Jazz will be heard at eight town locations. Evening concerts will take place at the Large Stage of the Open Air Theatre and  Street Jazz Festival will fill your afternoons with music played live on Opatija’s hotels and cafes terraces along the main street.

Lovers of the sea will have the opportunity to sail along the Opatija’s coast on the Jazz Boat having a drink and listening to good music.

The 10th Liburnia Jazz Festival can thus announce a total of twenty concerts on eight stages.

Besides the Street Jazz Festival, six concerts will take place on the stage of the Open Air Theatre during the three Festival days.

More info on Liburnia Jazz Festival & Workshops page  http://www.liburniajazz.hr/

At the beginning of March, Opatija, a prominent tourist destination in the Kvarner Bay, celebrated its 120th anniversary as a health resort.

In the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, extensive research that was carried out 120 years ago into the characteristics of this region’s climate led to the official proclamation of Opatija as a health resort.

 The climate of Opatija is unique in the Mediterranean, with specificities that come from the region’s rich vegetation cover and Opatija’s position in the lee of the forested Mountain Ucka. In addition, Opatija is sheltered from the direct impact of winds, including winter storms, which means that there are no unbearable heat-waves during the summer. This makes a stay in Opatija
particularly pleasurable and contributes to the development of year-round tourism.

Prior to World War I there already were 12 sanatoriums in Opatija is testimony to the incredible pace of Opatija’s development as a health resort. This is mostly due to Emperor Francis Joseph, who issued an imperial decree in 1889, officially proclaiming Opatija a health resort in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy ( see some Old Photos of Opatija)

At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, Opatija was one of the most prominent and visited tourist destinations in Europe. Royalty and other distinguished public figures, including artists such as the Russian writer Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, American dancer Isadora Duncan, Austrian composer and conductor Gustav Mahler and Czech violinist and composer Jan Kubelik, have visited Opatija. In the many tourist guide books of the time, a stay
in the mild Opatija climate is recommended to convalescing patients, especially those recovering from severe diseases of the respiratory or cardiovascular system.

A stay in Opatija during spring and autumn was particularly recommended. These guides also mention the coastal promenade Lungomare and describe the rooms in the hotels of the time as “clean and comfortable”. “The prices are not low,” says one guide about Opatija. “On the contrary, they are higher than in other Austrian winter destinations”. However, the guide is quick to add that Opatija is worth the price and the strenuous long train journey that visitors needed to take in those times to get to it.

Continuing the tradition, Opatija still enjoys the reputation of a destination that is extremely enjoyable throughout the year on account of its favourable climate. Thalassotherapia, a leading centre for cardiologic rehabilitation in the region, is located in Opatija.  It is one of the largest laboratories for functional non-invasive diagnostics in cardiology.

Thalassotherapia features a new wellness centre spread over 2,500 square metres. Most of the hotels in Opatija boast extensive wellness facilities. It can be said, therefore, that Opatija has done justice to its 120-year long tradition as a health resort.

• Click here to browse Hotels in Opatija
• The Primorje-Gorski Kotar County Tourist Board: www.kvarner.hr
• Opatija Tourist Board : www.opatija-tourism.hr

Among other sugested European holiday castles, villas and mansions, Casa Oraj in Istrian resort of Lovran (located 5km south of Opatija), is also recommended.

Here is an excerpt from the article:

Croatia, Casa Oraj, Lovran, Sleeps 8:

Casa Oraj’s huge terrace, which overlooks the Adriatic, is crying out for a party.

A renovated stone farmhouse set high on a hill among chestnut and olive trees, rooms are basic but clean – not that you’ll notice much since open-air massage can be arranged, and afterwards a dip in the pool belonging to Villa Astra below (it has the same owner) is great for shaking off a sunbathing fug.

The caves in the hills below are not just for the brave – there are ropes to guide your way – but make sure you don’t do it after sampling Casa Oraj’s wine cellar. 00385 5129 4604, lovranske-vile.com, from £50pp per week. Nearest airport: Pula  – Read the whole article here

Medveja Beach is located in bay of Medveja  – a small fishermen’s village on Opatija Riviera, situated at the foot of Ucka Nature Park, in vicinity of Lovran and Opatija.

The Opatija-based company Hemingway Bar has been granted a 10-year concession for this pebble beach, which should be transformed into the best-equipped beach in the Adriatic. The concession covers around 50 thousand square meters, the sea part accounting for 31 000, and the land part accounting for the rest. The onshore concession includes two catering facilities – a bar and a pizzeria with a terrace.

The Medveja Beach will be renovated and divided into several parts as early as summer 2008. One section will be intended for swimming and open to everyone, another section will be provided for children, and a part of the beach will
offer onshore and offshore sporting options.

In addition, a part of the area will offer luxurious accommodation options – small houses with baldachins, big screen TVs and special service. Food from the restaurant will be delivered across the beach, and Internet access and laptops available on the beach, a first in Croatia. In addition, the beach will offer massage and beauty treatments, aerobics and beach parties.

The complete renovation works of the beach are expected to be completed by the summer of 2009, when beach will employ about 100 people.

The Hemingway Bar Company has bars in Zagreb , Rijeka and Opatija.

More info about Kvarner + Primorsko Goranska County Tourist Board site : www.kvarner.hr

The two gastro-guides present a total of 32 Istrian restaurants,  and five in Opatija.

The Italian gastro-guide Veronelli was printed in 40 thousand copies, and the French Gault Millau in 30 thousand copies, and they will both be ready for the upcoming tourist season.

Inclusion of the Istrian gastronomic offering in the pages of such important European gastronomic guides is a great, yet expected success. As it happens, great improvements in the quality and quantity of the gastro offer have been noticeable in the entire Istria over the past few years, and this mainly pertains to the traditional specialties, which have already made Istria distinctive. The gastronomic specialties are accompanied by Istrian wines and olive oils in the international distinctiveness.

Istria Tourist Board www.istria.hr

The Grand Hotel Adriatic in Opatija has opened a 600 square metre Phytoaroma & Wellness centre featuring 13 massage parlours and 5 bathing rooms.

The wellness centre is located on the top floor of the Grand Hotel Adriatic and offers a spacious sunning area and a unique panoramic view of Kvarner Bay.The distinctive architectural solution and design and the recently launched Essentia Adriatica line of cosmetics, based on substances found in the sea and the aromatic and medicinal plants collected in the nearby Ucka Nature Reserve, are just a part of the offer accompanying this wellness centre, where everything is dedicated to relaxation.

With the growing number of premium wellness centres across the country, Croatia is becoming competitive not only on the regional, but also on the global wellness market.

Along with the many luxuriously appointed wellness centres in Dubrovnik, Split, Biograd, Lovran, Porec, Rovinj, Zagreb and other Croatian towns, yet another new Opatija wellness centre is slated for opening in the near future, this time the Five Elements at the Hotel Ambasador.

Also scheduled for opening are the Wellness & Active at the Hotel Aurora in Mali Lošinj and the City Wellness Centre Outfit in Samobor.

Grand Hotel Adriatic web : www.hotel-adriatic.hr + Opatija Tourist Board www.opatija-tourism.hr

Opatija has the oldest tradition of tourism, dating back to the year 1844 when Rijeka aristocrat Ignacio Skarpa built a
summer residence frequented by numerous guests. That was followed by the construction of the many hotels of Opatija, the oldest of which is the Kvarner, built in 1884, the first modern hotel on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea.

The other Rivieras of the Kvarner area also boast a long tradition – the island of Cres has a legacy of 162 years of tourism, the Novi Vinodolski Riviera boasts 129 years of tradition, the island of Lošinj 122 years, the Crikvenica Riviera 119 years, while on the mainland Gorski kotar has a 133 year old tradition in tourism.

Primorje-Gorski Kotar County currently offers tourists 150,000 accommodation units, which is about 20 percent of the total tourism capacity of Croatia.

Of that number 30,000 beds are offered in the about 80 hotels and hotel resorts. The area also features some 50 camps, 12 thousand guest houses offering lodging and the like. The Kvarner area is exceptionally attractive for sailors – 19 nautical tourism ports attest to this fact, including 8 modern and well-equipped marinas with almost 3,000 sea berths and 2,000 berths on land.

The Kvarner area s a favoured destination for many tourists –that this region accounts for about a quarter of the total tourism turnover in the country bears witness to this fact. Alongside vacation tourism – still the most frequent motive for tourist arrivals– a growing number of visitors are following tourism tradition and coming outside of the peak summer period. The wide range of offers and content related to the customs, the natural surroundings and recreation, is drawing tourists throughout the year.

In Opatija, for example, a well-known congress destination, the infrastructure, quality of services and additional facilities of the hotels makes them ideal hosts for numerous international and national-level congresses, many of which have been held there for many years running. Healthcare tourism has also been developed here, thanks to the favourable climate and to tradition – more and more often a reason to come to the Opatija and Crikvenica Rivieras and to Lošinj, where expert staff has joined forces with the advantageous climatic conditions.

Most of the hotels in the area also feature high quality wellness facilities and the option of a therapy particular to the area – long walks in the fresh air on well-maintained promenades. Opatija’s Lungomare, for example, is 12 kilometres long.

Besides a wealth of possibilities for excursions and active vacation options, there are a number of fascinating events held throughout the year in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County. After the autumn Marunada chestnut festival in Lovran and the Olive Days in Punta, November features wellness programs, while December will be marked by winter fun in Gorski Kotar and by Christmas concerts and exhibitions in many townships and settlements…

An invitation to bring in the New Year in the sun – which numerous tourists have accepted for years now – is joined by the New Year’s World Cup in underwater fishing held in Mali Lošinj.

February is traditionally remembered by the exceptionally attractive Rijeka Carnival which will run from January 17th to February 3rd in 2008, and much more, while the coming months will feature the always popular seaside promenades or hikes in Gorski Kotar, the Asparagus Days in Lovran, bicycle tours of Kvarner, the Chivalric Games of Rab, fisher’s festivals, organised excursions, music events and more.

In short, there is plenty of fascinating content year-round that at tracts visitors to this diverse, fascinating and beautiful area.

More detailed info at Kvarner Travel Guide and Gorski Kotar Travel Guide as well as at Primorje-Gorski Kotar Tourist Board http://www.kvarner.hr/

The new double-decker bus has been introduced for Rijeka sightseeing.

This cute and colorful visitor’s bus, with an open-air top deck, takes up to eighty people on the tour along Rijeka and Opatija tourist spots . Earphones are also installed to enable visitors to select the tour language of their choice.

The sightseeing tour starts every day at 9am, 1pm and 5pm. The bus will travel on the Opatija – Rijeka route with each tour lasting about three hours during which visitors will have an opportunity to get to know the key points of interest in both towns.

The bus has a recognisable appearance as it has been painted over in Rijeka motifs. Tickets to ride this special double-decker are available at the Rijeka Tourist Information Centre as well as on the bus.  

More info at Rijeka Tourist Board web site: http://www.tz-rijeka.hr/

Venezia Lines is no longer operating from Opatija to Venice and is no longer operating departures from Rimini/Ravenna. Instead, thier 3rd vessel is redirected to operate new ferry line between Bari (Italy) and Albania (Durres).

Venezia Lines are from now concentrating on their main ports – Porec, Rovinj and Pula.

They will also operate ferry lines from Venice to Piran, Rabac and Mali Losinj.

Rimini and Ravenna ferry lines are no longer in use.

Venecia Lines will operate more then 185 trips in 2007, with 2 high speed catamarans – San Pawl and San Frangisk.

Ferries from Venice (Italy) to Croatia booking

The future Museum of Croatian Tourism will be created in Opatija (a town on the Kvarner Gulf, near the Croatian port of Rijeka)

The beginning of the project is expected to start in March 2007 in Opatija’s Villa Angiolina - a beautiful Opatija villa, surrounded by mature Mediterranian gardens, where various artefacts from the history of Croatian tourism will be displayed.

Above image: Old Photo of well known sight of Opatija – click for more old photos of Croatia