How Opatija became Croatia's ‘Vienna of the Adriatic'
OPATIJA, Croatia - Liliana Stipanić briefly thinks about how to answer the question: Why should you visit Opatija?
Then it flows out of her: "It's the flair from the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. You really feel like royalty here when you look at the old villas, feel the atmosphere, the serenity of the people."
Stipanić is a city guide. She also takes day trippers through the Kvarner Gulf to the port and market town of Rijeka.
But it's in Opatija that she knows every stone and every detail from history, which began in the Middle Ages with a Benedictine abbey.
Saint Jacob's church now stands on the same spot, a reminder of Opatija's beginnings.
The nobility paved the way for tourism, which really took off in 1889 after the imperial government officially declared Opatija the first climatic seaside resort on the Austrian riviera.
"The air and sea" were decisive, says Stipanić, not any thermal springs. The mild climate is due to the Učka mountain range, shielding Opatija from the land side and protecting it from winds from the west.
A playground for high society
"Opatija was the second-largest spa town Austria-Hungary, only surpassed by Karlovy Vary," says Stipanić. The town became a playground for high society and was labeled "Vienna by the sea," "Queen of the Adriatic" and "Vienna's bathtub."
An influx of tourism began when Opatija was connected to the nearby railway network.
Historic villas, the 12-kilometer Lungomare promenade and the Maiden with the Seagull statue are among the symbols of Opatija. Holly bushes cast their shadows on golden walls, while bougainvillea, aleander and magnolias bloom at every corner.
Murals in the city park commemorate prominent guests such as composer Gustav Mahler, writer James Joyce, scientist Albert Einstein and Hollywood star Kirk Douglas.
Early "marketing ambassadors," as tour guide Stipanić calls them, were Crown Princess Stephanie and Crown Prince Rudolf, "then everyone followed".
The locals, on the other hand, became second-class citizens - which somewhat damages the myth of Opatija.
Enjoying the promenade
When the Lungomare promenade was planned, there were "conflicts with the fishermen who laid out their nets to dry" in the suburb of Volosko, where Stipanić comes from.
Also, spa guests complained when the locals swam naked or in their underwear, she says.
These days on the waterfront, you can sit back and relax with a cocktail at the harbour and watch the yachts come in.
In the time-honored Wagner coffee house, the waiters cultivate elegance with white shirts and black bow ties.
The cultural destination in the upper town is the neo-Romanesque Church of the Annunciation. Inside, spanned by a green dome, light domes stand in the chancel, flooding the sun's rays through stained glass windows.
Trip to Kastav
Away from the coast, take a beautiful excursion to Kastav. From here, Opatija lies at your feet. The view sweeps as far as the islands of Cres and Krk and through the green mountains.
The idyllic town center breathes history, with stone town walls, alleyways and a portico. The ruins of the Jesuit church occasionally serve as an open-air theatre. There are pubs that seem to invite you to take a break.
In the Plovanić winery, Dejan Rubesa recounts his unusual career, starting out as a lawyer in the civil service. Later, he opted for early retirement and became a professional winemaker, eager to showcase local Belica wines, which have long produced for home consumption but never really appreciated beyond that.
Underground winemaking
The Belica is a blend of five grape varieties, three of which are native. Inventor Rubesa started experiments that his 29-year-old daughter, Andreja, who helps out in the winery, affectionately calls "crazy ideas."
One involved importing huge, handmade clay amphorae from Georgia and burying them in the ground behind the winery to age grape juice in. After eight months of underground storage, the wine matures for a year in Croatian oak barrels.
The result is a wine with an orange color, deeply aromatic, full-bodied and unique. That is just one more good reason to visit Opatija and its environs.
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