How To Spend 48 Hours In Opatija Croatia

With the possible exception of Dubrovnik, Opatija is Croatia’s classiest resort, its hotels and coffeehouses still exuding their Habsburg heritage. With no pressing sightseeing duties, you can dedicate a weekend to sheer indulgence, seafront walks, spa pampering and elaborate confectionery.

1. Day 1: Morning

Resort

Get your bearings and take in plentiful sea air by strolling along the Lungomare. This waterfront promenade is linked with the city’s modern-day development, when it was promoted as a health resort to the Habsburg well-to-do. More than a century later, not too much has changed, most people out strolling will be in their forties and above, and the views will be equally edifying.

Lungomare, Opatija, Croatia

Lungomare | © jjmusgrove/Flickr | jjmusgrove/Flickr

2. Day 1: Afternoon

Hotel

Relax, you’ve earned it. Spend the afternoon at the spa centre of the Grand Hotel Palace, with its Finnish and Turkish saunas, extensive indoor pool filled with heated seawater. Most of all, it offers all kinds of massages and cosmetic treatments, with an option for couples, as well as manicures and pedicures. There’s also a gym. Hotel guests may use the basic facilities for free, non-residents pay.

Maršala Tita 144-148, Opatija, Croatia, +385 51 710 444

Grand Hotel Palace | © Ronnie Macdonald/Flickr | Ronnie Macdonald/Flickr

3. Day 1: Evening

At the far end of Lungomare towards Rijeka, Volosko is a pretty former fishing village whose tranquil attractions would be enough to warrant the extra kilometre’s stroll past the Franz Josef memorial. But in recent times Volosko has become known as the gastronomic hub of the Kvarner region, a place where restaurants such as Plavi podrum serve adventurous contemporary cuisine with seasonally changing ingredients.

Volosko, Opatija, Croatia

Volosko | © Bernd Thaller/Flickr | Bernd Thaller/Flickr

5. Day 2: Afternoon

Villa

The Villa Angiolina, set in the park of the same name, provides both a pleasant afternoon’s relaxation and a history lesson at the same time. This elegant manor house was built by Iginio Scarpa, who first developed tourism in Opatija. The Austrian Southern Railway then bought the property and invited distinguished guests such as Habsburg Crown Prince Rudolf to stay. Franz Josef was another visitor. Today the villa houses the Croatian Museum of Tourism, which documents the story of how Opatija introduced the concept of elite holiday-making to the region.

Villa Angiolina, Opatija, Croatia

Villa Angiolina | © cafuego/Flickr | cafuego/Flickr

6. Day 2: Evening

Hotel

As it’s your last night in town, you may as well push the boat out. The Kvarner was the first hotel to be built on the Adriatic coast, in 1884. Emperor Franz Josef was one guest, dancer Isadora Duncan another, lending her name to the upscale restaurant that overlooks the Lungomare. Seasonal Mediterranean cuisine is the order of the day, with old-school exquisite service and perhaps a cocktail afterwards.

Hotel Kvarner, Pava Tomšića 2, Opatija +385 51 710 444

Hotel Kvarner | © Ronnie Macdonald/Flickr | Ronnie Macdonald/Flickr

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.