

The Opatija Tourist Board have protected the trademark Balinjerada, so now Opatija is the only place in the world where such a race should take place. It's often said to be the craziest race in the world, and even visitors are invited to participate.

There's a part of the program called Taxi Balinjera, in which the visitors, helped by experienced riders, can take a spin on the ball bearings of the carts made for just that purpose on the course that runs from Paris Hotel all the way down to Slatina. The race itself of the "professionals" running the carts will take place at midday, and after that a procession of the masked groups and colorful carts will entertain the visitors.

With the race and all of the events taking place in the centre of town, it shouldn't surprise anyone that the traffic will be forbidden there on Sunday between 9am and 3pm.

November 27, 2019 - The holiday magic returns to Opatija this winter, whose streets, squares and parks will be decorated for one of Croatia’s best Advent celebrations on the coast.

Novi List reports that the Advent Program will give citizens and visitors six weeks full of vibrant and engaging events at three major locations - in front of the Juraj Šporer Arts Pavilion, on the Summer Stage and in front of the City Market - but also in Sv. Jakov Park, on Slatina, in the Gervais Center, numerous city hotel and catering facilities, as well as the mountain lodge Poklon, the organizers from the Opatija Tourist Board announced.

Advent in Opatija will open on Friday, November 29, with lighting Christmas decorations and lamps on a giant Christmas tree in front of the town market, while all Christmas decorations throughout the city will be illuminated simultaneously. For the first time, the fairy-tale holiday atmosphere will extend to the entire area of Sv. Jakov Park, which will shine with over three kilometers of lights, a thousand decorative balls and decorations, and numerous freestanding light decorations.

The Christmas lighting will also be accompanied by an entertainment program from 5 pm, with a performance by Klapa Kastav, the choir of the Opatija Kindergarten, and DJ Alex Sabattini. On the same day, around 4 pm - the little ones are invited to socialize in the Nutcracker House, which will be located in the Juraj Šporer Arts Pavilion during the holidays. Elves and nutcrackers will greet children and offer various workshops and performances, which they will be able to enjoy daily: until December 20, weekdays, from 4 pm to 7 pm, and onwards from 12 to 7 pm, while on weekends it’ll be open from 10 am to 7 pm.

Not only the children will be entertained at Šporer, but anyone into great music, hearty winter delicacies and a festive atmosphere can enjoy the Christmas Fair, open on weekdays from 12 pm to 11 pm and on weekends from 10 am to 11 pm.

The music program will kick off with the Xfinity band, which will open the festivities at 8 pm on Friday, November 29th. Until January 2, a number of DJs and well-known musicians will perform, including experienced Whiteheads, Kantridersi, Dellboys, Iman Trio Acoustic, The Janitors, Techno Vikings, Dražen Turina Šajeta, The Bourbon Hunters, Jed Becker’s Group, Vedran Ružić Trio, and Martina Majerle, but also the best Croatian chanson Marko Tolja and many others.

Every Saturday from November 30, one Advent candle will be lit in the park on Slatina, near the most famous Opatija fountain. On the first evening, starting at 7 pm, Martina Majerle and KUD "Učka" Matulji will perform.

The Summer Stage will again become a winter stage this year thanks to an ice rink, which will be open daily until January 12, from Monday to Thursday from 1 pm to 9 pm, Friday from 1 pm to 10 pm, Saturdays 10 am to 10 pm and Sundays 10 am to 9 pm.

Medo Skating Club from Zagreb has prepared an attractive program for the opening ceremony scheduled for Sunday, December 1 , at 5 pm. In addition to the ice rink, there will Christmas cottages and music programs every day from 7 pm, and a skating school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 3 pm to 5 pm.

The Gervais Center will host the Chocolate Festival from December 6-8, as well as numerous other events such as the presentation of the Feel & Taste tourist offer at the Indigenous Products Fair, stand-up performances by Ivan Saric and a festive Christmas and New Year concert with Renata Sabljak, Gianni Stipanic and the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra. At the Gervais Club, located on the lowest floor of the cultural center, fans of electronic music will enjoy a pre-Christmas party, and fans of martial arts can attend the Opatija Fight Night 11.

Following the Christmas lighting on November 29, the City Market will be the venue for New Year's Eve events and Christmas fairs, and at the turn of the Old and New Year, the 'Opatija Tribute to the Legends' program will hit the stage with the Queen Real Tribute, Abba Real Tribute and special guests.

However, this will bejust one of four New Year’s events in Opatija. Namely, Šporer will welcome the new year with the Groovers, the children on the Summer Stage will celebrate at noon, while the rock'n'roll Dellboys will take the Summer Stage at night.

In addition to New Year's Eve, Advent at the Market will offer several other exciting programs, including the illusionist show by Andrei Skedel, the Alen Vitasović concert and the "Crazy Christmas Eve in Opatija", which will fill the day with music and gastronomy before the space in front of the market turns into a big disco at night.

“The road will even be closed for traffic, so music and dance will prevail in the center of the city,” said the organizers.

In addition to the central locations in Opatija, the holiday program will also take place in other parts of the city, and about 250 different programs will be held from November 29 to January 12.

Santa Claus will once again return to his winter residence on Poklon, where a Christmas fairy tale will be held from December 13 to December 15 in the Učka Nature Park. Famous trainer Mario Mlinarić will lead everyone interested on a Christmas walk from Opatija to Veprinac on December 14.

In addition to socializing, music and gastronomic specialties, holiday time is also associated with gift-giving, and Opatija will give the gift of free parking to its citizens and guests. 

From December 1 to February 29, private cars will not be charged on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, except in zones 0a and 0b located in the area from the Palace to the Admiral Hotel, including parking behind the bus station near the Admiral Hotel and Joakim Rakovac Street.

You can learn more about Advent in Opatija here.

To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

November 10, 2019 

Nestled between the Učka mountain range and the Adriatic, Opatija has long been a tourist drawcard. Each year, thousands of visitors stay in the Habsburg-era hotels that line its main streets, enjoying a variety of restaurants and cafes, as well as museums, concerts and other attractions. Indeed, the good life seems to be ingrained in the town’s DNA. But there’s more to the pearl of the Kvarner Gulf than most people realise.

The Longest Riva in Croatia

Visitors to Croatia’s coastal towns will be familiar with the riva many of them have—a pedestrian promenade where locals chat and gossip while tourists hop from one restaurant or bar to another. While Split’s riva is probably the most well-known, Croatia’s longest riva actually runs through Opatija. Completed in the early twentieth century, the Lungomare stretches 12 kilometres from Volosko to Lovran. Stately Austro-Hungarian-era villas and overhanging branches of oak and laurel make a stroll along the Lungomare a memorable one. For a touch of glamour, visitors can check out the Lungomare’s Croatian Walk of Fame, Opatija’s answer to Hollywood’s Walk of Fame.

Roll Out the Red Carpet

Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanišević isn’t the only A-lister to have graced Opatija’s streets. Up until the mid-twentieth century, Opatija’s history as a tourist resort made it a magnet for other people from the arts, science and culture. A mural in Opatija’s Angiolina Park reveals some of the celebrities who have visited Opatija over the decades: Hollywood actor Kirk Douglas, physicist Albert Einstein and writer James Joyce, among others. And with singers Diana Krall and Eros Ramazzotti performing in Opatija earlier this year, the legacy is set to continue.

Classic Cars

For another peek into the past, Opatija offers lovers of vintage automobiles the chance to see—and maybe even drive—their favourite set of wheels. Every June, members ofOpatija’s Liburnia Classic Club organise a rally that brings together some of the most stylish cars from yesteryear. From various Mercedes and Jaguar convertibles to the Aston Martin James Bond drove in Thunderball, the rally turns Opatija into a car show like no other.

Moho-who?

What could Opatija, earthquakes and the Moon have in common? Just check out the bust of Croatian seismologist Andrija Mohorovičić in Volosko, in the north of Opatija. Born in 1857, Mohorovičić was a precocious child who spoke four languages by his fifteenth birthday.Later, his discovery of the boundary between the Earth’s crust and mantle—the Mohorovičić discontinuity—and other work eventually led to a crater on the far side of the Moon being named after him.

A Seagull’s View of the Adriatic

One of the most scenic views of Croatia can be found in Veprinac, a small settlement in the hills above Opatija. From the yard of Veprinac’s St Mark’s church, built in the middle ages, visitors’ eyes can soar above the Kvarner Gulf and the islands of Krk and Cres—and, on a clear day, to the Velebit mountains and the other Kvarner islands beyond.

For more about Opatija, follow the dedicated TCN section.