Its benefits were first discovered back in the 19th century by Iginio Scarpa, a merchant from Rijeka. His Villa Angiolina, which he built here in 1844 and named after his late wife, paved the way for the development of tourism in Opatija. The Hotel Kvarner was opened in 1884, and the rest is history. Other hotels, sanatoriums and guest houses followed soon afterwards, and Opatija became a meeting point for the Central European elite: writers A. P. Chekhov and James Joyce, composer Gustav Mahler, Emperor Franz Joseph, and many other princes and princesses, poets and artists used to stay here.
After World War Two, Opatija started a new chapter in its history. It became an all-year-round destination, whose combination of top-quality accommodation, leisure and congress facilities, varied events and excellent restaurants has rightly earned it the title of a 21st-century destination. This is a town of well-tended parks and urban culture, but above all a tourist resort that caters to its guests’ wishes in every way. It is therefore not surprising that Opatija remains a destination offering many advantages for summer holidays, wellness breaks, weekend getaways, and conference events all year round.
Blagodati Opatije prvi je još u 19. stoljeću otkrio riječki patricij Iginio Scarpa. Godine 1844. u Opatiji je sagradio Villu Angiolinu posvetivši je preminuloj supruzi, čime je otvorio put budućem razvoju turizma. Već 1884. godine se otvara hotel Kvarner, a ostalo je povijest. Nakon Kvarnera otvaraju se hoteli, sanatoriji i pansioni, a Opatija postaje stjecište srednjoeuropske elite. Boravili su ovdje Čehov, James Joyce i Gustav Mahler, car i kralj Franjo Josip, prinčevi i princeze, pjesnici i umjetnici.
Nakon Drugog svjetskog rata Opatija je okrenula novu stranicu. Stranicu cjelogodišnje destinacije, koja kombinacijom vrhunskih smještajnih kapaciteta, odmorišnih i kongresnih sadržaja, događanja i gastronomije s pravom nosi epitet destinacije 21. stoljeća. Grad je to njegovanih parkova i urbane kulture, no prije svega grad turizma prilagođen svojim gostima u svakome segmentu. Ne čudi stoga što je do danas Opatija ostala destinacija s nizom komparativnih prednosti, koju gosti odabiru kao destinaciju za ljetni odmor, wellness, kratka vikend putovanja ili organizaciju kongresa, i to tijekom cijele godine.
