Opatija Travel guide

Opatija - History

Opatija, Italian Abbazia is a resort town and one of the best-known coastal resorts in Istria, republic of Croatia, situated on the Kvarner (gulf) of the Adriatic Sea. The town's name derives from the old Benedictine opatija (“abbey”) of San Giacomo al Palo, situated in the main park. The city was built around this Benedictine abbey, mentioned for the first time in the 12th century. Opatija started to write its tourist story in 1844 with the construction of the first summerhouse - villa Angiolina, surrounded by the exotic park. Austrian and Hungarian nobility built several other striking villas in the 19th century. Opatija became a resort, where the royal families and man of distinction (Wilhelm II, Franz Joseph I, Gustav Mahler, Isadora Duncan etc.) used to winter.

By the end of the 19th century, the town was the winter and the climatic health resort of the worldly Central Europe with hotels and boarding houses, offering the services of dozens of physicians in sanatoriums in stylish villas. The Opatija Riviera developed as a tourist and vacation centre stimulated by the Trieste-Rijeka railway in 1873. The railway communication with Vienna, Zagreb and Budapest in particular enabled its rapid development. Austrian before World War I, Opatija was ceded to Italy in 1919 and returned to Yugoslavia after World War II.

Sheltered from cold winds, immersed in the rich, always green vegetation, Opatija enjoys all the benefits of its mild Mediterranean climate, which makes the resort still to a great tourist attraction.

In numerous restaurants along the Riviera you can taste the Balkan europian national dishes as well as Oriental dishes. Beside cafes and coffeehouses there are many facilities for young people as well, like dancing terraces, nightclubs. The Casino, several concerts, operas, folk shows, theatre performances and exhibitions are an interesting entertainment for all generations. But also if you like sports you will have a lot of fun staying in Opatija. You can choose between tennis, sailing, swimming, horse riding, or even skiing at wintertime in the nearby mountains. There are several attractions you should visit in the surrounding area of Opatija, like the picturesque Volosko, the traditional fishing villages Icici and Ika. The old town of Lovran is also worth a look, as well as the long sandy beaches of Medveja. You also have the possibility to make a boat excursion to Venice.

The Church of St. Jakov was built on the foundations of the past Benedictine monastery, it is mentioned for the first time in 1439 and is the oldest building in Opatija. The monastery and the cloister are located next to the church. Between the church and the monastery stands the stone bell-tower.