Opatija, Croatia

Opatija is a coastal resort town of about 11,000 residents on the Kvarner Gulf in northwest Croatia, widely regarded as the cradle of Croatian tourism. The Villa Angiolina, built in 1844, and the grand Hotel Kvarner, which opened in 1884, turned the settlement into a favored retreat of the Austro-Hungarian elite. A mild year-round microclimate keeps the surrounding gardens green, and the camellia flower, introduced here in the 19th century, still lines many paths. Visitors walk the 12-kilometre Lungomare seaside promenade that stretches along the shore to the nearby Maiden with the Seagull statue. The story of how this small town became a Riviera begins just down the coast.