Yacht charter Opatija

Yacht charter Opatija – the key to your perfect sailing holiday. Find more about this destination: history, sights, climate, how to arrive info etc. Charter a sailingboat, motoryacht, catamaran or gulet and sail away... Opatija awaits you

Location and climate

Opatija is situated at the foot of the mountain and nature park Ucka, on the east coast of the peninsula of Istria, in the bay of Rijeka. Due to the nearby mountain, it is well protected from northern and north-western winds. The town and its surrounding area have rich vegetation. The climate is Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers. The average temperature in January amounts to 4,7 °C, and in July and August to 23 °C, whereas the sea temperature can even reach 26 °C during the summertime. The annual insulation amounts to 2.030 hours, and the Ucka mountain detains the dampness brought by western winds.

History and sights

Opatija has developed around the Benedictine abbey of St. Jacob, mentioned in the 15th century for the first time. At that time, it had only 35 houses situated near the monastery. Opatija as we know it today started growing in the mid 19th century when the railway Vienna - Trieste with the branch line for Rijeka was built. Since then, the town gained more importance. In 1884 the Austrian company of the Southern Railways opened the first hotel „Kvarner”, and some time later the official health resort of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. Apart from that, many parks, roads, piers and promenades to the nearby Lovran were built. The chapel of St. Jacob from the year 1506 is preserved (remodeled in the 18th century and expanded in the 20th century). The park of St. Jacob, the park Angiolina as well as the villa Angiolina are created in the 19th century. The fountains „Helios” and „Selena”, the work of the sculptor Hans Rathautsky from 1889, are quite significant, as well as the sculpture „Woman with a seagull”, placed on a cliff in the sea, and the church of St. Mary of the Annunciation (neo- Romanesque building). Architecture of hotels, villas and pensions has characteristics of neostyles and Art Nouveau. Facades and ornaments on the buildings show the Mediterranean spirit. The most prominent buildings built after the Second World War are the hotels Ambasador, Adriatic I, Adriatic II and Admiral.

Today

Nowadays, Opatija is a well known health resort as well as tourist destination on the east coast of Istria. It has a leading position in Croatia as a destination for organized conferences, seminars and counseling. Apart from that, throughout the year it offers numerous festivals, concerts, exhibitions and other culture and sports events. “Lungo mare“ is one of the most beautiful promenades on the Adriatic, 11 km long pathway than connects Opatija with Lovran via Icici. Two national parks are situated in the nearby area - Risnjak and Brijuni; around the island of Losinj you can find the largest Mediterranean habitat of dolphins, and there is also an ornithological reserve on the island of Cres. Alongside the coast, stretching north and south of Opatija, there are several winter resorts. Apart from the beautiful bays, where you can find place for practicing sports (tennis and handball grounds, underwater activities), there are also the modern and excellently equipped marinas: ACI marina Opatija - Icici and the marina Admiral.

How to arrive?

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