The last place I visited on my vacation. Gotten its name after the Abbey of St. Jacob, a Pearl of Adriatic, as it is called sometimes, is about 12 kilometers away from Rijeka. Placed on the foot of Ucka mountain (Uchka, 1401m – 4596ft), it is a leading place of Croatian tourism for last 160 years.
To know something about history of Opatija, one must divide it into two periods: pre-tourist and tourist times. As I said, town got its name after the Abbey of Saint Jacob, made in 1506. and extended in 1937.
Back then, it was the most important place on entire road from Rijeka to Pula, along the coast of Istria. The impressive Villa Angiolina, made in 1844. by rich merchant from Rijeka Iginio Scarpa started the tourist era in the town. Soon, old fishermen`s, sailor`s and weaver`s sheds, were replaced by beautiful villas and hotels; it became a favourite destination for the Austrian imperial family and nobility. Another road was built in 1906. and since then, Opatija has conserved its main "shape".
click on the photo for bigger resolution
There is a 12km – 7.45 miles long walkway by the coast, Lungomare, from Volosko to Lovran, made in 1886. along with some of the oldest and most beautiful hotels: Hotel Kvarner, made in 1884. and Hotel Imperial, from 1885.
This is really a nice place. Even though it was close to Rijeka, I was not going there often, maybe 5 or 6 times – most of my friends were not interested in crowded but expensive tourist places. We wanted to be somewhere with more fun. And girls, of course :whistle: This place was too…. old for us 😆
This time I decided to go and spend some time walking, making photographs and sipping a coffee on a mostly sunny day. It was a bit windy but warm enough to take of heavy winter jacket, put sun glasses on and catch some tan 😎 Like I was never in a snow and winter weather only two days ago.
It certainly felt nice 😀
a view toward island Cres from Lungomare walkway
more photos here
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Two days later I was back in Belgrade…
gdare 
That last photo is stunning! The walkway along the beach I would like to take in and maybe sit there for a while and sip coffee. You had a really nice vacation Darko. This and the other places you went to are going on my list of places I'd like to visit.
Kimmmie, maybe you could ask of Mik to make a short vacation here, before summer for I know you don`t like sun and hot crowded places :DOriginally posted by Spaggyj:
:lol:I am not. Actually, I am glad to see that people like this. As long as someone read it, this place has sense :up:
I just got a major deja vu reading that post. :insane: Get out of my dreams! 😥
Pam, thanks, I am glad you put them on your wish list :up: I know it could be a bit tricky for you to come there, I mean this is not "neighbourhood" but I think you will be satisfied. Maybe some tourist agencies in Arizona organize vacations in this part of Europe :yes:Ana thank you :happy:No, it was not raining even though there were clouds and sun "mixing" for entire day. It was over 15C that day, almost like in spring 😀
I don't want to repeat, but you really make good "travel" posts! :up: At the last photo I can see some dark clouds… Did it rain after?
Mik :lol:What I reminded you at?
Don't ask Mik about his sordid past, Dare. Not in public anyway. 😀 As always, interesting post and beautiful pictures. I agree with Pam, the last one is beautiful.Had barely heard of Serbia before I met you. Would never even have known that many parts of your country are very beautiful and worth visiting. You have expanded my education and my horizons, Dare. Thanks.
Wow, those hotels sound fascinating! I love old architechture, especially when both used and preserved at once. As always, a delight to read, beautiful photos, I'm sure you're sick of up all saying that now?
Very beautiful, Darko :up:
another fantastic entry Darko!you give as a free tour all the time, and you find a great way of telling history and current life in one entry .. Stellar pictures too! Thanks for sharing! :up:
I don't have a sordid past! 😡 Well, I do but most of it I made up myself to go with the job at the time (and stop my boss shooting me if he didn't think my work was up to scratch). Image was everything after all.Darko, I've read this post in a dream I had about this place. :insane: I think I told you that in the dream too… :sherlock:
OK, I stand corrected, Dare, but I grew up knowing a country called Yugoslavia, and it is very hard for me to internalize that it, and the U.S.S.R. have been broken up into so many separate countries now, and I don't even know most of their names now. Same with all the name changes in Africa and places like Sri Lanka, which will always be Ceylon to me.
Linda, thanks 🙂 Actually, this is not from Serbia but Croatia 😀 As you probably know, from 1945. to 1992. we were one country, Yugoslavia. Then during wars in 90s every republic that existed in Yugoslavia, declared independence and now instead of one we have 6 republics and part of Serbia under UN jurisdiction. But I don`t want to go to politics now, this is just so you know :DI was particularly happy with last photo because i tried several times with different camera settings and only two photos out of 12 were good enough :left:Mit, thank you :happy:Angeliki, I know that during our life time many of us won`t be able to see every little part of our planet. Plus, many people has prejudices about some countries. But I am sure that every place in Earth has its own beauty worth seeing :yes: Thank you :)Mik, then I am sure you and Kimmie should visit Opatija some time in the future :yes: One day when you are going to be rich with a bunch of kids and enjoy luxury in hotels like this one 😀
Sometimes I am confused too, especilly with countries that started to exist after USSR. Have you ever heard of Bashkiria before?Ceylon is easy. I would always connect it with excellent green tea they produce :up:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceylon_tea
Beautiful! When I'd die I wouldn't go straight to heaven. I'd take a world tour then only I would be on my way to hell or heaven. 😀 The last photo seems from the moon Pandora in the movie Avatar.
Yeah, I would love to go there one day!
Kimmie, I knew that :DKiran 😆 Why, thank you. Now I will go make request for payment from Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation for stealing ideas from my photos :irked: 😛
🙄
*watches with interest*
:yes:
Europe is so beautiful! You won't find places like this in the US. Reminds me of the lands of Bosnia-Hercegovina. :happy:And I agree with everyone else, you do make awesome travel posts :yes:
I want to see the future. :up:
Very beautiful country
Oh, that last photo is absolutely stunning! Love the colours! :happy:Thanks for another tour, Darko. And I won't get into what Pula means in Norwegian… 😮
I like that panoramic shot. Very romantic. Cobblestone streets. It looks so clean too! Is there ever any litter on the streets?
Beautiful :up:
Mags, I can think of some places I would like to see in US :DThank you :)Andy, it is, indeed :yes:Rose, you are welcome 😀 Now translate "pula" :left:Leazz :DSan, there is sometimes, but they clean it often. They have rich tourists sometimes there so it must be clean. On the other side, when a wind starts… well, it is a bit harder then 😀
Europe is an old continent with a lot of history still existing. This is what make people like it, I think. USA, on the other hand has a wild nature. Well, mostly. There are no such places in Europe as Alaska or Arizona, for instance 🙂
You took the words out of my mouth, Dare. U.S. has a lot of natural, almost untouched beauty that Europe can't match. And a lot of natural wonders and man-made wonders that Europe can't match. Europe has the old and historic—but they do not have the Grand Canyon, the Wild, Wild West, Pioneers, Native Americans and their culture and history. There is much to offer each other from both sides of the oceans.
Bet you can, but those places won't be as enchanting as Europe.
I suppose. I think the Grand Canyon would make me dizzy, and Arizona is much too dry for me. I'd love to go to Hawaii though. Well hope you make it here someday, Dare :up:A song is coming to mind. :D"Hey babe, take a walk on the wild side…" :whistle:
That's beautiful, Darko :)Yes, tourism can certainly alter a place dramatically, not always badly though. The village where I stayed on my last trip to Canada would be a ghost town if it wasn't for the visitors to Grasslands Park (few though they are!)
Originally posted by gdare:
Well Darko… When two people like each other very much… etc. :pI disagree that there isn't any wild nature or native people in Europe. Up in the north there is a lot uf untouched and magnificent nature. And native people with their own culture.
Linda, I would like to see Grand Canyon, Alaska, woods in Washington and Oregon, Great Lakes and few more places :DMags, now you know that song has actually a quite different meaning :lol:Adele, a lot of us are waiting for that book now . I am glad people shared my opinion :up:Rose 😆 I guess I will have to try to translate it somewhere else :PA friend of mine went on mountain hiking in Sweden about 15 years ago. Photographs she brought were magnificent :yes:
Originally posted by L2D2:
I love both,Americans go to Europe (not these days with the weak dollar), and Europeans visit America,Our Planet is beautiful,we should try to keep it beautiful, and open our hearts and homes to all that are eager to learn and see more of it … :heart: Peace!
Exactly what I think. Somewhere I read: "Save the Earth. It is the only planet with chocolate" 😛 😀
Originally posted by gdare:
You read that on a comment I posted on Nic's blog! 😆
Europe does have relatively wild areas: the Scottish Highlands, Jostedalsbreen National Park, Svalbard, Białowieża Forest, etc. If you're talking about genuine wilderness, there's little of that anywhere except for the huge parks in the Canadian Arctic and other roadless areas :(The US was a pioneer in national parks and its huge park network is a global treasure :up: but from a conservation perspective, it's awful that the prairie (historically the most mammal-rich ecosystem on earth) was almost completely ignored, in spite of people like George Catlin wanting it protected as early as the 1830s. Scenery is good, but wildlife is even better 😉
Yes, that was it :yes:
Originally posted by gdare:
I have to give 1,000,000 points to this one! and yes, points count! :up:
I knew you would react to this 😀
Yep, me too. Was just waiting to see how long it would take her
😀
She's like Tamil and bananas—she has a beacon on the word "chocolate" and follows whereever she gets the signal that chocolate has been mentioned. Just as Tamil appears anytime a banana is put out for him. 😆 😆
😆
*bathes in chocolate and has "choco aha moments" too! * :lol::o I have to love chocolate! I am a single woman for 16 whole years! that is many pounds/kilos of it! 😆
:p my memory on the issue left me!I only know by watching "romantic" DVDs! :DI will not argue on the issue!:lol:
Angeliki, what are we saying here….that chocolate is a good substitute for SEX? :eyes:
oooooh, I don't know if I can agree to that! 😀
yes!!!! you have 5-6 pieces and it feels as good as the 30 seconds a man will give you! :p