We visited the town of Opatija in early June, 2003. The first hotel in Opatija was built in 1884 and still operates today. The rear of the hotel has a huge area for sun bathing with a smaller area below it adjacent to the sea wall for those who want to take a dip in the Adriatic.

Opatija is located in and area that stretches 20 kilometers along the northern portion of the Gulf of Kvarner. In its early days the town was visited by emperors, kings and crowned heads of state as a place to relax and enjoy the waters of the Adriatic Sea.

There is a 12 kilometer walk that runs along the coast line which encompasses the entire town as well as those adjacent to it that can be walked. And a visit to OpatijaÅfs parks is also worthwhile to see the palm tress and camellias, the symbols of Opatija, as well as other exotic tropical plants.

There are numerous hiking trails in the area as well but we opted to not go for a hike because we found that we did not do well when spending a lot of time exposed to the full force of the sun. It is not hot at this time of year but the sun is very intense and we found that we did not do well when we spent a lot of time in direct sunlight. But, that is why the vast majority of the tourists are here - for the sun and the Adriatic Sea.

If you find typographical errors or have any other problems when looking at the site please contact the Webmaster describing the problem and the page involved.