Opatija … Grandeur-on-sea

The pilot said it was a little breezy but our stomachs turned somersaults with the strong sidewinds as we came to land at Rijeka airport, on the island of Krk in the Adriatic.

We were told the good wind was blowing, the bura, a dry wind from the north which keeps the day fine and cloudless. Fortunately we had no trouble crossing to the mainland as it can get so strong, the bridges have to be closed.

Rijeka, with a population of just over 200,000 people, is Croatia’s third largest city and the busiest port on the Adriatic. Throughout history, its strategic importance has made it fiercely contested between Hungary, Italy and Croatia.

Originally called Fiume, from the C18th, it was an enclave of Hungary, retaining some autonomy, but giving Hungary a seaport. By the end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, most of the population were Italian, with some Hungarians and Croats and Fiume was to be declared a free port under international control. However, the Italian poet and writer Gabriele D’Annunzio marched into the city with his supporters and declared it a part of Italy. Rome was reluctant to accept this, so D’Annunzio declared Rijeka a city-state which it remained for four years until 1924 when it was annexed by Mussolini. In 1947, the city became Croatian again, as part of Yugoslavia and was renamed Rijeka.

This struck a particular chord as a few years ago, we visited Il Vittoriale degli Italiani, a villa on the edge of Lake Garda, given to Gabriele d’Annuncio by Mussolini to keep him away from politics! He built his mausoleum in the garden and filled the Italianate villa with a bizarre collection of stuff! https://offtravellingtogether.com/2015/09/23/desenzano-del-garda-and-the-lakeside-villas/

On the edge of the city is the C13th Trsat Castle, built by the Frankopan dukes of Krk as a watchtower on the site of a Roman fort then renovated in 1824 by an Irish count.

It gives stunning views of Rijeka and the Kvarner Bay …

… and the hills behind.

We could have explored the city, but a very early start meant that we were eager to move on so drove a few miles down the coast to Opatija, which was the most fashionable seaside resort and health spa during the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It still retains much of its glamour with some fancy hotels, lovely belle époche villas and the lungomare, a 12km promenade beside the sea, initially built for physiotherapy.

We are staying for a couple of nights in Apartment Marina, up on the hill behind the town, but only a 5 minute walk to the sea. It is spacious and well equipped and even comes complete with sea view.

Having unpacked we made our way down towards the sea to explore. It was still breezy and there was plenty of spray as the waves hit the shore but the Opatija is very civilised, and has changed what must have been an inaccessible rocky shoreline into a series of convenient bathing platforms, complete with various man made sea pools to tame the waves for safe swimming.

We walked a short way along the Lungomare in the late afternoon sun and saw the statue of Maiden with the Seagull …

… and the tiny Portić harbour, where the traditional boatmen called barkajoli began their excursion trips along the Riviera.

A glass of wine watching the sea and an early dinner followed as our incredibly early start caught up with us.

There is a network of paths and steps which zig-zag their way down to the town, between the smart villas and newer buildings and every time we seemed to find a different route!

We spent the morning exploring and here is Villa Angiolina, built in 1844 and the first major building to be built in the resort of Opatija.

It is surrounded by a park filled with plants brought from India, China, Japan, South America and Australia.

There were other elegant buildings …

… including the Hotel Kvarner behind us, which was opened in 1884 as the first luxury property in Opatija and still looks pretty stylish today.

The main street in town has a ‘Walk of Fame’ on its pavement, modelled on Hollywood’s version and we spotted the tennis player Goran Ivanisevic inventor Nikola Tesla among the stars.

We walked along the Lungomare again …

… and it seems to cater for all, with some sea frontage reserved for residents of smart hotels and other parts free for all …

… with just a charge if you hire a sun lounger, which we did for the afternoon and caught some rays!

Roka have three restaurants and we chose the pizzeria the first night because it offered lots more besides, and we were able to get a table! The biggest hits were Chris’s platter of Pag cheese (followed by pasta with mushrooms & truffles) and my monkfish with capers & gnocchi! We also ordered grilled veg which was just one dish too many so we took them home for lunch the next day. Our meal was so good we booked a table for the next evening so Chris could actually have a pizza, while I enjoyed more fish, this time pan fried sea bass.

The choice between sweet or spicy schnapps got us chatting to the Smiths and Sherrys on the next table and we came away promising to share our experience in Albania and with Costa Rica even more firmly underlined on our wishlist.

With our trip off to a great start, omorrow we are moving on and off to the islands …

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