Nikola Tesla Plaque from Zagreb
Ah, Croatia! I’ve been dreaming of you for a long time and now, everywhere I turn, all I see is Dobrodošli u Hvratsku (Welcome to Croatia). My first impression as we pull into Opatija is that I’m going to love wandering around here. A charming little resort town at the top of the Adriatic, Opatija was once known as the ’Nice’ of the Adriatic and was one of the main destinations for the Habsburg elite. The Habsburg’s were a European dynasty which ruled from the 15th to the 20th century.
Quick Facts about Croatia
- it entered the European Union a couple of years ago but has not yet adopted the Euro as its currency.
- The Kuna goes by HRK which stands for Hvarska Kuna, Hvarska being the Croatian word for Croatia. There are 100 Lipa in a Kuna. Kuna means Marten, the animal whose pelts were used as currency in medieval trading.
- Nikola Tesla, the Serbian inventor of the alternating current was born here in 1856 (yes, you can thank him for your tv set).
- 2/3 of Croatia’s agriculture comes from small family farms. There are very few large ones since much of the area is still barren due to land minds which are not expected to be all cleared until 2019. That’s also why you don’t see large herds of cattle.
- The tie was invented here. It was spread as a fashion accessory by 17th century soldiers.
- Ludbreg celebrates the Centre of the World day on April 1st. Wine instead of water flows from the town’s fountains.
- Tuna is bred here and exported to Japan.
Cravat Shop in Zagreb
Tomatoes on a Soap Dish
Hotel Bristol – this lemon-meringue coloured, former imperial hotel was built in 1906 and is located on the main street of Opatija. Cross the road, walk through Park Angiolina and within 5 mins you can inhale the scent of fresh coastal air.
Lungomare East – the Lungomare is to Croatian walkers as the Road to Amalfi is to Italian drivers. It’s the pedestrianized version that is almost sea level but it has similar points that jut out along the way affording great views of the coastline around each bend.
Volosko – a tiny fishing village at the eastern most point of this promenade which runs about 12km in total and is 5km from Opatija. It’s definitely worth the stroll.
Lunch – a quick snack in my hotel room. With only a travel set of cutlery, I didn’t think about a plate so have to improvise. I make use of the hotel’s china soap dish on which to slice my tomatoes.
Lungomare West – it continues for another 6km (about 1km runs through the little town) but I only walk about 3. Time to relax at the beach!
Slatina Beach – 50HRK and a lounge chair and umbrella are yours for the day. Slatina is a concrete beach (who knew there was such a thing?) where you climb down the steps into the ocean. I figure after my long walk I deserve a break and I love to watch the ocean waves come crashing up close to my chaise. I’m more than content to lay my lily-white body here for a couple of hours and watch it turn several shades of tan (yeah, right!) as the big fluffy clouds roll over the sun changing the colours of the sky.
Next stop, Zagreb, Croatia.
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