Sightseeing

ST VITuS CATHEdRAl (kATEdRAlA SV. VIdA) Although there has been a church dedicated to the patron saint and protector of Rijeka since the Middle Ages the Cathedral as we see it today was founded in 1638 by the Jesuits, who were once an influential force in the Europeanisation of Rijeka under the Hapsburgs. It’s a rotunda, rather unusual in this part of Europe, with elements of baroque and gothic, including fine baroque statuary inside. A gallery was built in the 18th century, apparently to insulate devout novice monks from the allure of girls in the congregation. There is also some unusual stained glass work, including an image of St Vitus, and a gothic crucifix. Legend has it that a certain Petar Lončarić was playing cards outside the church, and in a fit of pique at losing, threw a stone at the crucifix. To the amazement of onlookers, the figure of Christ started bleeding. The ground opened and swallowed up the blasphemous Mr Lončarić, leaving just his arm waving gruesomely. It was cut off and burned in public. The cathedral has a separate belltower which once gave access from the gallery to a huge Jesuit college and seminary, which sadly are no more. By the main entrance, you can see a cannonball embedded in the wall and a Latin inscription referring to the Napoleonic wars which translates as “This fruit was sent to us by England when it wanted to oust the Gauls from here”. St Vitus’ was promoted to Cathedral status in 1925.QD‑1, Grivica 11, tel. (+385‑51) 33 08 79. Open 06:00‑18:00; Sat 06:00‑12:00; Sun 06:00‑12:00, 14:00‑18:00; closed Mon.

THE CITy TOWER And CITy GATE (GRAdSkI TORAnj, GRAdSkA VRATA) Walking along Korzo, near the Jadranski trg end, is a fine yellow building topped with a clock tower. This was once a gate – the original entrance to the Roman settlement Tarsatica - where one entered the city from the sea – everything that stands between here and the present-day waterfront is reclaimed land. There has been a tower on this spot since the Middle Ages, when Rijeka was a walled city. A massive earthquake in 1750 destroyed it, along with many other important buildings. Money for a new one was given by the Austrian Empress Maria Theresa. In 1873, a newfangled clock which Rijeka’s governors spotted at the World Exhibition proved too tempting by far, the very same which still shows the correct time today.QD‑2, Korzo.

THE CORSO (kORzO) The “Corso” is Rijeka’s main pedestrian street. Lined by elegant period buildings, shops and cafés, interspersed with refreshing fountains, this is where the locals gather by day to catch up on the latest, and to enjoy a promenade. Just behind the seafront, Korzo is the very heart of the town, and there’s no way you should miss a stroll, an espresso and a spot of people-watching here.QC/D‑2, Korzo.

THE CROATIAn nATIOnAl THEATRE IVAn Pl. zAjC, RIjEkA (HRVATSkO nAROdnO kAzAlIšTE IVAn Pl. zAjC) This is one of the proofs that Rijeka is where Central Europe meets the Mediterranean. The National Theatre in Rijeka was largely the work of Fellner and Helmer, a Viennese architectural studio specialising in theatre design, responsible for, among others, the Prague State Opera and the colonnade and Grand Hotel Pupp in the Czech spa Karlovy Vary. When the theatre opened in 1885, it was lit by the first electric lightbulb in Rijeka. In the newly-landscaped park in front of the theatre stands a memorial to Rijeka’s composer Ivan Zajc, one of the most important contributors to the development of classical music in Croatia.QE‑3, Verdijeva bb, tel. (+385‑51) 33 71 14, www.hnk‑zajc.hr.

TRSAT Perched on a hill overlooking the harbour area and keeping watch over the hinterland is the fortress Trsat, which has stood guard over the city since Illyrian times. Trsat is the site of the first settlement of Rijeka, inhabited since prehistoric times. It’s one of the best known symbols of the city. You may also notice from a distance the elegant spire of a white church. Trsat is a complex comprising the fortress and church, a Franciscan monastery, a smaller church, a sports hall and exhibition centre (where many concerts are held), landscaped park gardens and a charming huddle of houses. It’s a serene place to linger over a coffee, and the ecclesiastical heart of Rijeka. The church, St Mary of Trsat, has been a shrine to the Virgin Mary and a place of pilgrimage for hundreds of years. The story goes that when, at the end of the 13th century, the Crusaders were taking Mary’s house from Nazareth to Loretto, where they would set it up as a pilgrim shrine, they stopped and rested at Trsat. A church was then built on the site by the Frankopans (who played a large role in the entire development of Trsat), which became a place of pilgrimage. The church contains a great number of renowned religious paintings and a 14th century icon of Our Lady, reputed to be miraculous. It was presented to Croatian pilgrims in Loretto, and is venerated to this day. For more on the church and its sacral art collection see below. The fort has had many facelifts over the centuries, notably by local influential families, the Frankopans of Krk, the Captains of Bakar and the Hapsburgs. The last and most romantic alterations were made by Irish-born Count Laval Nugent, a commander of the Austro-Hungarian empire, who eventually made his home here and established a museum. Sadly, the museum no longer exists. There are attractive underground spaces (one of which once housed prison cells) which are now used as exhibition spaces, and apparently a secret passageway leads to the Rječina river. The Grecian style Nugent family mausoleum is also now a gallery space. The fort is well worth visiting for its architectural beauty and the stunning views over Rijeka and the Kvarner Gulf. It’s part of a chain of defences across the mountains that protected the Roman Empire from barbarian invasion. You can reach Trsat using the 16th century stairs of Captain Petar Kružić – the traditional route for pilgrims. Before you start complaining, pilgrims often climb them on their knees as a mark of devotion. But if it’s hot or you’re feeling parky, you can also reach Trsat by road from the east of the centre, or take bus No.2., B direction, Trsat.QS‑1.

UniqUE sightsEEing

It’s a working city, so there’s none of that wuss lying around you get in most tourist resorts. You get both the busy and progressive feel of a modern urban city, plus some fine historic architecture.

THE PAPER MIll (TVORnICA PAPIRA) Not far from the city centre, on the banks of the Rječina is a disused factory. It once employed over 1000 people and produced thousands of tons of fine cigarette paper, exported all over the world. Founded in 1823, it was one of the most successful industries of both the former Yugoslavia and Austro-Hungarian empire. It was founded by Andrije Ljudevit Adamić, father of the Šimun with his witnesses (see above). In 1829, he sold it to a pair of entrepreneurs from France and England who installed the first steam engine in southeast Europe in 1833. In 1991, the factory was the second largest manufacturer of cigarette paper in Europe, and had won many awards – see the medals in the City Museum. The industry was devastated by war and economic and political changes, and the company went bankrupt in 2002, leaving many jobless. Since the buildings are so important to Rijeka’s development and the industrial history of Europe, there are moves to preserve and perhaps convert them into a cultural centre: there are already concerts and parties being held in “Tvornica papira Hartera”.QF‑1, Ružićeva bb. THE SHIPyARdS (BROdOGRAdIlIšTE) Driving past the train station towards Opatija, you’ll see signposts pointing to “3 Maj”. These are Rijeka’s biggest shipyards, once the largest in the entire former Yugoslavia. They’re named after the date of the liberation of Rijeka during WWII (3 May 1945), but there has been shipbuilding going on here since 1905. In the late 80’s, the Yugoslav shipbuilding industry was so strong that over half its output was exported, contributing billions of dollars to the economy. 3 Maj has produced all kinds of exciting stuff over the years, including battleships and submarines. Nowadays, trying to do battle in a modern marketplace, they’re also using their expertise with metal in areas like construction and waste management. An even older yard, Viktor Lenac, is having a harder time recovering from the war years, but still works specialising in ship repairs, conversions and offshore work like laying pipelines and building oil rigs – the oil industry is another important part of the economy of the Kvarner region.QL‑3, Liburnijska 3.

THE SuGAR REFInERy (TVORnICA šEćERA) A sugar refinery was built near Rijeka’s train station in 1754, by decree of Austrian Duchess Maria Theresa. It supplied the entire Austrian Empire with sugar (it was its biggest), and more than 600 workers were employed here. It was one of the first factories which kick-started the industrial development of the city. After a fire in 1785, the building was rebuilt and redecorated in late

THE TORPEdO FACTORy (TVORnICA TORPEdA) Did you know that the torpedo was invented in Rijeka? Maybe not a great thing to brag about inventing weapons of moderate destruction, but the story goes like this. One Ivan Luppis, a resident of Rijeka and retired naval officer, was thinking about how to defend the coastline at long range. He came up with the idea of what he called “the coastal saviour”, but had neither the technical background nor physical means to make the idea a reality. He heard about a British engineer, Robert Whitehead, who was manager of a steam ship manufacturing company in Rijeka. They put their heads together, and came up with the prototype “torpedo”, as Whitehead called it. The first tests were made in 1866. By 1943, the factory in western Rijeka reached its peak output of 160 torpedos a month, and Rijeka had gained

a reputation for high-technology engineering. The company went bankrupt in the 1990s, but plans are now afoot to restore historic parts of the factory (such as the torpedo launching ramp) as an industrial heritage monument, relocate the city fish market here and create a new shopping and leisure zone in the western outskirts. Sounds great to us… By the way, the imposing building next to the Capuchin church (by the coach station), the so-called Ploech Palace, was the home of Annibale Ploech, a chief engineer and shareholder in the torpedo company, and his wife – Whitehead’s daughter.QM‑3, Jože Vlahovića 19.

Torpedo, Rijeka City Museum Archives

Baroque and Rococo style, in order to serve as the administration building of a lucrative business. Interiors are decorated with unusual medallions with Chinese motifs and baroque and rococo elements. Luscious frescoes feature Arcadian landscapes, scenes from myth and legend, and some unexpectedly sensual scenes of bathing goddesses. Subsequently dubbed the “Sugar Palace”, the building did not retain this finery for long. The sugar refinery became a tobacco factory, subsequently expanding to become a major industrial site (known as the Benčić Complex) that produced tractors and other machinery. Beginning in 2014 a major renovation project set about transforming the Benčić Complex into a new cultural hub comprising contemporary art museum, city library and a new “Children’s House” containing resources for children and parents. The Sugar Palace was earmarked as the new site of the city museum’s permanent display, and the building’s murals and stucco work were painstakingly restored. Now home to a fabulous display of municipal history, the Sugar Palace was reopened in autumn 2020.QA‑1, Ulica Petra Krešimira IV.

TRAIn STATIOn (žEljEznIčkI kOlOdVOR) The elegant, low-lying classical form of the train station is important to Industrial Rijeka not only for its architectural value, but also since its building heralded a boom in trade for the growing port, connecting it with nearby Ljubljana, Karlovac and Zagreb, and Vienna and Budapest in the heart of the mighty empire beyond. Built by Budapest architect Ferenc Pfaff in 1889 and opened in 1891, there is a story (not true) told by the people of Füzesabony in Hungary that the plans for the stations in that city and Rijeka were mixed up, so Rijeka got the better one. Pfaff built 14 stations in the Hungarian lands, and all those which survive today are listed buildings.QA‑2, Petra Krešimira 5.

Off thE BEatEn tRack

CAlVARy 17-18 CEnTuRy (RIjEčkA kAlVARIjA Iz 17-18. ST.) Just north of St Vitus Church is a path named Kalvarija - Rijeka’s Calvary. Rijeka’s once influential Jesuit community was peeved at all the attention drawn by the Franciscan’s pilgrim shrine at Trsat, and this was their attempt to catch a little glory (17-18th centuries). The path leads to steps, and if you’re man enough for the long walk to the top, you’ll see the baroque remains of shrines along the way. There were once shrines at the top, but little remains of them except a few sculptures. Among the high-rise blocks of flats you can see remains of 4th century stone walls, from the time when this hilltop was part of the defensive system of the Holy Roman Empire. From here a path leads to the Kozala cemetery with its modernist votive chapel, and art nouveau and historicist family mausoleums and sculptures. It’s a pleasant walk – if a little demanding in the hot sun - and gives you the opportunity to see some fine villas in the residential areas in the hills north of the centre. QE‑1, Kalvarija. ISlAMIC CEnTER RIjEkA The third mosque in Croatia is located in Rijeka, in Zamet, the western part of the city. This is a building of high international artistic relevance designed by the famous late sculptor Dušan Džamonja, in collaboration with architects Darko Vlahović and Branko Vučinović. It is located on a hillside, from where the slopes of the nearby Učka mountain and islands of the Rijeka region can be viewed. The complex has been built on a plot of 10,800 square metres and has four levels: a gallery, ground floor and two floors. The facility, which is spread over 3,074 m2 and features a congress centre, which will be named after the Emir of Qatar, a restaurant, apartments and guest rooms and an underground car park. Prayers in the building can accommodate up to 1,400 people, whilst the minaret is 23 metres high. Well worth a visit to check out the extraordinary architecture.QAnte Mandića 50, tel. (+385‑51) 31 70 59, www.medzlis‑rijeka.org.

kOzAlA CEMETERy What a great place to spend eternity! The oldest cemetery in Rijeka and one of city landmarks, Kozala is known for its unique architecture, lush greenery, picturesque cypresses, and cats which have become permanent residents. Due to its stylistic features and beautiful sculptures by notable artists, Kozala is now a member of Association of Significant Cemeteries of Europe (ASCE) and is included on the map of the European Cemeteries Route. Jewish section of the cemetery must not be missed. QUlica Petra Kobeka 13.

RužIć VIllA - THE lIBRARy And THE MAžuRAnIć-BRlIć-RužIć COllECTIOn The neighbourhood of Pećine that lies on the shore was the elite residential area during Austro-Hungarian rule, and it’s worth a wander. The Ružić villa, where members of the political and literary families Ružić and Mažuranić lived, is particularly noted (Pećine no. 5). Industrialist Đuro Ružić was responsible for building many of Sušak’s fine houses. His relative by marriage, Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić, was an author of much-loved children’s books. In the family’s library, which is listed as a cultural monument, a beautifully illustrated English language edition of her book of fairy stories “Tales of Long Ago” is kept. You can see a beautifully illustrated edition in English translation in the family’s library, which is listed as a cultural monument. QQ/S‑3/4, Pećine 5, tel. (+385‑) 91 512 72 54.

THE RIjEkA ASTROnOMICAl CEnTER (ASTROnOMSkI CEnTAR RIjEkA) Star gazers and those passionate about astronomy look no further as you’re about to enter the first astronomical center in Croatia. As it is positioned in the city, up on the hill of Sveti Križ, getting there by public transport is easy and available via bus line 7a from the city centre (Delta). It is set in a building built in 1941 as a military fortress. Subsequently, in 2001, Rijeka’s first observatory was established. A planetarium hall was installed into an already existing fortress in 2009. The Astronomical Center Rijeka

now encompasses an observatory, planetarium and other additional contents for learning more about astronomy. For detailed opening times and schedule of planetarium shows and observatory please call (+385 51) 45 57 00 or check schedule here.QSveti Križ 33, tel. (+385‑51) 45 57 00, www.rijekasport.hr/en/venues/astronomical‑ centre‑rijeka/. Admission 20/10 kn.

landmaRks

HuRRICAnE! (PAROBROd uRAGAn) Uragan is the name of the big old ship that looms at Molo Longo, the long breakwater that runs parallel to Rijeka’s famous Riva. She started life in 19th century Hamburg, where she worked as a cleaner in the harbour until she was conscripted by the German army. Granted to the Yugoslav army as part of war reparations, she then undertook technical duties along the Adriatic coast, including the development of the Port of Rijeka, as well as ‘acting’ in films including “Around the World in 80 Days” and “The Winds of War”. After a long and active life, she sank in Rijeka harbour in 1999 due to a worn-out hull. A team of enthusiasts sponsored by the Port of Rijeka Authority oversaw Uragan’s repair in 2005, and she was given a permanent berth here in Molo Longo in 2014.

RIjEkA’S BRIdGES (RIjEčkI MOSTOVI) “Rijeka” means “river”, and the city didn’t get its name by chance – many waters sourcing in those mountains you see there wind their way through the city, underground and overground. The Rječina is the big sister of all of these. Downtown Rijeka lies west of the river, and east is the old neighbourhood Sušak (once a separate town, and at one time in a separate country), the dockland Brajdica and Pećine. The mouth of the Rječina provided shelter for seafarers since before Roman times. When the port was developed, the Rječina was diverted, leaving its original course abandoned – you’ll see it on the map marked as “Mrtvi kanal” – “Dead canal”. In the middle of these is an area called Delta, where there’s a pleasant park, with its bandstand and café. The two sides are connected by bridges. Just in front of the Hotel Continental is the bridge where you’ll find a statue of the writer Kamov (see Landmarks) leaning against the railings. Further south, you’ll spot the brand new bridge built as a monument to the soldiers who defended Croatia in the recent war (see Landmarks). Fans of WW II history may also be interested to see the plaque commemorating Rijeka’s liberation from fascist rule by Tito’s partizans. QF‑1/2, E‑2.

THE Old PAPER MIllSTOnES (STARI kOlOdROB) A perfect symbol of the interplay between Rijeka’s industrial heritage and water: together fundamental elements of the city’s identity. Two millstones, complete with their original machinery, which were once used in the city’s first paper mill (see “Industrial Rijeka” ) form the centrepiece, and water streams in intriguing formations over the toothed edges of the gears and cogs. “Let a tool of work become a source of joy” reads the inscription: the paper mill presented the fountain to the city in honour of its many workers on the occasion of the mill’s 150th anniversary.QD‑2, Koblerov trg.

mUsEUms

CITy MuSEuM OF RIjEkA (MuzEj GRAdA RIjEkE) Part of the ongoing redevelopment of the Benčić complex, the permanent collection of the Rijeka City Museum proudly opened its doors in November 2020. It is exactly the kind of display the city needed, revealing the city’s character as well as telling you the key historical dates. Housed in the so-called “Sugar Palace”, the palatial eighteenth-century headquarters of the Rijeka sugar refinery, it certainly looks and feels like a major institution, with an imposing marble staircase leading up from the ticket desk to the display rooms. Beautifully restored interiors are on display on the second floor, with brightly coloured frescoes displaying mythical landscapes filled with frolicking sprites and nymphs. Putting in an early appearance in the main history exhibition is Karl VI, the Habsburg emperor who declared Rijeka a free royal port in 1719 and set it on its way to becoming a great harbour city. Rather than offering a date-by-date account of the city’s development from here onwards, however, the museum runs through the main themes of Rijeka’s life; notably as a major shipbuilding centre, and an exit point for nineteenth-century East-European emigrants who left in their thousands for the New World, One room is devoted to the story of the torpedo, conceived by local naval officer Blaž Lupis and English engineer Robert Whitehead, and tested for the first time by Whitehead in 1866. A section on Rijeka’s contribution to popular culture gives visitors the chance to listen to iconic, scene-defining artists such as legendary crooner Ivo Robić, punk firebrands Paraf and new-wave synth-pop duo Denis i Denis. There are a few gaps in the city’s story, but all in all it’s a beautifully conceived collection, and if you really want to understand the city on the Kvarner, then come here first. QD‑1, Krešimirova 28, tel. (+385‑51) 35 10 92, www. muzej‑rijeka.hr. Open 11:00‑20:00; closed Mon. Ad‑ mission 60/30kn. J jGl PHARMACy MuSEuM Established by the local pharmaceutical firm JGL, who have a production plant just outside the city, Rijeka’s new pharmacy museum offers an entertaining and educative introduction to the world of medicines and their manufacture. Far more than just a showcase for jgl’s own activities, the educative and entertaining museum demonstrates just what can be achieved through thoughtful design and engaging presentation. Stages in the development of pharmacology from Hippocrates through Paracelsus are illustrated on a central circular panel. Lurking inside the circle is a recreation

of a nineteenth-century apothecary (based largely on the real-life pharmacy that once served customers at Rijeka’s railway station), its shelves lined with Latinlabelled remedies in glass and ceramic pots. We also get to see colourful posters advertising Alga, the local firm founded in 1926 to develop treatments made from seaweed (it was based in Susak, now an integral part of Rijeka but at that time a separate city on the Yugoslav side of the border). As a small, specialized collection that succeeds in shedding light on the city’s social history, the JGL Pharmacy Museum will be well worth your visit.QE‑2, Užarska 11, tel. (+385‑51) 25 71 03, www.muzej‑farmacije.jgl.hr. Open 10:00‑19:00; Sun 10:00‑14:00; closed Mon. June 15 ‑ August 31 Open Tue ‑ Sun 09:00 ‑ 13:00 and 16:00 ‑ 21:00. Admission 30/15kn. AJ PEEk&POkE - CHIldHOOd MuSEuM (PEEk&POkE - MuzEj djETInjSTVA) Turning back the time, see over 600 exhibits of childhood games, books and toys thematically divided in a stroll down memory lane for many visitors. Toys that came from all decades and all walks of life reignite the changes in our world with the oldest toy dating to 1902 and one child’s scrapbook from 1897.QE‑1, Ivana Grohovca 2, tel. (+385‑ ) 091 780 57 09, www.muzejdjetinjstva.com. Open 10:00‑18:00; Sat 11:00‑16:00; closed Sun. Sun only by prior phone arrangement. Admission 30kn, includes entry to Childhood Museum and Computer Museum. PEEk&POkE - COMPuTER MuSEuM Hands up if you love PCs! Then why not take this opportunity to visit a rare museum of computer technology? Poised near the Nikola Host Park and behind Saint Vitus Cathedral, there are over 1000 samples of early calculators, games consoles, and computers spread across two levels. In addition, different events, workshops, play rooms, seminars, and concerts are often on the go...fun indeed! And if you need to access the net, there are 2 computers available to visitors at a cost of 15kn per hour. Also, don’t miss a chance to ride a Pony, the most sold bicycle in the former Yugoslavia and still loved by people today (5kn per hour), or perhaps an electric car from 1984 (40kn per hour) is more to your liking!QE‑1, Ivana Grohovca 2b, tel. (+385‑ ) 091 780 57 09, www.peekpoke.hr. Open 10:00‑18:00; Sat 11:00‑16:00; closed Sun. Sun only by prior phone arrangement. Admission 30kn, includes entry to Child‑ hood Museum and Computer Museum.

THE MARITIME And HISTORy MuSEuM OF THE CROATIAn lITTORAl (POMORSkI I POVIjESnI MuzEj HRVATSkOG PRIMORjA) One of Rijeka’s important landmarks is the Maritime and Historical Museum which is located in one of the most beautiful buildings from 19th century Rijeka. A former palace, it was originally designed and built as the residence for king’s emissaries and governors. Today it is a Museum which collects, keeps, handles and presents artefacts connected to the history and