Opatija & Kvarner Bay

Beautifully positioned with just 2 hours drive from Croatian capital Zagreb, between the Istrian peninsula and Dalmatia, the coastline of Kvarner Bay snuggles up to the sea.

In front of it lie 4 islands of Apsyrtides: Krk, Rab, Cres, Lošinj, and several smaller but also uniquely beautiful and special islands. Moving to the north, one will discover amazing sites, beaches, and unique cities on Crikvenica and Novi Vinodolski Riviera. The hinterland of the Kvarner region covers a large portion of Croatia’s mountainous areas and is characterized by lush forests, crystal clear lakes, raging mountain torrents, and countless caves and other karst formations. The Gorski Kotar area is home to the Risnjak National Park and the highest peak of the region, Risnjak (1,528 m).

Kvarner boasts a wide range of culinary specialties: Kvarner scampi, particularly appreciated by gourmets: fresh fish, shellfish, and seafood specialties; various lamb dishes from the islands; cherries and sweet chestnuts from Lovran; first-class olive oil, mushrooms, fruits of the forest, game, and frogs from the hinterland, cheese: Grobnik sheep’s milk cheese and Škripavac (cow’s milk cheese), pasta specialty: šurlice from the island of Krk.

Settled under the Učka mountain, Opatija makes a great choice for an amazing vacation in every season you could imagine, from summer to winter. Tourists from around the world have been vacationing here, and that makes no surprise. Beautiful nature, fantastic parks, romantic promenades, old Austro-Hungarian villas, and breathtaking beaches all are more than a solid reason why people have come back here for more than 150 years!

It’s not only Opatija, the attraction. Little historical towns surround it, for example, Volosko, right next to Opatija, known for its excellent restaurants and Lungomare seafront promenade. Besides Volosko, other towns along the Riviera like Lovran, Ičići, Medveja, and Mošćenička Draga all give you a fantastic experience of this area!

Kvarner attractions

The island of Cres is located in the northern part of Kvarner Bay. At its southern end, it is connected to the island of Lošinj by a swing bridge. The approximately 250 km of the coast of this mountainous island is very indented with numerous coves and pebble beaches, and also cliffs in the north and east. A rather unusual natural phenomenon is the freshwater, Lake Vrana. Its surface is above sea level, while its bottom is 74 meters below. Also, Cres is one of the last nesting places of griffon vultures – Eco center Beli.

With more than 2,500 hours of sunshine a year and an area of 75 km2, the island of Lošinj is one of the sunniest places in Europe and home to subtropical vegetation with palms, agaves, oleander, pines, citrus trees, sage, and lavender. Separated from each other only by a tiny channel, the islands of Lošinj and Cres offer an exciting combination. While Lošinj is characterized by a vivid hustle and bustle, Cres offers more tranquillity and natural spaces.

The Island of Krk today has approximately 16,500 inhabitants living in 68 places. The town of the same name is the center of the island. The coast is indented and has many coves and natural pebble beaches. In the interior, there are two lakes. The vegetation is dominated by forests, fruit, vegetables, vineyards, and olive groves on the one hand and rock gardens and pastures on the other. The Vrbnik region is famous for its authentic wine sort Vrbnička žlahtina, a quality dry wine. This variety is specific as it is only grown in vineyards in Krk.

The island of Rab, the most southern of Kvarner’s islands, is a popular holiday island with a pleasant Mediterranean climate. Separated from the mainland by the Velebit Channel, Rab represents an invisible border between the northern and central Adriatic, where Dalmatia begins and continental Europe meets the Mediterranean. The town of Rab, the main center of the island, surrounded by its town walls and regarded as one the most beautiful old towns in the Adriatic, overlooks the sea from its promontory, its townscape reminiscent of a sailing ship due to its four prominent bell towers.