Discover Habsburg OPATIJA in CROATIA with its parks and the ancient village of LOVRAN

In this vlog we explore the Istria region in Croatia. We travel for 14 days through the beautiful green nature and explore cities such as the pearl of the Adriatic Sea, namely Rovinj, Porec, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage list, the Roman amphitheatre in Pula, Casanova in Vrsar near the Brioni or Briuni islands, the Dinopark in Funtana, the truffle from the forests of Motovun and its Mirna valley, the ancient village of Buje, the smallest town in the world Hum, Veli Losinj with its Venetian harbours and lookout tower, the harbour of Mali Losinj with the museum of Apoxyomenes, the Aromatic Garden, the wellness spa, the medieval town of Osor which forms a connection between the island of Cres and Losinj, Lubenice, Lake Vrana where the griffon vulture still lives in the wild, the island of Krk with a unique taste in wines, some preserved on the seabed, Baska and its Glagolitic script, the smallest street in the world in Vrbnik, and the fortresses around the town of Krk. This and much more is covered in this series of videos.
In the Kvarner Bay, on the right side of the Istrian peninsula and at the foot of the Ucka Mountains lies the beautiful city of Opatija. Hundreds of buildings bear witness to a glorious past. In every corner of your eye you will see architectural works of art. The first hotel that was built was Hotel Kvarner in 1884. In Opatija you will find several landscaped nature parks with bamboo, oleanders, palms, bananas and bougainvilleas. A beautiful example of this is the park and villa of Angiolina. It was the first villa that was built here. It dates from 1844. Villa Angiolina was built by a rich man from Rijeka.

Opatija was discovered by the Romans. In 1872, after the construction of Villa Angiolina, a railway was built. The development of hotels and parks attracted the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph to Opatija. Due to the good air quality and the development of health resorts, this place attracted many wealthy families and other people.

The Lungomare or boulevard, named after the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph, is 9 kilometers long. This Lungomare is easy to walk and there are enough places to stop for a drink or a bite to eat. You will also pass beautiful sights such as the Villa Angiolinapark, not a seal but a dog enjoying swimming in the sea, a wall with famous names that have a link with Opatija.

The lungomare also passes through the Walk of Fame, a tribute to important Croatians consisting mainly of athletes.
Another sight is the statue Maiden with the Seagull, the statue of a girl with a seagull on her hand. It has become the symbol of Opatija. However, the story behind it is tragic. The girl was placed there to watch over the lost soul of Count Arthur Kesselstadt, who died from the pile waves at the end of the 19th century. The model by sculptor Zvonko Car remained a secret for 55 years.

The Lungomare ends in Volosko. Volosko is a fishing village and the harbour in particular is very beautiful to see. A number of restaurants are located here, also in the small side streets.

On the other side of the promenade or Lungomare lies Lovran. Lovran has a not so large but pleasant old village centre. On the village square there is a striking yellow tower, built in the 14th century. There are frescoes and Glagolitic inscriptions to be seen, in other words the oldest designed script for a Slavic language. Here too there are beautiful buildings from the 19th century.
In Lovran there are a few gems of restaurants. Such as restaurant Ganeum. Idyllically in a small street they serve local delicacies in a nice way. Reservations are a must because it quickly gets fully booked.

If you are looking for a nice place to stay, such as a not too big boutique stay, then you are very welcome at Hotel Villa Eugenia in Lovran. The hotel has large rooms and the breakfast buffet is very extensive and very tasty. The hotel manager was very friendly and gave us some information about the region.
If you cross the road in front of the hotel, you are immediately at the Lungomare. A great location too and quite quiet.