he time from the building of the first hotel to the breakout of the First World War was the golden age of Opatija. Live evidence of the fact to this day are its hotels, boarding houses and villas. The magnificent facades ornamented with vivacious plastic art, the striking stairways and lavishly furnished interiors are a reflection of the spirit of the times, a spirit striving for refinement and distinction. Opatija grew together with its guests - the imperial and royal nobility, the Austrian and Hungarian elite, and the celebrated artists who came here in search of rest - and found inspiration.
With its mild climate, well-kept promenades, prolific tourist and catering offer, with its God-given sunshine, sea and air permeated with the ethereal scents of plants and curative droplets of sea water, Opatija relaxes and heals modern man from the stress and tensions of the rush of everyday life he is exposed to, and fulfils his most sophisticated yearnings during all four seasons of the year.
Opatija's urban and architectural appearance was formed by its seaside location and its transformation from a littoral township into a mundane tourist and health centre. That is why the fronts of Opatija's building, sorrounded by cultivated gardens and luscious natural vegetation, all face the sea and the sun. History is preserved in the old hotel edifices.
It is as if Opatija's natural environment takes pride in itself and enjoys its own beauty and sumptuousness. The early Spring adorns Opatija with blossoming parks and red cherries, the hot Summer offers the refreshments of the sea. The early Fall, when grapes ripen, enlivens its promenades on the sea shore and up in the woods full of chestnut trees, over which the snow white peak of Učka hovers in the Winter. When snow drifts cover the roads throughout most of Europe, here oil is being strained from the olive, the laurel is green and camellia blooms like the caps of the bell-ringers whose bells announce the start of the primeval Carnival customs of the region.
From the romantic dusks to the captivating dawns, nights on the Opatija Riviera are a special experience made up of hopes and dreams, fun, spectacles, and folk festivities.