Start of the carnival on the Opatija Riviera

The carnival on the Opatija Riviera has begun! The event that traditionally marks the beginning of the carnival period is the hanging of the Pust –a carnival puppet that is blamed for everything that went wrong in the previous year – on a street pole. In Opatija, the Pustis hung on Tuesday 17 January in front of the market hall, which marks the beginning of one month of carnival festivities and masked balls in the town and its surroundings. The Children’s Carnival Parade, a traditional parade on Opatija’s main street, this year takes place on Sunday 5 February starting at 10 a.m. Opatija also boasts a very special carnival event: Balinjerada, a race of vehicles that run on ball-bearings instead of wheels. This is an event where fantasy becomes reality: the participants in this unique race spare no efforts to create imaginative, original vehicles that run on ball-bearings. The Balinjeradatakes place on Sunday 12 February on Opatija’s main street in the morning. After that follows the traditional carnival parade in the neighbouring town of Lovran.
The nearby city of Rijeka is organising the 29th International Rijeka Carnival under the motto “Be what you want to be”. The Rijeka Carnival has been listed among Europe’s 500 most important events, and the British magazine Sunday Times has included it among 24 most exotic events in the world.

Christmas by the sea is truly special

The Christmas holidays are one of the most beautiful times of the year. It is a period when families and friends get together and exchange presents. It is a time of joy and there is a cheerful atmosphere. While some people like to spend Christmas in a snowy landscape, others prefer a holiday by the sea warmed by the rays of the winter sun, which these days shines as if it were the beginning of autumn. Despite the lack of snow in Opatija, Christmas here is always very special. Nevertheless, sometimes it does happen – as in the two previous years – that even the Girl with the Seagull, a statue on a rock by the coast and a symbol of the town, gets covered with snow at the end of December. We’ll see what happens this year in the days to come. A festive atmosphere is unthinkable without Christmas cakes and mulled wine, or a glass of champagne or prosecco, which goes perfectly with the sweet Christmas bread and cakes. You can enjoy all these delicacies on the terrace of the Café Imperial in Opatija.

After that, it’s the turn of young artists from Croatia and abroad, who will use various light effects and music to light up the town’s parks and hotels. This will be the first festival of light and sound and is entitled Winter Lights Opatija 2011. The programme starts on Saturday 17 December with a concert by Volker Bertelmann-Hauschka at 7 p.m. in the Hotel Kvarner Crystal Hall. Hauschka is an artist who performs beautiful post-classical chamber music inspired by minimalism. His music has been described as enchanting (a video is available at http://youtu.be/43Z4yljYY_c). The concert will be followed by a party with VJs and DJs. Various light effects will be combined with modern music to create a magical atmosphere in the Hotel Kvarner Crystal Hall (the party starts at 9 p.m.)

The Christmas weekend starts with a concert by the famous German-British choir Gregorian on Friday 23 December in the Hotel Kvarner Crystal Hall. The group is renowned for its visually attractive performances and Gregorian chant-inspired adaptations of modern pop and rock compositions. In addition to the eight standard male vocals, the group will be joined by Amelia Brightman, sister of the famous singer Sarah Brightman, who will perform various Christmas songs. Gregorian have contributed to the soundtracks of many famous movies such as Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars.

The Winter Lights Opatija Festival continues on Christmas Eve, when light and sound artists from Croatia, Russia and Germany will light up the façades of the hotels around Slatina Beach. Old postcards of Opatija and many other motifs will be projected onto the hotel façades, creating a magical atmosphere on this Christmas Eve.

On New Year’s Day 2012, there will be a New Year Concert that should become an annual event. Based on the New Year Concert in Vienna, the Zagreb Quartet will be performing in the Hotel Kvarner Crystal Hall at 10 a.m. with guests Ida Gamulin on piano, Tamara Coha Mandić on flute, and Domagoj Pavlović on clarinet. After the concert, guests are invited to toast the New Year together with the Mayor of Opatija.

Chocolate, Winter Lights Festival, wellness New Year’s Eve Party or a pop concert

December is ideal for a weekend escape to the sea, when the forthcoming holidays create a very special atmosphere. In December, Opatija offers many interesting events: on the first weekend in the month, it becomes Croatia’s sweetest town! The Chocolate Festival takes place for the fifth year in a row, inviting all chocolate lovers, regardless of their age, to savour various chocolate specialities: cakes, pralines, beverages and other delicious treats. We have also arranged theatre performances for our youngest visitors. A special festival attraction is the Imperial Cake, Croatia’s largest chocolate cake, ten and half metres long, which will be displayed on the terrace of the Hotel Imperial.

On the 17^th and 24^th of December, the town’s hotels, beaches and parks will be lit up with magical light effects by artists from Croatia and abroad, with DJ music in the background. This will be the first Winter Lights Festival, which will turn Opatija into a colourful open-air stage, creating a truly unique festive atmosphere in the town.

If you want to escape the foggy weather on the continent, we recommend a gourmet and wellness weekend in Opatija’s Hotel Ambasador. Pumpkin is the king of the autumn table, and we therefore invite you to enjoy various pumpkin specialities in this five-star hotel’s restaurant, followed by relaxation with your loved one in the unique wellness centre, a place designed to restore your energy.

Opatija also offers various opportunities for New Year’s Eve, from a gala dinner in the elegant Crystal Hall of the Hotel Ambasador to a rather unusual party in swimsuits in the pools and saunas of the Hotel Ambasador’s Five Elements Wellness & Spa Centre. If you prefer an open-air New Year’s Eve party, Opatija’s Open Air Theatre will host a concert by the renowned Croatian pop singer Gibonni.

On New Year’s Day 2012, we invite you to enjoy the sounds of classical music performed by the Zagreb Quartet, who will be playing in the grand Viennese style in the Hotel Kvarner’s Crystal Hall. For more information, please visit www.liburnia.hr .

This autumn’s happiest event

St. Martin’s Day is a traditional event equally important to winegrowers and wine lovers, because it is the day when the must (new wine) officially turns to wine. The feast of St. Martin is today recognised as a traditional event that includes enjoying good food, drinks and music, and the ceremony of baptising new wine.
The feast of St. Martin is celebrated on the 11th of November, three days after the recorded date of death (8th November 397) of this soldier, priest, bishop and saint, who is remembered as a selfless, generous Christian and pastor. Although St. Martin is mostly associated with winegrowers and winemakers, he is also patron saint of travellers, soldiers and hoteliers. In the local area, there is the custom of “baptising” new wine and folk festivals dedicated to wine. For this reason, we have prepared a special offer that includes a rich dinner with music, dance and lots of fun, and also the wine christening ceremony performed by St. Martin in person. Do not miss this chance and savour our house wines at promotional prices:
MALVAZIJA MOSCHIENA
Quality wine
West Istria wine region
Vintage 2010
Alc. 12.5% vol.
This wine is distinguished for its greenish-yellow colour and a full, rounded velvety taste…
CABERNET SAUVIGNON LAURIANA
Quality wine
West Istria wine region
Vintage 2009
Alc. 12.8% vol.
Mild, tart wine distinguished for its high quality and irresistible, varietal fragrance.
Visit the Hotel Imperial in Opatija and enjoy this autumn’s most cheerful event. To learn more about this special offer, please click here.

Did you know?

Forbidden “adventures” in Opatija

Like young couples in love come today, numerous princes and princesses came to Opatija over a century ago to indulge in forbidden “adventures” and love affairs. Ever since that day in 1844 when a wealthy trader Ignacio Scarpa built the famous Villa Angiolina and opened the doors for development of tourism, Opatija has been renowned as a favourite spot for a romantic getaway from reality, but even more from unwanted looks.

Archduke Rudolf and his wife Stephanie often spent time in Opatija, and the princess continued to visit even after her husband’s early passing. It is less known that one of the biggest European scandals of that time originated from Opatija. Princess’s sister Luise was married to the heir of throne of Saxony, but during one summer vacation in Opatija she met a cavalry officer von Mattachich with whom she started a love affair. After their relationship was exposed, the young officer was stripped of his ranks and title, while Louise was interned into an asylum. Stephanie was outraged and raised her voice against this injustice, quickly managing to free her sister. Stephanie’s husband Rudolf was also a frequent guest of Opatija, mostly due to his “health” issues. One of his many “excursions” was particularly well documented, and it was his relationship with Anne Kuranda, wife of the manager of the Hungarian maritime society Adria.

Another controversial guest of Opatija was Archduke Ludwig, a peculiar man known for his opposition to rigid rules imposed by the Viennese court. The media often reported on his deviant parties and affections. The rumour says that sailors on his yacht were actually young girls in disguise, and he even owned a personal harem.

Still, the most famous “women’s favorite” from Opatija’s glory days was Otto Habsburg. His wild lifestyle was one of the most popular topics all over the Empire at the time. It was said that he switched between women like some do with suits. Emperor Franz Joseph tolerated Otto’s adventures until the affair with Marie Schlanzer, a famous Viennese ballerina and singer. This was more than just another affair for Otto; the couple even had two children. To salvage the family honour, Emperor “exiled” Marie to Opatija and arranged a marriage to a doctor named Kohn, who was given a villa and a noble title. The married couple later had a third child, but Marie still continued her relationship with Otto.

We already mentioned Franz Joseph in his role as the defender of family honour, but was the great Emperor without sin? Of course not. His relationship with the famous actress Catarina Schratt was pretty much known to the public. The couple was often seen during romantic walks through Opatija and surrounding resorts. The Emperor was much closer to his mistress than he was to his own wife. Catarina was the love of his life, woman who stayed with him to the very end, till his dying breath on the deathbed, although she was not allowed to attend his funeral.

As you can see, history recorded numerous intriguing stories on great forbidden adventures and love affairs in Opatija. What happens next? It is up to you to continue the tradition of great romances on the famous Riviera…

Chestnut festival, traditional Marunada is taking place on Opatija riviera…

When I think about fall, my first impression is of the warm and tasty scent of baked chestnuts filling up the coldish air. All those lovely flavors will be filling the air on Opatija riviera the whole of October when the traditional Chestnut festival is taking place. Chestnuts are called maruni here and the festival is known as Marunada.

Maruni grow in Lovran, a small town on the riviera and are a special gourmet treat. Even the influential British paper the Guardian (its Sunday edition the Observer, to be precise) said Marunada is the gourmet festival one must visit this time of the year. The whole fun is to go maruni hunting in the woods in Lovran’s hinterland.

For those not as adventures, maruni turned into cakes, mignons and other sweet treats are a must try.  We recommend tasting them with a glass of Muscat of Momjan, sweet dessert wine from Istria at hotel Excelsion in Lovran or at café Imperial in Opatija, one of the oldest cafes in town.

Chestnuts or maruni from Lovran

OPATIJA RIVIERA – SO SPECIAL IN AUTUMN

Autumn on the Opatija Riviera is imbued with some rather different tones: pleasant warm sunrays invite for long strolls in evergreen parks or along the charming, winding Lungomare coastal promenade to the point where the sun sets…
Surrender to positive vibrations in the relaxed atmosphere of our superb wellness & spa centres, and restore your inner harmony.
Enjoy your autumn evenings in the warm, cosy atmosphere of our hotels which, thanks to their favourable location and extensive range of services and facilities, offer much more than just a classic holiday experience. Top-quality service, a wide selection of dining establishments – from informal cafes to fine restaurants, from a variety of Mediterranean dishes cooked in a number of styles to innovative creations… The selection seems endless, but every choice will be the right decision!
Round off the perfect day in a perfect way with unique combinations such as a delicate olive and almond roll, warm sour cherries in ice cream, Sacher cake and espresso with the taste of the sea…
We feel confident that our friendly, professional members of staff and the superb quality of services offered will be able to meet all your needs – and even more than that! We look forward to welcoming you soon!
To view our calendar of interesting events, please click here.

The Girl with the Seagull

  a symbol not only of Opatija, but of the entire Kvarner region, located on a rock next to the Juraj Šporer Arts pavilion, seems to watch over the town since it was placed here back in 1956. But did you know that this sculpture hides a very interesting story?

It all started when count Arthur Kesselstadt lost his life in a sea storm. In his honour, Hans Rathausky, a sculptor from Graz, made the sculpture “Madonna del Mare”, which is today located in the Croatian Museum of Tourism in the Villa Angiolina. The statue of the Girl with the Seagull was placed on its spot in 1956.

Dance at the Viennese ball in Opatija

On September 24th 2011, Opatija will again dance to the rhythms of old imperial Vienna. Traditional humanitarian Viennese ball is held for the fourth time in the famous Crystal hall of hotel Kvarner, and represents an end to a yet another successful summer in Opatija.

This year, from 19th to 25th of September, Opatija will remember the glorious days of its history when nobles from all parts of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy visited luxurious hotels and villas and enjoyed in many benefits of the Riviera. Viennese week is an opportunity for all guests to try different gastronomic delicacies in Opatija’s cafes and restaurants, as well as learn something about the rich culture and history of the town. Opatija and Vienna share a long common history and tradition, so it is not surprising that the city of Vienna is a leading sponsor of the event from its very beginning. The Viennese ball represents a culmination of the week. The luxurious aristocratic atmosphere will be further enhanced by respectable guests from Austria – dance school Schmidtschläger and the Original Wiener Strauss Capelle orchestra. The entire event will be concluded with a spectacular firework show on the starry sky over Opatija.

Price of the ticket is 50€, which also includes a dinner party. If you would like to participate in this unique event, you can book your accommodation in one of Opatija’s many hotels. We look forward to seeing you!

5th Učka fair

With summer slowly coming to an end, the streets are now less crowded, the heat in no longer so unbearable, and the new season is about to begin in all its splendour.
The calendar is packed with various events, one of them particularly worth mentioning at the beginning of the month: the 5th Učka Fair, scheduled for the 4th of September.