Waterfront Beauty

Evening strolls on the bustling waterside promenade; dinner at the Millennium Hotel; taking in the breathtaking view from our balcony at the Hotel Kvarner.

Quick Tips:

Bring shoes to hike in, as there are many lovely walks and hikes all over Opatija. Bring some good books, too - the primary things to do in Opatija are stroll, eat, and relax - it's beautiful!

Best Way To Get Around:

Opatija is a walking town - it is so small that once you arrive, you won't need (or want) any other form of transportation until it's time to leave.

The Grand Hotel Kvarner is a grand old hotel that once catered to wealthy Austrians vacationing at the turn of the century. Now it is a bit worn (that is, it is not as crisp-looking as I am sure it once was - a brand-spanking new American-style hotel is isn''t), but it is still a wonderful old hotel and a lot of fun to stay at. We had a large room with a sitting area (including cable TV and a well-stocked and inexpensive mini bar), and two balconies and a spectacular view out over the sparkling blue Adriatic. We had a large bathroom with a terrific shower (a rarity in many European hotels), and room service was very good, providing us with extra towls, blankets, etc... whenever we needed them. Our bed was very comfortable, and the room was decorated in an empire style that was very fitting for a hotel with the Kvarner''s illustrious history.

The Kvarner is a very romantic hotel, and is located at the head of the 12-mile promenade that runs down the Opatija Riviera. There are several very good restaurants within easy walking distance. The hotel''s terraced "beach" is wonderful. The cabana attendants will get you a lounge chair and you can spend the whole day feeling like a circa 1920s movie star. The hotel also has a pristine outdoor pool surrounded by lounge chairs and sheltering, fragrant pine trees. The large terrace overlooking the Adriatic is filled with unbrella-covered cafe tables, and is an excellent spot to enjoy a drink from the bar while reading, playing cards, or catching up on your writing. The Kvarner also has beautiful, well-manicured flower gardens which are lovely to stroll through. A very nice buffet breakfast (breads, fruits, juices, coffee - typical European breakfast) is included in the room price and served in the Crystal Ballroom, which has floor to ceiling windows overlooking the terrace and sea. The elegant ballroom sometimes hosts musical performances - we sat out on the terrace and listened to a jazz concert that was going on inside. The Hotel Kvarner is one of the most relaxing places I have ever been.

The Hotel is very centrally located - you can walk to everything easily from the Kvarner. There is parking available right in front of the hotel, however it is gated and you will need to be buzzed in. If you have a car, be sure to let the front desk know before you arrive so that they can reserve a space for you. If you plan on staying put in Opatija, you won''t need your car once you''ve parked it.

Madonnina is located right across from the Grand Hotel Kvarner. We ate here several times, not just because it was convenient to our hotel, but because the food is excellent. This relaxed Italian cafe serves very good pasta and terrific thin-crust pizze with a huge selection of toppings (they make over 23 different types of pizze - I saved the card). My husband appreciated their good and inexpensive selection of beer.

Madonnina is very laid back - I got the impression that we could sit there all day and it wouldn't bother anyone. The staff was very efficient and friendly. The menu is listed in English, Croat, German and Italian, so there's no language problem whatsoever. The cafe is set in a pretty garden nook, and tables are places sporadically on little patio terraces, so you can enjoy your meal in relative privacy. And, true to form with most Croatian restaurants, the food and drinks are very inexpensive by American standards. Madonnina is an excellent choice for lunch or a casual dinner.

We stumbled upon Steak House Starina on our first night in Opatija. It was late and we were the only people in the place, but the staff couldn't have been nicer or more accomodating. We filled up on excellent grilled steaks (a very popular dish inn Croatia) with potatoes and cabbage salad. The food was very hearty and very good. The menu also offered a lot of seafood dishes, sauteed and grilled chicken dishes, and salads. We learned quickly that menus in Croatia tend to not be as varied as they are in other parts of the world - restaurants seem to settle on a small selection and then perfect it.

Starina has two dining areas - an outdoor section with wooden picnic tables under a white tent/canopy, and a rustic room with a wall of exposed rough-hewn logs and red and green plaid tablecloths. Large windows overlook the hotel district and water. As I mentioned before, the waiter was a real sweetheart, and tried out his English on us. He explained that the tourist season in Opatija ends abruptly on August 31 (we were there in early September), so we had the best of both worlds -- the warmth of late summer without the crowds.

Dolce Vita is a very funky coffee bar that attracts a sophisticated crowd of young locals. You can get any drink you want from the full bar, and they have a wide selection of local and European beer. They also feature desserts and lot of ice cream (which appears to be the national food of Croatia). It's kind of funny to see the cool-looking crowd devouring ice-cream sundaes alongside their drinks at midnight. Dolce Vita also makes the most incredible hot chocolate - it tasted like a melted milk chocolate bar. Very delicious.

The ambience is funky and eclectic, but relaxing at the same time. A broad porch wraps around the side of the cafe, and is filled with comfy chairs, intimate bistro tables and plants. The porch is lit with lanterns and tea lights, which cast a soft glow and really set the laid-back tone. Inside, there's an eclectic bar and more seating. They play excellent music (an eclectic range from techno to "alternative. "

This is a great place to relax with a drink. It's open late, so you can settle in for the evening and enjoy a few drinks, dessert, or both. (Hot Chocolate was 9.00 kuna - about 1 US dollar; beers (good, Croatian beer on-tap) were 9.00 and 6.00 kuna - $1 and $.72 respectively)

This lovely and very romantic restaurant is located on the terrace of the Hotel Millennium, along the Opatija Riviera Promenade (near the Grand Hotel Kvarner). The indoor dining room is very elegant, however, the outdoor terrace is gorgeous and has superb views of the Adriatic and Opatija's stunning coastline. If weather permits, try to get a table on the terrace. We dined underneath the columned portico, and had lovely views of the stone-balustraded terrace and the ice-blue Adriatic beyond. The sun set as we were eating, making the setting even more beautiful. It was a perfect honeymoon spot for us and we have great memories of our special dinner there.

Their delicious food is standard Croatian fare - grilled steaks and chicken, and lots of seafood. We had grilled steaks that were delicious and served with wonderful potatoes (and about $9 per entree!) The service was excellent and the wait staff was expecially friendly. Our desserts - sponge cake with ice cream, a Croatian delicacy or sorts - were delicious.

We went in the off-season and were practically the only ones there - I would imagine that during the season a reservation might be necessary, given how beautiful it is and how great the food was.

The recently restored Millennium Hotel is simply beautiful, occupying a stately salmon-colored mansion right on the water along the famous Opatija Riviera Promenade.

Located in a peaceful garden setting alongside the Adriatic, the present-day Church of Sveti Jakob originated as a Benedictine Monastery in the 11th century. (The Croatian word for "abbey" is "opatija.") The town grew around the church, which has endured several incarnations throughout the last several centuries. The lovely stucco building we see today is a mid-1930s renovation of a circa-1790s structure that incorporates architectural fragments from the 16th-century.

To the left of the church, stands a small monastery and cloister (which were closed to the public when we were there). Between the church and the monastery is a stone bell-tower. Local events, such as choir performances and practice (we could hear the wonderful women's choir practicing in the church from our balcony at the Grand Hotel Kvarner), as well as wedding (we were also fortunate to witness a wedding party gathering in the garden) take place regularly at Sveti Jakob.

Nestled in a lush garden, the church offers several peaceful vistas of the Adriatic and the lively Opatija waterfront - it's lovely to sit on the shaded benches that line the church's waterfront and watch the bustle of Opatija's terrace beaches from a quiet distance.

Adjoining the monastery is the Duro Matija Sporer Arts Pavilion - a former ice cream parlor that has been converted into an art gallery featuring Croatian artists. it provides an excellent vantage point to view "Greeting the Sea," the famous bronze statue of a young woman that stands atop a rock at the edge of the Adriatic, and has been used as a symbol of Opatija since the 1950s.

Opatija sits at the head of of a 12-kilometer promenade (or Lungomare) that stretches down the Kvarner coastline to Lovran. Our hotel, the Grand Hotel Kvarner, is practically the "starting point" for this picturesque promenade, which winds along Opatija's gorgeous coastline and parallels the town's main drag, Marsala Tita. In town, the promenade is wide and lined with trees and street vendors selling food ("American" popcorn and ice cream) crafts (lace tablecloths, paintings, traditional crafts) and souvenirs (postcards, beach towels, and t-shirts, etc...). The public beaches - chaise longue-covered concrete terraces and tidal pools - are all accessible from the walkway. During the day, the promenade is peopled with bathers seeking respite from the sun. At night, the bench-lined promenade comes alive: music from the hotel dance halls fills the air, street vendors display their wares, and large groups of locals and vactioners take in the night air and the festivities. As in Italy, strolling is a sort of Croatian national past-time, and the beautiful vistas and colorful atmosphere make walking on the Lungomare a real treat.

As you head south on the promenade out of Opatija toward Icici, the walkway becomes narrower as it climbs up gentle hills. Beautiful villas can be seen above and below the pathway. The promenade widens again as it enters the next town.

We visited Opatija in mid-September, after the tourist season has officially ended. The promenade was crowded, but not too heavily. We came out for a stroll every night, and thoroughly enjoyed the cool night air and the energy of the people. Opatija's laid-back, festival atmosphere is most easily felt while walking the promenade at night.