The thickly forested slopes that plunge into the sea at Opatija could fool you into thinking that you’re in the lakelands of the Italian Alps. The gentle climate is perfect for the proliferation of lush vegetation: wherever you go, window boxes are full of blooms, and camellias and oleanders nod in parks and by the roadside.

Opatija used to be a modest little settlement surrounding a Benedictine abbey – the name Opatija means “abbey” in Croatian. It came under the jurisdiction of the Kastav estates. A road from Rijeka was only built to nearby Volosko (then a prosperous port) in 1839. Then, in 1844, a wealthy aristocrat from Rijeka, Iginio Scarpa, decided to take advantage of the peace and quiet and build a family home here, and everything began to change. He had an extensive network of high society friends who visited his “Villa Angiolina” and were so delighted that they decided they absolutely must have one like it, and thus started a trend. It’s also thanks to the same Mr Scarpa that Opatija is a town of parks. He imported exotic plants to beautify his surroundings, starting the fashion for creating beautiful parks. It was he who introduced the camellia to the region – it’s now the symbol of Opatija.

The coming of the railway to Rijeka in 1873, connecting it with Vienna and Budapest,l encouraged the rise in the number of visitors, and so the first hotel - today’s Hotel Kvarner - was built in 1884 by the South Railway Society. Even more of Europe’s elite came, and the villa-building craze reached its peak. The coast path joining Opatija with Volosko to the east and Lovran to the west was built, as well as walking trails through the forests of Mount Učka.

The mild weather and salt air full of the freshness of the forests gave someone the bright idea that it would be the perfect place for convalescents. In 1889, Emperor Franz Joseph officially declared Opatija a health resort of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In the years that followed, the rich and famous from all over the world flocked to take a cure.

If you drive (or walk) from Opatija towards the south, you can see how the whole Riviera became a playground for the wealthy: beautiful villas line the route all the way to Lovran. Lovran is itself a town with a lovely historic centre (sadly nowadays suffering a little from neglect). But it’s here that you’ll find some delightful smaller villas that are now super boutique hotels or yours to rent as a whole. Opatija’s villas are on a rather larger scale, and are now busily adding modern spa facilities to bring back to Opatija the reputation as the health resort of choice.

See our “Where to stay” section to find the little piece of history that’s just right for your dream holiday – a rest cure for body and soul.