Rijeka
High on a hill above the city, this semiruined 13th-century fortress offers magnificent vistas from its bastions and ramparts, looking down the Rječina…
Must-see attractions in Kvarner
Krk Island
For one of Krk's best beaches, head south of Punat on the lonely road to Stara Baška. It’s a superlative drive, through steep, parched hills and lunar…
Rab Island
Dating from the 12th century, this is Rab’s tallest bell tower and one of the most beautiful on the entire Croatian coast. The 26m edifice is topped with…
Rab Island
One of Croatia's best beaches, this sickle of fine sand hems Lopar's southern flank and is the biggest attraction in these parts. Backed by all sorts of…
Cres Island
One of Kvarner’s most remote and beautiful beaches, this secluded cove is accessed by following a steep path through the scrub. The 45-minute descent is a…
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Krk Island
More than just a village church, little St Lucy's was the site of one of the most important cultural discoveries in Croatia – the 11th-century Baška…
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Opatija
Spread between three historic buildings, this excellent museum houses a permanent collection of old photographs, postcards, brochures and posters tracing…
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Rijeka
According to legend, the angels carrying the house of Jesus' mother from Nazareth rested here in the late 13th century before moving it to Loreto across…
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Krk Island
The tiny island of Košljun contains a 16th-century Franciscan monastery built on the site of a 12th-century Benedictine abbey. Taxi boats wait at Punat…
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Krk Island
This imposing 12th-century Romanesque structure was built on the site of Roman baths and an early Christian basilica. Inside, note the rare early…
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Mali Lošinj
The largest branch of the three-headed Lošinj Museum (the others are in Osor and Veli Lošinj), this grand mansion houses a trio of distinct collections: a…
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Opatija
Lined with majestic villas and ample gardens, this wonderful path (more formally known as the Franz Joseph I Promenade) is a people-watcher’s dream and…
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Rab Island
It hasn't been a cathedral since 1828, when the diocese was dissolved, but locals still refer to this, their grandest church, as the katedrala. Its…
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Rab Island
A 2.5km walk heading north along the seaside promenade from Rab's old town brings you to this peaceful Franciscan monastery, dating from the 13th century…
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Rab Island
This 8.3-hectare park abuts the old town and stretches along the coast to the marina at Palit. It was originally used as a place to graze cattle but was…
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Rijeka
North of Rijeka's Roman Arch is this unusual round cathedral, built by the Jesuit order in 1638 on the site of an older church and dedicated to Rijeka’s…
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Rijeka
The star of this museum is the building itself, the former palace of the Austro-Hungarian governor. It's a splendid showcase of Hungarian architecture,…
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Mali Lošinj
Small but extremely interesting, this centre is dedicated to rehabilitating injured sea turtles, most of which have been entangled in plastic or fishing…
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Rab Island
This 13th-century church takes its present name from a crucifix upon which, in 1556, the image of Christ was said to have wept due to the immoral conduct…
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Cres Island
The parish church houses the village's main sight: the 11th-century Valun Tablet. Inscribed in both Glagolitic and Latin, this tombstone reflects the…
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Rijeka
High on a hill east of the city, Croatia’s first astronomical centre is a striking modern complex encompassing an observatory, a planetarium and a study…
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Rab Island
For a great view over Rab's rooftops, including all four bell towers, head to the northwesternmost corner of the old town and look for a small courtyard…
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Rijeka
One of the few buildings to have survived the 1750 earthquake, the distinctive yellow City Tower was originally a gate from the waterfront to the old town…
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Cres Island
Just inside the main harbour gate, this church is notable for its Renaissance portal with a relief of the Virgin and Child. A glassed-in foyer allows you…
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Cres Island
This local collective promotes the island’s cultural tradition of wool weaving and felting. Using the discarded wool of indigenous Cres sheep, the…
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Rab Island
At the eastern tip of the old town, this church attached to a still-operating Franciscan convent has lots of inlaid marble and a carving of a seated St…
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Rab Island
Founded in 1018, this Benedictine monastery has Rab’s oldest bell tower (1181) and a still-functioning bell dating from 1396. Peer through the railings at…
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Cres Island
Right by the harbour, the main town square was the scene of public announcements, financial transactions and festivals under Venetian rule. It’s now the…
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Krk Island
This crumbling seafront fortress guarded the old town from pirate attacks. Check out the inscribed Liburnian and Roman stones displayed in the courtyard…
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Rijeka
To follow in pilgrims’ footsteps to Our Lady of Trsat, climb this stairway from Titov trg, built in 1531 for the faithful on their way to the church. The…
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Rescue Centre for Griffon Vultures
Cres Island
Housed at the Beli Visitor Centre, this place is home to, at last count, six juvenile griffon vultures that are being prepared for tagging and release…
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Rijeka
Located in a very grand 19th-century villa, this museum is devoted to the geology, botany and sea life of the Adriatic area. There’s a small aquarium,…
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Rab Island
Sahara Beach is a popular nudist spot in a gorgeous but shallow bay. Look for the signpost pointing off the main road before you reach Paradise Beach; it…
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Rab Island
This semiderelict church has a bell tower dating from 1672. It’s located beside pretty Trg Slobode, which has a holm oak tree and sea vistas. Below is an…
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Mali Lošinj
The parish church (built 1696–1775) towers over the town from the ridge. Inside are some notable artworks, including a painting of the Nativity by an 18th…
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St John the Evangelist's Church
Rab Island
It's thought that parts of this atmospherically ruined Romanesque basilica date as far back as the 5th century. Today, amid assorted rubble, only a…
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Rab Island
Built at the end of the 15th century for a prominent patrician family who taught the public to read and write here, this building is worth noting for its…
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Mali Lošinj
This fragrant paradise on the southern edge of town has more than 250 native plant varieties plus 100 exotic species, all framed with gromače (traditional…
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Rijeka
Housed in a boxy 1970s structure, this small museum houses ever-changing themed exhibitions ranging from art to aspects of local history. It's not worth…
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Osor Archaeological Collection
Cres Island
On the main square in the 15th-century town hall, this outpost of the Lošinj Museum contains a collection of stone fragments, reliefs, ceramics and…
