From then on to the present, history has been an important companion and influence to this multicultural region. A pearl of the Austro-Hungarian Riviera at the end of 19th C., it gains an attribute of the tourist destination of the Austrian and European high society - emperors, famous artists and celebrities like Wilhelm II, Franz Joseph, Empress Sissy… Gustav Mahler, Isadora Duncan, Anton Pavlovich Chekhov and many others.
This is witnessed also by the luxury of numerous villas, dazzling neoclassic and art nouveau hotels located in luxuriously trimmed gardens and parks.
Opatija is lovely in the summer and magical in the winter, when it plays host to numerous congresses, conferences and seminars. In the warm summer months, you will be greeted by the clean sea, nice beaches and good entertainment, while in the winter you can walk along the 12 km long waterfront, hike along forest trails or visit one of the health and wellness centres. Spring and fall are ideal for bicycling, hiking. It is only a few hours drive from a number of important Western European centers (Milan, Munch, Vienna, Graz, Budapest), within anyone's easy reach.