Opatija

With the arrival of Iginio Scarpa, a patrician from Rijeka and building of his summer house Villa Angiolina in 1844, Opatija opened her doors to a whole line of guests and passengers. This is the building that certainly marked the beginning of the tourist epoch in the history of Opatija.

Opatija's Saint James Park is located in the centre of the town, in the protected historic part, next to the Church of Sveti Jakov (St. James) and the former monastery. Its location was the nucleus for the development of the town. The upper part is dominated by the neo-baroque fountain Helios and Selene, the work of the sculptor Hans Ratkausky from 1889.

The building that the inhabitants and guests of Opatija today mostly know as a venue for various exhibitions, concerts and theatrical performances, was originally a pastry shop. It was built in 1900 for the Quarnero company of Vienna, and expanded in 1908 following the plan of the Opatija architect Sandor Neuhausler.

The Swiss House, located in the Angiolina Park, is today one of the three buildings of the Croatian Museum of Tourism where exhibitions present the history of Opatija.