VILA ANGIOLINA - MUSEUM OF TOURISM

If you feel nostalgic for the rich hours of elegant tourism, you must visit Villa Angiolina! It was built between 1845 and 1860 in the eclectic style typical of 19th century architecture. It is the oldest summer residence in the resort that is open to the public. Given to his wife by the wealthy Rijeka industrialist Igino Scarpa, the aristocratic residence inaugurated the fashion for Austrian seaside resorts in its day. Inside, some of the rooms decorated with frescoes and trompe-l'oeil have been refurbished to house a fine collection of paintings, photos, postcards, lithographed posters, but also hotel equipment used from the late 19th century. The temporary exhibitions (often renewed and very interesting) often find the theme of worldly tourism, for example Opatija in the Belle époque, gastronomy, the Lungomare, marine paintings...

Outside, the French flowerbeds around the villa and the paths of the botanical park near the church of St. Jakov were designed by the first owner himself. The nature lover acclimatised a lot of plants from the Americas, Australia and elsewhere. There are 159 species, including some very exotic ones such as the ginkgo, the sequoia or the Japanese camellia. One spends almost as much time inside the villa as outside, enjoying this green oasis.