Northern Adriatic
The town of Opatija and surrounding area offers a wide choice of hotel and private accommodation. If you are unsure of which hotel or accommodation to choose, get in touch. I will gladly help you choose the best.
Opatija is the pearl of northern Adriatic. It has exciting surroundings, history, and heritage. The region provides exceptional hiking opportunities. The entire area is intertwined by sea, mountains and the islands.
Culturally and geographically, Croatia is a set of regions. There are natural and aesthetic differences between them. Big Fat Boundless specializes in hiking activities in several provinces, and we find the best locations in each one.
In this post we will focus on the Liburnian province. Opatija (with its neighbourhood including the city of Rijeka) is a base from where we start our day and multi-day trips to the islands Cres and Krk, mount Učka and Ćićarija range.
Let’s start with Opatija and its promenades.
The “Lungomare” promenade stretches from the fishing village of Volosko to Lovran. It is about 15 kilometres long. Take a car or taxi to Volosko, and walk along the sea leading west from the breakwater. After half an hour of easy walking, you will reach Opatija’s port. From the harbour, lungomare takes you directly to the Angiolina Botanical Park, a world unto itself. You can explore it by walking its meandering paths. It’s fun for kids, too, if you can unglue them from the phones.
Opatija is situated at the foot of the mid-altitude highlands characteristic of coastal Croatia. Venice, Rome, and the Austro-Hungarian monarchy all used to rule here. The history of this region is as complex as it gets.
The surroundings are ample in the choice of activity. Diving, hiking, cycling, kayaking, rock climbing, and paragliding. All is here. Excellent trails, mountains, rugged terrain, everything’s available for an outdoor spirit. A little further to the northeast are the vast forests of Gorski Kotar, with rivers and a myriad of hiking opportunities.
To the west lies the largest peninsula in Croatia, Istria, a gourmet paradise. Island Cres is reachable via a 20-minute ferry line coast-to-coast trip. There are many locations worth visiting and exploring.
Opatija overlooks Kvarner Bay, where the northernmost and largest Adriatic islands, Cres, Krk and Lošinj are located.
Above Opatija is Učka, a nature park and the westernmost mountain massif in Croatia, together with Ćićarija, which is slightly lower in height than Učka. Učka and Ćićarija are intertwined with trails and their world is accessible throughout the year. A hiker can explore Učka and Ćićarija countless times and with each visit find new beauty and new inspiration.
Northeast from Opatija is the Velebit range, long mountain massif following the coastline in the length of 150 kilometers before descending into the river Zrmanja canyon. While Zrmanja river is beautiful, there are hidden but even more appealing tributary streams worth exploring.
Velebit offers lifetime worth of explorations. Velebit has two national parks, North Velebit National Park and Paklenica National Park, two strict natural reserves Hajduchki and Rožanski Kukovi, and Schtirovatcha forest reserve, while all of Velebit was included in the system of international biosphere reserves in 1978.
Three years later, in 1981, the entire mountain was declared a Nature Park. Highest-altitude meteorological station in Croatia is located in North Velebit National Park. The life in the villages of Velebit remains rough and authentic.
Velebit hiking season is practically a whole year long, but it should be pointed out that in the winter half of the year there are Bora winds, dangerous due to cold, sudden gusts and fog in the altitude zone. However, it is during these months that Velebit is often the most beautiful and offers unforgettable moments and experiences.
If you are interested in climbing, well, the whole North Adriatic region is full of beautiful locations for daily climbing in the open air. There are at least 5 or 6 locations where you can spend all day trying different directions, from the lightest to the most demanding ones, which only a very few can climb. At the same time, the entire northern Adriatic climbing sites are quite secluded and very well preserved.
If you are interested in a day or multi-day trips and if you want to stay in and explore the northern Adriatic, get in touch. I can take you to the most beautiful areas in this region.
