The settlement Opatija developed around the Benedictine abbey of St. Jacob, which was mentioned for the first time in 1453. Opatija of that period was a settlement of as few as 35 houses situated near church complex. It had only 250 inhabitants oriented towards maritime affairs, agriculture and fishing.
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The touristic development of Opatija begins in 1844, with the construction of classicist "villa Angolina", and it experiences a rapid rise after 1880, when Southern Railroads Society purchases the whole area. Numerous luxurious villas, summer houses, hotels, sanatoriums, pavillions, bathing places, promenades and parks come to existence at that period. Dating from that time are hotels "Kvarner" (1884, architect Wilhelm), "Imperial", "Opatija", park in the harbour (according to plans of K. Schubert), coastal way and a way to Veprinac - all from 1885, "villa Amalia" (1890) and other.
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In the year of 1889 Opatija already possesses nicely shaped parks, luxurious villas, hotels and similar structures, and it gains the status of elite summer and winter resort. Centre "Zora" with a reading-room had its formal opening the same year, which was the centre of Croatian cultural life in Opatija and its surroundings.
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The architecture of hotels and villas shows characteristics of historical neo-styles with seldom examples of art nouveau. Complicated fronts, the size and the types of apertures (balconies, loggias) and the decorations of the fronts all give a Mediterranean quality of style to these buildings. Among more famous architects who worked in Opatija, there are Carlo Conigh ("Marina" hotel 1893), Maks Fabiani (sanatorium building for government workers, 1897, "villa Schwegel" in Volovsko, around 1906) and an architect from Vienna Karl Seidl, who built many villas, hotels and public buildings (town hall, the courthouse, "Atlantik" hotel and other) around 1910. He used simplified shapes, tending to adapt the local architectural tradition and landscape.
Tourism brought to Opatija not only the economic prosperity and valuable architectural structures, but also a valuable urban flora and beautiful parks. Two such parks are protected as monuments of garden architecture. The first park is situated in front of villa Angiolina (surface 29904 m2) and represents one of the most beautiful parks on the Adriatic coast. There are two distinct units, the southern part of the open park with exotic plants and grass plots, and a northern part with thick laurel mixed with pine and cedar trees. The curiosity of the park are Japanese camelias, bamboo and bananas. This park is frequently visited, because it is situated near the famous promenade Lungo mare. Naselje Opatija razvilo se oko benediktinske Opatije Sv. Jakova, koja se prvi put spominje 1453. godine. Tadašnja Opatija je naselje od svega 35 kuća smješteno uz crkveni kompleks. Brojila je svega 250 stanovnika orijentiranih na pomorstvo, poljodjelstvo i ribarstvo.
The other park is formed after 1900 and it is next to Nova cesta (New road). This park contains walking paths, it is less attractive because it consists mainly of younger trees, so it is visited less frequently. It is located in vicinity to "Opatija" hotel with tennis courts.
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Coastal zone from Opatija to Lovran and Volosko comprizes an area of gardens and buildings by the sea. Those buildings were constructed mainly during the period of the rise of tourism. They are surrounded with gardens. While most of them lack any value of a monument, as a whole they have it. Among these structures, those constructed in architectural features characteristic of a luxurious seaside resort at the turn of the century, have cultural-historical value. Especially prominent are those having neo-gothic and art nouveau features (between Lovran and Ika, along the coastline), and especially those designed by Seidl. The interlacing of architecture and nature, the romantic spirit and beauty are the main characteristics of the area which reaches its climax in Seidl`s edifices. Furthermore, a line of buildings on the western side of the main street in Ika has still preserved the character of a small fishermen`s settlement. Villas belonging to the type of luxurious villas are especially those on Punta Kolovi (from villa Muntz, villa Papo to villa Madonna).
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The buildings with their architectural features are characteristic of the period they were built in, and with the manner of their combining with the landscape, they refine it and give a particular character.
Important Buildings Of Opatija
The Town Of Opatija Cultural-Historical HeritageVeprinac VoloskoIčićiMala Učka
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