Opatija

Opatija [ ɔpatia ː ] (Italian: Abbazia [ aba'zia ], German Sankt Jakobi ) is a seaside resort on the Bay of Kvarner, or on the Istrian peninsula, in northwestern Croatia with 11,659 inhabitants ( 2011) and is considered one of the oldest tourist resorts Croatia.

Geography

Opatija is situated at the foot of the Učka massif and is about 18 km from Rijeka. The resort is surrounded by lush subtropical vegetation.

History

With its wealth of architecture in the style of historicism Opatija is the most important example of a fashionable seaside resort of the Austrian Riviera, with the architectural flair from the time of the Danube Monarchy. The architecture of many hotels, inns and villas bears characteristics of various historical neo-styles with scattered examples of Art Nouveau; Mediterranean appearance give the many built by Carl Seidl buildings the structured facades, the size and openings ( balconies, loggias ) and the facade decoration. However, given contrasting individual modern buildings as originating from the 1960s, Hotel Ambasador (architect Zdravko Bregovac ) and built by the same architect, the Hotel Paris.

The origins of tourism date back to the year 1844, when the wealthy merchant Iginio Scarpa, named after his wife died early Villa Angiolina built of Rijeka as a summer resort. The nature lovers could create a large park with a variety of exotic plants. Beginning in the 80s of the 19th century a number of grand hotels, guest houses, villas, summer houses, sanatoriums ( " Cur - houses" ), pavilions, swimming pools, promenades and parks built. The first hotel was in 1884, the hotel Quarnero (now Hotel Kvarner ), immediately after (1885 ) originated the present Hotel Imperial ( Opatija ), then named after Crown Princess Stephanie.

Decisive role in the rise of the spa had the Austrian Southern Railway Company, which in 1884 opened line from Vienna to Rijeka led past Opatija. Under its director, Friedrich Julius Schüler, who extended also the Semmering to Vienna for international resort, she bought in 1882, Villa Angiolina including parks. From Opatija- Matulji station led from 1908 to 1933, an electric tram through Opatija to Lovran.

By imperial decree of March 4, 1889 Opatija was raised for the first climatic health resort in the Austrian Adriatic coast. Nobility, many of the crowned heads of Europe and the big bourgeoisie made it an internationally -known seaside resort. On March 29, 1894, Emperor Franz Joseph I and the German Kaiser Wilhelm II arrived in Opatija. Other aristocratic spa guests were Empress Elisabeth of Austria, the German Empress Auguste Viktoria, King Carol I and Queen Elisabeth of Romania, George I of Greece, Albert of Saxony, William IV of Luxembourg, Nicholas of Montenegro and " a auspicious twin stars equal to " ( local press ), the Austro-Hungarian Crown Prince Rudolf and Stephanie.

From 1908 the spa forced the construction of simpler and cheaper domiciles to enable other social classes to stay. Unlike in the Austrian resort also Grado Gorizia and Gradisca in the county ladies and gentlemen in the bathhouses of Opatija were together enjoying the sea water. An extensive program of events with " rowing Disciplinen " fencing tournaments " gun shooting competitions ," swimming race, sailing regattas, daily spa concerts and excursions with Eildampferlinien to the coastal cities and larger islands of the Austrian Littoral made for entertainment and Kurzweil at the spa guests.

The end of Austria -Hungary, the transfer to Italy after 1918 and to Yugoslavia after 1945 led to a decline and demise of the spa town, lost its tourism, particularly in the Yugoslav era of quality. Since the mid-1990s, is again a significant upturn to notice. Above all, the land demand for Austrian guests and celebrities is continuously increasing.

Name

In the German -speaking world, the German name Sankt Jakob can be regarded as extinct. For a long time the Italian -language designation Abbazia was still almost as frequently used as the Croatian name Opatija. Cause may be that the place was officially the Italian-speaking name Abbazia in the last decades of the Habsburg monarchy. Now, however, the present name Opatija has largely prevailed also in German texts. The name itself derives from the Croatian importance for Abbey ( Opatija ).

Culture and sights

Waterfront:

The promenade, the Lungomare from Opatija, once named after Friedrich Julius students who are now after Emperor Franz Josef I, leads about 12 kilometers from Volosko ( Volosca ) to Lovran ( Lovrana ). It was completed in 1911.

Thanks to the extensive, directly at the seaside parks, and numerous elegant villas and hotels from the Imperial Opatija and its surroundings in every season crowded touristy.

In June 2007, some beaches of Opatija with the Blue Flag, an environmental award for the fulfillment of strict criteria for water quality, safety standards, services, and other environmental conditions, excellent. Specifically, these are the beaches:

Plaža Slatina: With almost 20,000 square meters of Opatija 's largest beach, right in the city center.
Plaža Tomasevac: located near the hotel Ambasador and consists mainly of sand and stone plateaus.
Plaža Lido is located near the park of Villa Angiolina.

The 1884 opened Hotel Kvarner is the oldest hotel in the eastern Adriatic

Imperator Villa Amalia

Villa Angiolina

Christ Church Opatija

Djevojka s galebom (girl with Seagull ), symbol of Opatija

Views of Opatija

Slatina / Walk of Fame:

In Opatija, the Croatian Walk of Fame is located. There have, inter alia, The following Croatian celebrities a star on the Slatina - Street: Ivo Robić, Janica Kostelic, Dražen Petrović, Krešimir Cosic, Oliver Dragojević, Miroslav Krleža, Dragutin Tadijanović, Miroslav Radman and Nikola Tesla.

Sports

In the east of the city was the motorsport race Preluk, which consisted of public roads and was used 1939-1977. Among other things here from 1969 to 1977 the Grand Prix of Yugoslavia was held for World Motorcycle Championship.

Twinning

Italy Castel San Pietro Terme, Emilia -Romagna, Italy
Italy Carmagnola, Piedmont, Italy
Hungary Balatonfüred, Hungary
Slovenia Ilirska Bistrica, Slovenia
Austria Bad Ischl, Austria

Personalities

Sons and daughters:

Robert Gerle (1924-2005), American violinist and music teacher of Hungarian origin
Janez Lenassi (1927-2008), Slovene sculptor
Leo Sternbach (1908-2005), American chemist, pharmacist and inventor of valium, Austria - Hungarian origin

People with relationship to the city:

Deceased Franz Graf von Meran (1839-1891), morganatic son of Archduke Johann and Anna Plochl in Opatija
Radojka Šverko ( b. 1948 ), singer and Diva

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