Opatija is one of the main Croatian health resorts and at the same time a popular bathing resort on the northern Adriatic coast. The picturesque town with villas from the 19th century is surrounded by greenery and boasts a several-kilometer-long sandy and pebble beach.
Opatija took its name from the Benedictine abbey existing here since the medieval times, of which only ruins remain to this day. Until the 18th century it was one of many fishing towns in this part of the coast. Everything changed when in the second half of the nineteenth century, during the Austro-Hungarian rule, this area was discovered by Austrian doctors who considered it a place with exceptional climate properties. The first holiday homes and sanatoriums were quickly created, among which tuberculosis patients were treated. The social cream of Vienna began to build its villas in Opatija.
Today, Opatija, drowning in greenery, is one of the most elegant and picturesque resorts of the Croatian coast. In addition to the old buildings, there are also many new hotels and guesthouses. There is a 12-kilometer Lungomare promenade along the sea that runs along steep mountain slopes and allows you to take walks with a sea view. There are also some of the most beautiful beaches in this part of the country, well-equipped and clean, and a park with exotic plants surrounding the Angiollina villa.
