Rijeka
A port city on the Kvarner Gulf, with Trsat Castle overlooking the harbour, close to the Austro-Hungarian resort of Opatija and island-hopping to Krk.
Rijeka is Croatia's third-largest city and largest port, at the head of the Kvarner Gulf in the northern Adriatic. Over its history it changed hands several times between Austria-Hungary, Italy and Yugoslavia (its Italian name is Fiume), and it was a European Capital of Culture in 2020. It's a down-to-earth port city whose sights centre on the Korzo pedestrian street and the Baroque City Clock Tower, the central market, the round Cathedral of St. Vitus, the Maritime and History Museum in the Governor's Palace, the City Museum housed in a converted sugar refinery, and the Croatian National Theatre, whose ceiling paintings Klimt helped create; Trsat Castle and the Shrine of Our Lady of Trsat on the hill east of the centre are the best spots for looking over the harbour. The Rijeka Carnival each February is one of the largest carnivals in Europe.
About 15 km west of Rijeka, Opatija was the most celebrated seaside health resort of 19th-century Austria-Hungary. The 12 km coastal promenade links the fishing village of Volosko, Villa Angiolina, the Maiden with the Seagull statue and the old town of Lovran; further south are the beach at Mošćenička Draga and the clifftop village of Mošćenice, while Vojak peak on Mount Učka behind the coast overlooks the entire bay. To the southeast, a bridge leads to the island of Krk, with Krk Town, the beaches of Baška and the cliff-top town of Vrbnik; inland in the mountains is Risnjak National Park.
The best season is the Jun–Sep swimming season; spring and autumn suit hiking and city strolls, and accommodation is tight during the February carnival. Rijeka Airport is on the island of Krk (with more flights in summer); Zagreb is about 2 hours away by road, Trieste and Ljubljana about 1.5–2 hours; bus 32 runs frequently between Rijeka and Opatija. Stay in Opatija or central Rijeka and allow 3–4 days.
Top sights
- Trsat Castle – A 13th-century castle perched on the hill east of Rijeka, overlooking the Rječina River gorge, the harbour and the Kvarner Gulf.
- Korzo & City Clock Tower – Rijeka's main pedestrian street, lined with buildings from the Austro-Hungarian era. The arch of the Baroque clock tower leads into the hea…
- Sanctuary of Our Lady of Trsat & Petar Kružić Stairs – Croatia's oldest Marian pilgrimage site, where legend says the Holy Family of Nazareth once stayed; 561 ancient steps lead straight from th…
- Rijeka Central Market – A late-19th-century cast-iron market hall and an Art Nouveau fish market, where you can see Adriatic seafood and local produce early in the…
- Cathedral of St. Vitus, Rijeka – A Baroque circular cathedral built by the Jesuits in the 17th–18th centuries, a rare central-plan church on Croatia's eastern Adriatic coas…
- Maritime and History Museum of the Croatian Littoral – Housed in the Austro-Hungarian-era governor's palace, this museum showcases Rijeka's seafaring, shipbuilding and urban history, and the pal…
- Sugar Palace (Rijeka City Museum) – A Baroque administrative building from an 18th-century sugar refinery, restored as the city museum, with a gilded rococo hall.
- Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc – A Neo-Renaissance theatre designed in 1885 by Fellner & Helmer, with ceiling paintings by the young Gustav Klimt.
- Volosko – An ancient fishing village at the northern end of the seaside promenade, where stone lanes and a small harbor are home to some of the fines…
- Kastav – A medieval hilltop town between Rijeka and Opatija, whose walls and the unfinished Jesuit church ruins look out over the Kvarner Gulf.
- Risnjak National Park – A mountain forest national park behind Rijeka, home to lynx, where visitors can climb the 1,528-meter main peak or walk a loop to the sourc…
Where to eat
- Plavi Podrum – A century-old restaurant beside Volosko fishing harbor and the longest-running restaurant on the Opatija coast, known f…
- Bistro Mornar – A harbor eatery beside Rijeka's central market and the first choice for locals' marenda workers' lunch, with fish deliv…
- Konoba Tarsa – A stone-walled traditional tavern on Trsat hill, famous for charcoal-grilled meats, peka stews and oversized portions…
Itineraries
- Kvarner Coast, Krk & Pag Islands – An island-hopping self-drive route heading south from Opatija along the coast, via Krk and Pag islands, to Zadar.