Time Out Rijeka 2019 by Rijeka 2020

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 9 7 7 2 6 2 36 6 2 0 0 2

ISSN 2623-6621

SUMMER CLASSICS 2019

ARENA PULA

Giuseppe Verdi

AIDA / 25 July

RIGHT NEAR, RIGHT NOW.

Ludwig van Beethoven

SYMPHONY NO. 9 “ODE TO JOY” / 27 July

Georges Bizet

CARMEN / 1 August Advance booking: www.eventim.hr CNT Ivana pl. Zajca Box Office Tel.+385(0)51 337 114 e-mail: blagajna@hnk-zajc.hr www.hnk-zajc.hr

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Hello, Rijeka

This season’s Time Out Rijeka in no time at all

Rijeka 2020 European Capital of Culture

Justin McDonnell Editor-in-chief @justinmcdonnell

TIME OUT RIJEKA SPRING/SUMMER 2019

Inside

9 7 7 2 6 2 36 6 2 0 0 2

ISSN 2623-6621

Welcome

Published by ORSO PLAN d.o.o, Heinzelova 62A, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia, on behalf of Time For Croatia Ltd., 64 North Row, 4th Floor, London, W1K7DA, UK

SPRING / SUMMER 2019

Editor-in-chief Justin McDonnell Deputy editor Marc Rowlands Operations manager Andrea Mićanović Chief operating officer Robin-Ivan Capar Publisher Manica Pirc Orešković Head of video Ashley Colburn Contributors Peterjon Cresswell, Jonathan Bousfield.

Are you ready for the carnival? DRINKING, DANCING and pagan beasts... Rijeka carnival is here! Join thousands of revellers at Croatia’s biggest street party this March. More than just a costumed jamboree, bellringers known as Zvončari parade a centuries-old route, drinking wine, clanging bells and making noise to scare off the evil spirits of winter and bring on the new cycle of spring. We meet the people who make it happen, from the costume designers to the DJs and the horn-headed Halubajska bellringers (P22). Get the best of spring in Rijeka with our seasonal guide (P26) and discover May’s celebration of LGBT+ and feminist culture (P47). Rijeka 2020 European Capital of Culture is all about diversity (P43) so join the parade and let your freak flag fly.

PAGE 22

PAGE 23

“I can honestly say that I’m a child of the carnival” Lonac 'Nitpicking', p30

My Rijeka story, p6

THE VIEW FROM YOU See what people are Instagramming!

— Sanjin Mladenić

Contents 4 6 10 17 22 24 26 28 30 32 36 38 43 44 47

Rijeka today 48 My Rijeka story 50 Events 56 A crash course guide to the carnival 60 Carnival creators 64 Rijeka carnival Q&A 68 Hello spring 72 The Great Pretender 78 Street art 80 A history of Rijeka in ten buildings 86 Made in Rijeka 90 Dazzling day trips 94 Rijeka 2020 96 Port of diversity 98 All figured out 100 102

Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

All on a plate Building stories Good neighbours Kvarner for everyone The history of healthcare in Kvarner A view from the world leader Rijeka Top 20 Attractions Where to eat Where to drink Nightlife Where to stay Where to shop Hit the beach Opatija Top 10 Essentials

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Cover design Hannah Buckman

Design Art Director Enes Huseinčehajić Creative Direction Enes Huseinčehajić, Justin McDonn Global Creative Director Tom Hislop Annual magazine Total run: 18,650 Hard print (1,150), digital print (17,500)

Photo Credits Inside: Renato Buić p2, Marko Šetković p2, Saša Bogojev p2, Buić p2. Rijeka Today: Rijeka 2020 European Capital of Cultur Marko Šetković p5. My Rijeka Story: Renato Buić p6-7. Tourist guide: Daria Karaulnik p8. Events: Marko Šteković p10, Josip p10, Suuns p11, Repetitor p11, Filip Grzinčić p12, Diana Krall Borna Ćuk p14, Festival of the European Short Story p14, Srđ Hulak p14, Rijeka 2020 European Capital of Culture p16. A cr course guide to the carnival: All images from Marko Šteković Carnival creators: All images from Renato Buić p22-23. Rijeka guide: Marko Šteković p24. Hello spring: Elena Medvedeva p2 The Great Pretender: Arhiva PPMPH p28-30. Street art: All im from Saša Bogojev p30-31. A history of Rijeka in ten building images from Vedran Karuža p32-35. Shopping & Style: Bruke Tourist Board Rijeka p36, Craig Hemming p37. Dazzling day t Olson p38, Žiga Intihar (gastro) p39, fottoo p39, Foto arhiva A Park p40, Valery Bareta p40-41, Siniša Botas p41, Natur Učka p42, urospoteko p42. Port of diversity: All images from R 2020 European Capital of Culture p44-46. All figured out: Sm p47. All on a plate: All images from Rijeka 2020 European Ca of Culture p48-49. Building stories: All images from Rijeka 20 European Capital of Culture p50-53. Good neighbours: All im from Rijeka 2020 European Capital of Culture p56-58. Kvarne everyone: Mato Papić p60. Kvarner holidays and healthcare: p61. The history of healthcare in Kvarner: Evginya Moroz p64 Gropuzzo p65, Markus Gann p65. A view from the world lead excellency Vladimir Mozetič p68. Rijeka Top 20: Museum of M and Contemporary Art p72, Marko Šetković p72-73, Vedran K p73, Marija Lazanja Dušević p74, Renato Buić p74, Vedran Ka p75, Plava Laguna p75, Renato Buić p76, Peek & Poke p76, R Buić p77, Vedran Karuža p77, Renato Buić p78-79, Vedran Ka p79, Vedran Karuža p80. On our radar: Placa 51 p81, Vedran p81, Porto O'Hara p81. Vedran Karuža p82, p82-83, Renato B Renato Buić p84, Vedran Karuža p84, Vedran Karuža p85, Ren p85, Renato Buić p86, Ivan Vranjić p86. On our radar: Three m p87, Vedran Karuža p87. Vedran Karuža p87, Vedran Karuža p Renato Buić p88, Vedran Karuža p89, Vedran Karuža p90, Rak bar p90. On our radar: Renato Buić p91, Doris Fatur p91, Tune Dario Dalmacija p92, Jadran Hoteli p92, Borovo p96, Vedran K p96. Hit the beach: All images from the Tourist Board Rijeka p Opatija Top 10: Žiga Intihar p100, Hotel Mozart p100, Hotel M p101, Foto arhiva Amadria Park p101, Hotel Navis p101, Rijek Board p102. Essentials: Rijeka Tourist Board p104.

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Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

year will provide a huge natural bands with a strong emphasis boost to the city’s upcoming stint on female performers, with gigs as European Capital of Culture, the taking place in former industrial official programme of which is setspaces or in outdoor venues such as to kick off on February 1 2020. This the castle courtyard in the hillside gargantuan event that has come to suburb of Trsat. September’s Sweet dominate discussion of the city’s and Salt gathers together the best cultural life and where it might beof Croatia’s indie sounds, with going in the future, especially nowone night for the guitar bands, that the final countdown is well another for the DJ-and-laptop and truly underway. Of course, thecrowd. Also in September is Porto key to Rijeka 2020’s success is that Etno, a culinary music festival it’s not just a one-year show but that features specialities cooked introduces elements of continuity up by the city’s ethnic minorities to the city’s cultural scene that accompanied by a feast of world can be sustained in the years thatmusic and traditional folk. IF THERE’S ONE THING that the streets of a packed city centre. follow. Indeed, several festivals are Another capital-of-culture unites the citizen of Rijeka, youngThe finale comes with the entry ofalready up and running, having project that has already opened or old, alternative or mainstream,the local zvončari or bell ringers, been started a year or two beforeits doors is Ri Hub, a co-working resident or exiled, it’s the (often revellers clad in animal masks the big year in order to build a local space and community centre unspoken) love for the zaljev, and cowbells who strut, shake audience and provide a platform that provides a common roof for the Gulf, the mountain-rimmed and wheel around in an orgiastic, for future growth. Key festival all kinds of social and cultural expanse of sea on which their porttrance-like ritual that goes back tostrands exploit the city’s reputation initiatives. It is also the initiator of city is situated. Rijeka itself mightpagan times. for producing urban, edgy music: an experiment in local democracy, have its pockets of post-industrial The fact that Rijeka has such a these include Ciklus Furioza, a with citizens’ assemblies (chosen gruffness, but that never prevent-big event in the early part of the cycle of concerts by alternative at random with due regard to a ed anyone from enjoying the view. The #zaljev hashtag may not be the most trending thing on social media but it’s certainly one of the most visually evocative, with photos galore of portside cranes, cloud formations hovering above offshore islands, the grey ridge of Mt Učka, the hillside tower blocks of Rijeka itself, and more of those portside cranes. Rijeka may be grey, gritty, wet and windy, but it never lacks for poetry. Typing out #rijeckikarneval may mean a lot more work for your keyboard fingers; however it’s the annual Rijeka carnival parade that defines the city in the eyes of most outsiders. Held every year on the weekend preceding Shrove Tuesday, it’s a genuinely massive event, with floats and vehicles from all over Croatia taking an entire afternoon to progress through

Rijeka Today

Ri-hub Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

Rijeka Carnival © Marko Šetkov balance of age and sex) taking which he presided. Rijeka, with itseras, when it served as incubator decisions on which cultural projects combination of working-class pride for the city’s burgeoning guitarshould be given the go-ahead. It’sand anti-establishment attitude, isband scene. There’s a plaque an exercise that can continue to better placed than most to untangle honouring Jan Palach outside the serve the community long after the Tito’s ambiguous legacy. venue, as well as a mural-cumballyhoo of 2020 is over. And finally, two aspects of tribute to Motorhead mainman Elsewhere, preparations Rijeka’s cultural heritage to have Lemmy Kilmister. Lemmy never continue for the big cultural recently featured in the news: had any links with the Palach club, infrastructure projects of 2020. January 2019 saw the fiftieth but he definitely forms part of the Restoration of the grand Baroque anniversary of the death of Jan rock-and-roll history of Rijeka, interiors of the Palača Šećerana Palach, the Czech student who sethaving performed in the city’s (The Sugar Refinery Palace) is fire to himself on Prague’s centralTeatro Fenice with the The Rockin’ nearing completion; the City square in protest at the Soviet Vickers in 1966. Museum will be ready to move occupation of Czechoslovakia. One of the many bands to have in by spring of the big year. Last A group of Rijeka students had performed at Palach during its autumn the City Museum began visited Prague in 1968 and had heyday was Paraf, the former work on restoring the furnishings witnessed the aftermath of the Yugoslavia’s first punk band, and of communist ruler Tito’s former Warsaw Pact invasion. When they the first band of any kind to call yacht Galeb, in preparation for a heard about the fate of Palach, out the absurdities of the sclerotic thorough renovation they renamed their socialist regime. After a couple of the craft and its student youth club of years of frenzied riffing they 'Preparations eventual reopening in his honour. A mutated into a post-punk synthas a floating museum. continue pillar of the Rijeka pop band, and as such represent Few cities in Croatia for the big alternative scene for the creative leap from one Rijeka would be willing to half a century, OKC generation to another. A 4-CD cultural deal with a museum Palach still survives, boxed set of Paraf’s collected infrastructure project as complex as hosting live gigs, club works (Parafi: Sabrana djela the Galeb, such is the projects of nights and cultural 1976-1986) was released in early degree of controversy 2020' events. Palach 2019 and constitutes one of the that still surrounds was particularly most typically Rijekan cultural President Tito and important during the souvenirs you are likely to get your Ri-hub the system over punk and post-punk hands on. By Jonathan Bousfield

Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Tktktktk

My Rijeka story Toni Flego’s moves on the dancefloor caught the eye of synth-pop band Nipplepeople. MY NAME IS TONI FLEGO, I'm 22 and I was

I wanted to go and luckily I born in Rijeka. When I was young, I was always knew a guy at the venue and he dancing around the house, in the garden, in arranged for me to get in. When the playground, even when we went to the the band came on stage, they shops. I think my parents were exhausted just were fantastic. I already knew all by watching me. of their songs. I went to the front of I started learning modern dance at the the audience and started dancing. age of seven. Then, I went to the school of The band saw me and the contemporary dance in Rijeka. I stayed until singer called me to go and dance I was 14. After that, I went to a special schoolwith them on the stage. It was in Italy for dancing. My studies there were unexpected, but I was happy to concentrated on ballet and contemporary be invited. The stage was really dance. I really liked it, but I found I had more small so I couldn’t move a lot. I of an attraction to contemporary dance, just continued having fun and performance art and musical theatre, I guessed they liked it because rather than the strict rules of ballet. One after the show they sent me a year ago I moved to Padua and now I am in amessage on Instagram. They dance company called E.sperimenti Dance complimented my dancing Company. and said that they When I started to dance, it was would like to make just fun. But now I understand a video with me. that contemporary dance is my The name of the passion, it is my life. It is what I do song we made a to make my soul full of joy. video for is 'Nikada' One year ago, I was drinking and we filmed it in with some friends in Rijeka. Rijeka. It was a single Everybody had a plan to go and for them in 2018. see Nipplepeople in concert. They After the video was are probably the best Croatian released, the band had electronic band at the moment. a big concert in Zagreb They wear masks when they are on and they asked me stage so nobody really knows who if I would like to they are. dance with them.

'I think my parents were exhausted just by watching me.'

Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

I danced to maybe three or four songs, including 'Nikada'. After that, they had another big concert, this time outdoors at Sea Star Festival in Umag and again they asked me to go. There were thousands of people there. We had a really good relationship by this point, both on and off the stage. I think being from Rijeka has helped me get to where I am, to be able to follow my dream. My teachers in Rijeka introduced me to artists like Pina Bausch, Igor Stravinsky, The Knife, Fever Ray and Björk. I started to follow these extraordinary artists and dance to avant-garde music from a very young age, thanks to my teachers in Rijeka. I am very grateful for that. In the 1980s, Rijeka was famous for rock and punk music. The bands from here were quite unique and popular all over Yugoslavia. My parents and my friends’ parents were really into this alternative scene. I think some of the generations who lived in that movement have very liberal ideas about how their children can express themselves. I feel lucky to come from Rijeka because of that and lucky to have the parents I have. Interview by Marc Rowlands.

Toni Flego © Renato Buić

Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Tourist survival guide

a waterproof uncommon to hear Italian spoken day. Transport is often affected, Just as Chicago is called the Windyin the street and you shouldn't beso plan ahead. City, Manchester in the north of surprised if you meet a Croatian England is known as the Rainy from Rijeka who has a surname that Get clued up on transport City. But official records show thatsounds more Italian than Slavic. Transportation has been one of Rijeka has more rainfall annually Among the city's most common sayRijeka's areas of expertise for over than even Manchester. Don't ings are 'Šta da?' and 'Bo!'. 'Šta da?' a hundred years. The city boasts worry. It’s not going to ruin your is used in the same way as we might Croatia’s first international train visit. In Rijeka, you’re more likely say 'really?' in English, or 'stvarno?' route which connected the city to to experience a heavy shower in the rest of Croatia, more of a the heart of the Austro-Hungarian that departs as soon as it arrives, phrase to express incredulity thanempire a ten years before the arrival Think about your footwear the rain cooling the sun-scolded question. 'Bo!' means 'I don't know', of the Orient Express. Long before, Rijeka's seaside location means streets. You’ll soon be basking in a shrug of the shoulders. Rijeka was a port city and is still you should pack your flip-flops forthe sunshine again, but be aware connected to the rest of Croatia the beach, there are some brilliantthat the downpour could take youPrepare for the and the world - by boat. No car? No ones a short bus journey away. by surprise. shopping apocalypse problem. You can get a bus from But don't make the mistake of Rijeka’s city centre usually buzzesRijeka to most cities in Croatia from only bringing flip-flops. Rijeka's Learn some phraseswith shoppers and pedestrians the large bus station in the west of streets can steeply incline, There are eight different words for- but there are exceptions to this the city centre.Don't be frightened especially if you're exploring 'shoelaces' in Croatian depend- rule. On Saturday afternoons, of using Rijeka's local buses which the charmingly old residential ing on which part of the country Rijeka observes a half day closingcan sometimes ease the trip to area around the university you find yourself in. Italian has on what’s usually the busiest the higher parts of town. More Apartments and hostels are often been widely spoken in Rijeka and shopping day in Europe. No shopsimportantly, local buses are the located here. You don’t want to beacross the Istrian peninsula to its open after 2pm beside the cafés, best way to reach the spectacular clambering up hilly paths wearingnorth for hundreds of years. You'llrestaurants and bars. Don’t get beaches that lie just outside the plastic flip-flops, so remember to see it used often in the menus of stung by national holidays, either,city. These buses can be caught pack a better option for walking Rijeka's restaurants, desribing thewhere the city-shutdown isn’t from Rijeka's other bus station, around the city. dishes and their ingredients. It’s not just the afternoon but the whole located in the east of the city centre.

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THERE ARE TONS OF THINGS Pack that make Rijeka unique. From its gritty-meets-grandiose mix of industrial and Habsburg-era architecture to the weather (often rainy) and its left-wing leanings, Rijeka feels different from the rest of Croatia. Here are some essentials to help you make the most of the city.

Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

tourism hospitality enogastronomy... ...interviews, trends, events, news Business Media Croatia d.o.o. Savska cesta 182, 10000 Zagreb restaurant-hotel@bmcroatia.hr, www.bmcroatia.hr

photography, theatre and dance. She is also the leader of a highly talented group of local musicians who assist her in expressing herself through song. Their music is an adventurous mix of jazz, funk and world music influences, all of which can be heard on her new album 'Iridescent'. This concert serves not only as her hometown album launch but also as the first episode in local promoters Distune's new Let's Talk About Music programme which continues in three further as yet unannounced events throughout this period.

Events Edited by Justin McDonnell timeout.com/croatia/rijeka/things-to-do

ÆÆ Filodrammatica Bookshop Café, Rijeka (entrio.hr). March 9.

KBS: Bronski

All night session from great deep house DJ Bronski of the Deep’n’Delicious crew. Originally from Kutina, he made a name for himself on Zagreb's club scene but now lives in Rijeka.

SUUNS

ÆÆ Crkva (facebook.com/ mi.smo.crkva). March 20.

combines electronica, krautrock, including 'Felt' which was released shoegaze and pop influences, in 2018 and which is supported by One of the most prominent names which are presented in a fresh this tour. This date is not only the in techno from the Balkans, and audacious new light. It's an launch of the band's European tour, Serbian DJ Ilija Djokovic forgoes impossibly cool sound, and little but also the official launch party the festival headlining sets he's Impulse Festival opening surprise to find them on one of of Rijeka's sixth Impulse Festival regularly known for on this night concert: SUUNS the coolest record labels‘Secretly which sees musical events occur all in order to bring his energetic Montreal band SUUNS are genu- Canadian.’The band have releasedacross the city from April 4-13. electronia to Rijeka's Crkva. inely one of the most visually andone collaborative album with ÆÆ Palach Club, Rijeka (entrio.hr). April 4. ÆÆ Crkva (facebook.com/ audibly refined experimental pop Jerusalem in My Heart and four of mi.smo.crkva). March 23. bands of the moment. Their musictheir own, all on Secretly Canadian, Out Of Place: Insolate One of the longest players on Croatia's techno scene, Insolate (formerly known as Miss Sunshine) brings her hometown residency Out Of Place from Osijek in Croatia's far east for an evening of pummeling, percussionheavy techno.

Balance: Ilija Djokovic

MARCH

Drama: Vegas (Bad Company)

past year and whose destruction marks a new beginning for Furious breaks from Michael the community – a positive Wojcicki aka Vegas, one of the premonition of the coming spring. four members that make up The ritual still takes place in the drum n' bass supergroup Bad Rijeka suburbs of Pašac, Zamet and Croatia's biggest carnival takes season', in addition to spring, summer, Company (UK). Pehlin, with the straw man being and winter. Depending on ÆÆ Crkva (facebook.com/mi.smo.crkva).put March to the 1. torch at 6pm. place in Rijeka, culminating inautumn a

International carnival parade

colourful procession of thousands whenonShrove Tuesday falls, the Queen's ÆÆ Rijeka (rijecki-karneval). the Sunday before Shrove Tuesday. Pageant usually takes place on the Pepelnica (Ash Wednesday) Centuries ago, as now, masksthird wereFriday in January, followed Traditionally by the the final act of the Stephany Stefan elaborate and ugly, and evil spirits Zvončari Parade, which takes place carnival the season is the burning Stephany Stefan is a Rijeka artwere sent packing by local men next day. By tradition, the bell-ringers of the Pust, a straw effigy that ist who operates within several dressed in animal skins, the zvončari, clang their instruments and move symbolizes the bad fortune of thedifferent disciplines, including clanging huge cowbells. Always in steps up foraccording to their village of a spot of costumed fun, the Habsburgs origin. Then, two weeks before Shrove revived the concept in the late Tuesday, 19th on the Saturday lunchtime, century, before Rijeka got tangled the Children's Parade runs through up in too much political torment thefor streets of Rijeka. The big event, street parties. Then, in 1982, however, three is the International Carnival masked groups walked down Korzo Parade, to which kicks off at noon on the bemusement of onlookers.the After following Sunday. It usually takes that, numbers grew. By 2001 the there whole afternoon for floats to pass the main streets. Subsequent were around 4,000 taking partalong in the parades. For the 25th anniversary celebrations last well into the night, event in 2007, it was nearer 100,000. at stalls and tents set up around the No wonder locals call it the 'fifth canal.

APRIL

ÆÆ Crkva (facebook.com/mi.smo.crkva). April

Repetitor

Although they sing in Serbian, there's no missing the power, groove and emotional impact of Repetitor. Holding a hypnotizing and dangerous energy, their concerts have been enjoyed all across Europe. The music is raw and often aggressive, a back-tobasics rock n roll sound, distorted for the noise rock age. At times comparable to The White Stripes or The Black Keys, Repetitor nevertheless offers something wholly their own, capable of both Zeppelin-esque, monster heavy, blues riffs and mesmerising quiet sections that reference traditional Balkan music. Part of Impulse Festival.

Stephany Stefan

DISCOVER! Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

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Pogon Kulture (facebook.com/ Repetitor ÆÆ ImpulsefestivalRi). April 13.

Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

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UNLOCK THE BE OF CROATIA Diana Krall

Rijeka Run/Homo si teć

Taking over the city centre for the day, Homo si teć (local dialect for “lets go for a run”) is a recreational event aimed at people of all ages and abilities, although there’s also a competitive marathon and halfmarathon for those who take their running seriously. ÆÆ Rijeka (rijeka.run). April 14.

Jonathan

Expect a heroes’ welcome to await Rijeka rock band Jonathan as they play their first hometown concert in a year immediately after a tour of the USA. The last year has been the band's most successful to date, with 2018's album 'To Hold' rising to the top of regional charts and propelling the band to a summer of festival appearances in support. The nine-date American tour finishes off their spectacular year in fine style, not least as it includes appearances at the best-respected music conference in the world, SXSW in Austin, Texas. Pogon Kulture, Rijeka (eventim.hr/ Jonathan ÆÆ hr/izvodjac/jonathan). April 27.

Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

For the latest and best shows and gigs, top shopping, eating and drinking, visit timeout.com/croatia

MAY

Smoqua Festival

MAY -JUNE

Let loose after Rijeka's annual festival of feminism and LGBTQ+ culture at this official afterparty.

TIME OUT CROATIA

International Small Scenes ÆÆ Crkva (facebook.com/mi.smo.crkva). May 25. Festival/Međunarodni festival malih scena

JUNE

The title of this theatre-fest is a bit misleading given that it features leading productions from major drama companies: the emphasis is Fiumanka on plays that suit the more intimate This is the big event of the sailing theatre spaces rather than spec- calendar, with four days of regattas tacles intended for the big stage. including the Grand Fiumanka Expect top-quality drama from itself, which is actually a race of Croatia and its neighbours. Perfor-three parts: a competitive event mances take place in the Nationalto one of the islands and back, a Theatre and in HKD Sušak. family regatta along the nearby ÆÆ Various venues, Rijeka (theatrefestivalcoastline, and a traditional-boat rijeka.org). May 4-11. regatta along the city seafront. With food and drink stalls, folklore shows and rock bands on the Riva Ciklus Furioza A season of avant-rock concerts for the duration of the festival, this with a pronounced emphasis on is a hugely enjoyable event for all female performers. Headliners the family. include hypnotic performer Anna ÆÆ Riva, Rijeka (fiumanka.eu). June 6-9. Calvi and globetrotting techno DJ Black Madonna. Gigs take place inFiumare former industrial buildings and Fiumare is a largely outdoor festival other ambient locations. celebrating Rijeka’s maritime tradiÆÆ Various venues, Rijeka tions with a display of wooden boats (rijeka2020.eu). May-Sept. in central streets, stalls selling local

DOWNLOD YO COPY NOW!

Festival of the European Short Story A two-centre festival that holds public readings, mingle pretty freely. This year’s talks, round-table discussionstheme and is 'Homo Narrans', exploring workshops in both Rijeka and all Zagreb, aspects of the human being as an FESS has a reputation for attracting instinctively the tale-telling animal. This year’s guests represent a pretty broad major global names. It’s certainly one of the most inclusive events of spread: its kind: Hungarian Laszlo Krasznahorkai, a large number of the events Argentinian are held in Andres Neuman, Palestinian the English language, and readings Adaniaare Shibli and Bosnian-American frequently accompanied by EnglishSemezdin Mehmedinović are just some language translations on a bigofscreen. the names confirmed so far. More will The main readings are held inbe venues added to the list, so check the festival which have a bar, and there iswebsite always nearer a the date. high degree of before, during Æ and Æ Various aftervenues, Rijeka (europeanshortstory. socializing in which writers and org). the Late May/early June.

Rijeka Run/Homo si teć, See p12

DISCOVER! Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

Fiumanka XXX

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Events Croatian National Theatre. There will also be late evening sessions featuring ethno-electro DJs and Balkan brass bands. ÆKarolina Æ pier & other venues (rijeka2020.eu). Sept 6-9.

Sailor Sweet & Salt Festival Genre-bending music fest offering a shrewdly curated selection of indie pop, alternative rock and electronica. Lineup still to be announced so check the website nearer the time.

ÆÆ Various venues, Rijeka (rijeka2020.eu). Sept.

D’Annunzio’s Holocaust

The Italian poet and proto-fascist Gabriele D‘Annunzio called Rijeka the 'City of the Holocaust' during his brief rule of the city from September 1919 to January 1921. The word Holocaust meant something rather different to D’Annunzio than it does now: he pictured the city Sailor Sweet & Salt Festival as an eternally suffering woman, saved from further torment by crafts, as well as musical performancfirst day, while on the second dayof the Rijeka but also deals with widerthe boldness and gallantry of his es and food fairs. There’s also a sailing grown-ups are invited to produce themes of migration and shifting inspired leadership. This exhibiregatta featuring traditional boats.work in situ. Live music and film ideas of homeland. Very much tion, set to open on the centenary ÆÆ Verdijeva and neighbouring streets, projections in the evenings. an event for all the family, it’s a of D’Annunzio’s march on the city, Rijeka (visitrijeka.eu) May-June. ÆÆ Volosko (visitopatija.net). Aug 24-25.fantastic opportunity to enjoy the will focus on the fate of women culinary traditions of Rijeka’s vari-in Rijeka during the D’Annunzio Fifth season closing night ous communities, and also has a period – both his supporters and Last chance to dance as Rijeka's live music programme involving those who struggled to survive a premier underground dance music local folklore societies and inter- tumultuous period. Exhibits will nightclub closes for the summer national stars of world music. Thisbe set out in the White Salon of the at the end of a successful fifth year Porto Etno year sees Czech avant-folk violinist former Governor’s Palace, where in the city. Now in its third year, Porto Etno and singer Iva Bittová performing D’Annunzio once held court. ÆÆ Crkva (facebook.com/mi.smo.crkva).isJune a festival 8. of food and music thata collaborative programme with ÆÆ Maritime and History Museum, focuses on the national minoritieslocal traditional musicians in the Rijeka (ppmhp.hr). From Sept 12.

SEPTEMBER

JULY Diana Krall

e s r u o c h s A cra a v i n r a c e th

Canadian pianist and vocalist Diana Krall is one of the great interpreters of the American Jazz songbook, and is also a major songwriter in her own right. Having notched up 15 million album sales and three Grammy awards in an illustrious career, she’s a spellbinding live performer. This rare chance to see Krall on Croatian soil will for many be the indisputable musical highlight of 2019. ÆÆ Summer Stage, Opatija (eventim.hr). July 16.

ageant, al costume p un m m co a y ken over b Rijeka are ta of ts e revellers. re st e th me 100,000 so y b d Every winter, e nd atte

AUGUST Mandrać Art Festival

An outdoor art competition with paintings propped up against walls in and around the mandrać, Volosko’s small inner harbour. Children’s work is exhibited on the Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

Porto Etno

Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Rijeka carniva

MANY CITIES celebrate Mardi Gras. Rio,

around the time of Mardi Gras, attracting a few the presentation of the master of ceremonies, Venice and New Orleans have long been hundred friends and curious onlookers. Meštar Toni, and the election of the Carnival known for their pre-Lenten processions, a Pretty soon, these numbers had run into the Queen, who oversee proceedings during the tradition harking back to medieval Europe, thousands and the groups into the dozens. Incourse of the event. Leading local celebrities pagan rites and the casting out of winter. 1995, Rijeka was included in the Federation of also gather in the Governor’s Palace for the With Rijeka’s deep-water port coveted by European Carnival Cities. By 2001, there were annual charity ball. both Venice and Vienna, and the town full of well over 100 groups and organisers had to limit Apart from the main procession, the medieval intrigue, the city authorities bannednumbers. More than 100,000 visitors still flock most popular part of Rijeka Carnival is the the wearing of masks, at carnival or any other here in February, transforming Rijeka from port Children’s Parade, involving local schools time, in 1449. to party zone, focus falling on the main parade and nurseries, and youngsters from around But Rijeka has always had a rebellious streak. along the Korzo. Croatia and the region. Isolated groups continued the tradition over theSo what’s it all about? Then comes the Sunday march. The second centuries before, in 1982, with a nod to history The first thing to know about the Rijeka thing to know about the Rijeka Carnival is that and an eye for a party, three of them decidedCarnival to is that it’s more than just the Rijeka it doesn’t just involve locals dressed up in weird revive the concept of a city carnival. Lako ćemo, Carnival, the showcase procession that costumes, making random clanging noises. Pehinarski feštari and Halubajski Zvončari takes place on the Sunday before Shrove These bellringers, zvončari, are divided into donned masks and paraded through the streets Tuesday. The season starts in January, with scores of different groups, each coming from Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

a different part of the Rijeka area, each with its own tradition, costume and ritual. Harking back to the first modern-day carnival of 1982, the Halubajski Zvončari hail from Halubje, at the western end of the Kastav region. These are the ones whose masks most typify the carnival, bizarre animal heads with horns and red tongues. Dressed in sheepskin offset by striped shirts and white trousers, they carry one big bell and a mace, a custom echoing the times when these zvončari would go from village to village, warding off potential invasion from evil spirits. The tradition was added to UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009. The Zametski Zvončari come from Zamet, who model their look on vikings, with a red

Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Rijeka carniva

© Marko Šetković bandana and large antlers on their sheepskin helmets. Following behind a flag, they walk by crisscrossing one another, each ringing the large bell he carries. Dating back centuries, the Grobnički Dondolaši were originally Grobnik shepherds, armed with the wooden rattles, škrebetalnica, at carnival time. ‘Dondolaši’ refers to their bells, doodle. Employed by well-to-do landowners to protect their cattle, this group is well versed in making a racket to scare off predators. Other groups have other hallmarks. The Griški Krabunosi come from a wine-growing area and made their masks from whatever they could find lying around their cellars. They also put music to the fore – although the group’s motto, ‘The uglier the better’, leaves the onlooker in no doubt as to their fearsome reputation. The Munski Zvončari from the twin villages of Vele Mune and Male Mune near the Slovene border stand out because of their hopping march, © Marko Šetković the paper roses on their hats and the fact that Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

they include women in their group. The Pesniki see off the dreaded winter with dancing and merriment, their group from Crni Lug traditionally featuring an accordion player, their parties tending to go on the longest and latest. Once in Rijeka, groups gather to set off at noon. The parade then follows a set route, taking its own sweet time as it passes along the Korzo where the bulk of the crowd throngs. The last group to pass by are usually the Halubajski Zvončari, a few hours after nightfall. A puppet, the Pust, 'A puppet is burned in is then burned in ritual fashion, which is the signal for everyone to ritual fashion, get down and start partying. DJs which is the set up on the Korzo, and in many signal for bars and clubs, the festivities coneveryone tinuing long into the night. ÆÆ Rijeka Carnival, January 17-March 6 2019. Main parade Sunday March 3. www.rijecki-karneval.hr.

to get down and start partying.'

Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Tktktktk

Carnival creators

The bell ringers Halubajski Zvončari

From costume creators to bell ringers to top DJs, many people help make the Rijeka Carnival Croatia’s biggest event of the year. Peterjon Cresswell meets the movers and shakers. Photography Renato Buić

The costume makers around the members. I make one costume forof the final version. Our active members, about Draško Maserati

men and one for the ladies. My costumes were 20 volunteers, carry out the work while 70 paralso worn by children for their parade, which ticipants I will be wearing these costumes in 2019. If anyone can demonstrate how the Rijeka make during my holidays – that’s how much theThe materials depend on the design. Masks Carnival has developed from a lively local event carnival means to me.’ need to have a dancing quality, so we use to a mass pageant on a global scale, it’s Sandi Sandi would love to design costumes for other lightweight materials such as satins, organza Pribanic, head of the Draško Maserati. groups, too, but this would turn his hobby into and a tulle. For the more solid part of the costume, ‘There are about 40 active groups who takefull-time job – and in the summer, he works as then a artificial fur, sponge, self-adhesive mesh, part in the Rijeka Carnival every year’, says Sandi. chef in the Kvarner holiday resort of Crikvenica. wire, all kinds of things.’ ‘My first one was in 2000, with Draško Maserati.’ Even for Draško Maserati alone, costume Everything comes together for the big Sunday ‘Every association has its own leader who making is a huge undertaking: ‘It needs several parade. ‘This year will be my 18th carnival, and I organises the group and costume design. Every months to design and create costumes, headgear live for it. The costumes our members wear have costume I’ve made has a story. First, within and all other elements. In 2018, when we were passed through my hands several times and the group, we decide the theme. This is donePianists, it took ten weeks for the 50 costumes. when I see so many, the feeling is indescribable. independently, group by group. Among my This year, the bird masks require a lot of work. Pride and excitement overwhelm me as I see favourite masks have been fire, pianists, druids, About 18,000 scraps of material need to be cut, smiling faces radiating happiness about the spiders and Dracula. This year’s is birds. sewn three times, tied and knitted to the sleeves, costumes people are wearing. Their satisfaction Then I make a prototype, a showpiece to pass trousers and dresses – and this is only about is 30% the greatest thanks for my work.’ Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

Hailing from Halubje, at the western end of the Kastav region, the Halubajski Zvončari are one of the three original groups who re-activated the Rijeka Carnival back in 1982. But, as their longterm member Sanjin Mladenić describes, their involvement dates back longer than that – just as these traditions have historic roots. ‘I was born in 1971 and I’ve been a member of the Halubajski Zvončari since 1975,’ says Sanjin. ‘So I can honestly say that I’m a child of the carnival.’ ‘It’s important to note that the Halubajski Zvončari used to make a traditional tour of Kastav villages before the official restart in 1982, and took it to the centre of Rijeka. Long before then, the Halubajski Zvončari kept alive these regional customs whose origins have been lost in time. The earliest written record was in the 1860s when a group of young men from the village of Marčelji, in Viškovo just east of Kastav, ordered a foundry in Maribor to make them a bell. Apart from Halubje, in the eastern part of Kastav, there were bell ringers in the western part, but their customs and appearance differ greatly from ours. The reason for this is historic, namely the one part of the Kastav region was in Austria-Hungary, which strictly prohibited besides the bell ringers, we have a devil, a bear, ‘I think the first carnival with electronic the covering of faces, so other bell ringers had a puppet, a flag and music. In 2009, we weremusic involved was in 1997,’ says Dino, born flowers and signs, and their faces uncovered.included on UNESCO’s heritage list. here in 1992. ‘Since then, the carnival party has The Halubajski Zvončari are the only ones Every year on the day of St Anthony, had its roots in electronic underground music, to retain their original look, with a mask that January 17, the carnival events being and and that’s why it attracted fans not only from completely covers the face and head. the Pust puppet is put at the top of the pillar. Rijeka, but from the bigger cities in Croatia.’ Over time, costumes have changed, but wePreparations get more intense as the weeks go ‘I was only 16 when I gained my first always had a characteristic mask that covered by. residency at the Galileo Club and from that our faces and heads, sheepskin on our backs, At 8am on the morning of the Rijeka Carnival, point, I haven’t stopped. Gigs and residencies one large iron bell tied with jute ropes, a mace weingather in Marčelji, then head for 15 other followed one by one, in Rijeka, Zagreb and along hand, heavy black working shoes, woolen socks, villages, the last one being Škurinja. From there, the Croatian coast. white trousers with a red ribbon, a sailor’s shirt, we descend on the Korzo in Rijeka and we are The Rijeka Carnival is a bit different, though. and a facol, a red neckerchief. In the group, the last ones to close the Rijeka Carnival. In the As an event, it hosts what we could call all-round evening, we return to Viškovo where we haveDJs, who play what people would like to hear. two more days around Halubje. Everything We can say that every genre is included, and it ends on Shrove Tuesday when the Pust puppet tends to be more mainstream because there’s is lit in the evening. such as mix of older and younger carnivalgoers. As for celebrations, I have to admit that afterThe main goal of the Carnival Party is also so much activity around all the carnival events, to promote young, local DJs and give them the we need a rest. We’re happy that another year opportunity to prove themselves and gain new is over, and we can look forward to January 17 experience. again, to having fun and socialising.’ I’ve played the carnival party twice. Both times I’ve been the local warm-up, which included spinning minimal and tech house music. The headliners were different, and more DJ Dino Jukić popular each year. The first time, in 2016, was The Rijeka Carnival is not only a showcase forfor The Advent, the second in 2018 was for parades and costumes. Music is an increasingly Kevin Saunderson. It was Dražen Baljak, aka important element, as illustrated by the partyBoo Dale, a big name here in Rijeka, who invited starters, the DJs who get everyone to get down me and it was a great honour to be part of the right after the Pust puppet is put to the torch.biggest event in our city. One such is Rijeka-born spinner Dino Jukić Like I say, the best part of it all is that lesserof Madafunkaz, a live house act with a busy experienced DJs in Rijeka get their chance on touring and studio schedule, and resident the big stage, to play with a big international DJ for influential party organisation KBS name, and in front of a lot of people. In a city Entertainment. Everything, though, is put on like Rijeka, you don’t get that kind of chance hold for the Rijeka Carnival. every day.’

The music makers

Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Carnival Q&A

Rijeka carnival Q&A

What time does it start?

Drinking, dancing and pagan beasts… It can only be Rijeka carnival. Here’s everything you need to know about Croatia’s biggest street party.

The parade is scheduled to start at midday. But there are so many participants in the carnival that the actual procession can take a while to move. If you're planning to see the very start of the parade, aim to get to Ivana Zajca or Croatian National Theatre for the official start time. If you're planning to catch it from Korzo or further down the route, you can be a little more relaxed about your arrival time.

What is the parade route? The parade will start at the point where Rijeka's Riva becomes Ivana Zajca street, with participants congregating beforehand by the waterside on the Riva and on Riva Boduli. It will make its way down Ivana Zajca, passing the Croatian National Theatre, before turning left at the Mrtvi kanal, up Ribarska street to Jelačićev trg. From Jelačićev trg it will turn left again, taking Scarpina down to Rijeka's main pedestrian thoroughfare Korzo. It will traverse all this wide avenue, with thousands lining either side of the procession's route, but will take a left before reaching Korzo's end, at the Trg Republike Hrvatske. The procession will then turn right, onto Adamićeva, before meeting up with Korzo once again at Jadranski trg. At Jadranski trg, it will take a left down Zadarska, before heading right at the end of the street and moving towards the south end of the intercity bus station on Žabica. After passing this point, the parade will double back on itself for a short distance, heading down the Riva to the official end point where the harbour is.

Where should I stand? Up to you. The whole of the carnival is family friendly, so you can stand anywhere if you're bringing kids. The Croatian National Theatre is an incredible backdrop to have as the parade passes and the park in front is a lovely place to wait. Korzo is also a terrific place to watch the parade, the procession unrestricted by space on this wide pedestrian thoroughfare. For children and people with disabilities, Korzo offers stands for seated guests at the centre of the street. There are plenty of bars and cafés and where you can sip a beer or coffee while waiting for the procession to pass. Late for the parade? Beeline for its latter stages so you don't miss anything.

How will I get there? The entire parade route and lots of the city centre will be closed to traffic for the duration of the day. The intercity bus station is still working, so if you're arriving from another city, you'll have no problems getting there. If you're travelling to the centre on a local bus, it may avoid the central routes. But, you won't have © Marko Šetković far to walk. Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

+385 51 568 888 OHARARIJEKA@GMAIL.COM FACEBOOK.COM/OHARARIJEKA

Authentic Vera Pizza Napoletana.

Hello spring

Rijeka is your oyster

It's warm enough to eat outside, so go al-fresco and sample caught-that-day fish and seafood on the terraces of Municipium, Placa 51 or Konoba na Kantunu.

Goodbye, winter. It’s spring’s time to shine.

Take a spring selfie

Get on your bike

Get a selfie by the flowerbeds of the Theatre Park, with the Croatian National Theatre as your impressive backdrop.

Explore the coast by bicycle. Keen cyclists could take on the 'Route Of The Frankopans', an established route that journeys through Kvarner's castles, city walls and crumbling monuments.

Dive in

Take a bracing swim at some of the city's best beaches. Ploče, Bivio, Skalete, Preluk and Kostanj Bay are shingle beaches with clean waters, a short bus ride west of the city.

Stroll down Korzo Scoop the best gelato You can try some of the best ice cream here outside of Italy. Pick your favourite scoop from one of the booths along Korzo.

Take a leisurely stroll down Korzo, Rijeka's pedestrianised thoroughfare, stopping for coffee along the way. Look out for the tower clock. The two-headed eagle is a symbol of the city and loved by locals.

Go to a gig

Catch live music at the atmospheric Tunel bar, Pogon Kulture or the city's leading gig venue Život. This time of year sees the city's nightlife reach its climax before the drowsier summer season.

A walk in the park

Savour strawberries

Take advantage of the balmy weather by wandering around the Mlaka Park, the trees and flowers full of spring life.

Visit Rijeka's market, Placa and pick up a punnet of a gleamingly fresh strawberries.

Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

The Great Pretend

The Great Pretender Italian poet Gabriele D’Annunzio turned Rijeka into his own political stage.

suburbs, and substantial numbers of Germanand Hungarian-speaking businessmen and bureaucrats. The question of national identity was made more complex by the collapse of the Habsburg Empire in 1918, when Rijeka was earmarked for inclusion in the nascent Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (subsequently Yugoslavia). Rijeka’s Italian-speakers rose up in an attempt to prevent the Yugoslavs from taking control. Entente peacekeepers occupied the city, pending the deliberations of the international peace conference convened at Versailles in January 1919. Fearing that the conference would definitively award the city to the Yugoslavs, however, Italian nationalists within the city began to plan a takeover that would present the international community with a fait accompli. They needed a figurehead, and the flamboyant D’Annunzio seemed to fit the bill. D’Annunzio drove into the city on September 12 1919 at the head of 300 volunteers. He was greeted with jubilation by Italian sections of the populace, and a mixture of bemusement and fear by everyone else. D’Annunzio immediately declared Rijeka’s union with Italy. The Italian government in Rome disowned such a union, fearful of the radical energies that D’Annunzio RIJEKA’S MOST PROMINENT anniversary of the side of the Entente (France, great Britain seemed to embody. 2019 is also one of the most difficult to handle. and Russia), and found something of a new For D’Annunzio and his followers, the September 12 will see the centenary of the vocation as the tub-thumping nationalist Rijeka enterprise was the first step in an antientry into the city of Gabriele D’Annunzio, the orator who could hypnotize a willing crowd. parliamentary revolution that would sweep Italian poet, aviator and nationalist ideologueHaving volunteered for the services at the age through Italy itself. Post-war Italy was in deep whose 17-month reign over the city providedof 52 and taken part in several daring airborne crisis, troubled by left-wing strikes and rightItalian Fascism with much of its inspiration. and naval missions, D’Annunzio became a wing calls for order. Soldiers returning from the Present-day Rijeka’s reputation as the mosttalismanic figure for nationalist Italians once front felt that they had risked their lives for a open and tolerant of Croatia’s cities is a tradition the war ended. corrupt parliamentary elite that was incapable sustained, to a certain extent, by memories of Even though the city of Rijeka, or Fiume in of addressing the country’s problems. Calls the human tragedies that have rent the city in Italian, had never been promised for authoritarian leadership were the past. D’Annunzio’s escapade in particularto Italy in the secret treaties signed widespread – D’Annunzio seemed tore the city’s cosmopolitan fabric apart, setting with the Entente powers, the city 'D’Annunzio’s to be the personification of these escapade desires. Italians and Croats against each other and became a tantalizing symbol of laying the foundations for further ruptures in unfulfilled national destiny for an tore the city’s Thousands of people flocked World War II. Given such a traumatic twentieth Italian public exhausted by over to cosmopolitan Rijeka to be at his side. Most century, it’s not surprising that the anti-fascist three years of war. of them were war veterans or fabric apart.' spirit of today’s Rijeka is regarded as something The city was a typically mixeddeserting soldiers (the average age to be celebrated. up product of the Habsburg was 22 and a half), keen to share D’Annunzio himself was more famous as anEmpire (to which it had belonged the excitement of what seemed aesthete and playboy until World War I turned ever since the fifteenth century), like a patriotic revolution. Others him into a man of action. He campaigned boasting a largely Italian-speaking were political tourists of a rather vigorously for Italy’s entry into the conflict oncity centre, Croatian-speaking disturbing kind. Both Futurist Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

new social climate. “Modesty compels me to the local population; using coup tactics in draw a veil over much of the depravity whichorder to pre-empt peaceful negotiations; accompanied the poet’s regime”. manipulating plebiscites to make it look as if Subsequent historians have paid too much extreme courses of action have a democratic attention to the cult of D’Annunzio, the cocainemandate; the use of extravagant behavior to snorting, bed-hopping egomaniac who never signal contempt for the “establishment”; calling really cared much for Rjieka and simply saw it out asthe falsehoods of liberal democracy in order a platform for his own fame. The freewheeling to construct even bigger lies; all of these are as society he presided over has been overfamiliar today as they were to the Europeans of romantically portrayed as a 17-month-long the inter-war years. fiesta, an art performance in the tradition of theMaybe we are only now entering the truly Italian avant-garde, or an anarchic exercise inD’Annunzian times: politicians flout notoriety anti-globalist protest, with D’Annunzio the jolly and shamelessness as a way of building pirate giving the finger to the liberal elite. popular support, manipulative half-truths are In fact the whole escapade is a warning about applauded more heartily than complicated the dangers of populism, and the way in which explanations, and the megaphone of social libertarians of both left and right so often endmedia makes mob orators of us all. up donning a uniform and joining someone Rijeka will mark the centenary with a else’s parade. The D’Annunzio administrationD’Annunzio-themed exhibition at the Museum was a revolving door for ideological oddballs,of Maritime History. The display will devote kept in power by the large number of young men specific attention to the female half of Rijeka’s roaming the streets, people who could alwayspopulation be - the women who supported, relied upon to cheer the loudest whenever the opposed, or simply endured the D’Annunzio leader staged a rally. period – thereby moving the narrative away December 1919 saw Rijeka’s citizens vote from the self-styled men of destiny who stood at for a compromise solution that would have D’Annunzio’s side and wrote memoirs about it secured Rijeka’s independence as a free city afterwards. and Presenting D’Annunzio’s legacy in a the departure of D’Annunzio and his followersmuseum will be one way of teasing out the true poet F. T. Marinetti and Fascist leader Benito at the same time. A shocked D’Annunzio nature of his short-lived regime, and discarding Mussolini beat a path to Rijeka in autumn 1919, annulled the vote, and organized an open-airthe myths. By Jonathan Bousfield eager to discover just how soon D’Annunzio ‘plebiscite’ of his own supporters to legitimize planned to export his uprising to Italy proper.the continuation of his rule. Both left disappointed: D’Annunzio was wary ofLocal Croats suffered constant intimidation. collaborating with people whose political ideas D’Annunzio’s followers proclaimed the death seemed even more marginal and preposterous penalty for anyone disloyal to the “cause of than his own. Fiume”, causing most prominent Croats to As we now know it was Mussolini, not leave. The offices of Croatian newspaper D’Annunzio, who took control of Italy three Primorske Novine were smashed up. Croatian years later. Indeed Mussolini ended up stealing society regrouped in the suburb of Sušak, just most of D’Annunzio’ ideas. The aesthetics south of the centre: the Riječina river became a of Italian Fascism were taken directly from new border, cutting the city in two. the poet’s short-lived regime in Rijeka. For D’Annunzio, the Croats were simply a D’Annunzio’s love of uniforms, parades, and culturally inferior people who lacked history, set-piece speeches proved that radical right- and therefore had no real right to rule over the wing politics worked far better as a spectacleeastern shores of the Adriatic. He also professed with audience participation than a string of the lazy anti-Semitism of the salon radical, manifestoes. calling the recently-formed League of Nations The idea that D’Annunzio’s Rijeka was a an institution created to “further the interests radical social experiment as well as a politicalof international banking Jews”. The idea that uprising played well in the popular imagina- Italian nationalism defined itself through tion. Futurist and war-veteran Mario Carli disdain for others was typically D’Annunzian, called D’Annunzio’s Rijeka a “work of art”, a livand typically Fascist. ing example of “futurist theatre”. The city had D’Annunzio’s rule over Rijeka collapsed a racy reputation; it offered free love, freedom towards the end of 1920, more as a result of from bourgeois constraints, and a (more legendinternal apathy than the Italian army’s halfary than real) supply of cheap cocaine. hearted attempt at a blockade. The Italian Judging by the memoirs of Giovanni navy bombarded the city during the so-called Comisso, a war veteran and writer who was Bloody Christmas of 1920, and D’Annunzio also bisexual, the city was full of intellectual agreed to leave peacefully two weeks later. encounters, outlandish personalities and Rijeka was designated a “free city” before being erotic possibilities. Together with Guido swallowed by Fascist Italy in 1924. D’Annunzio Keller, a dashing pilot who kept an eagle as ahimself retired to Lake Garda, half-hoping pet, Comisso established Yoga, an absurdist that the people of Italy would summon him to avant-garde movement that floated all kinds power of when the time was right. The invitation utopian ideas. never came. “Immorality both natural and unnatural However the D’Annunzio playbook never was rife” was how Rijeka resident and seems to go out of fashion. Marching into chronicler J. N. MacDonald described the disputed territory on the pretense of defending

Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

f Pejac

Spanish artist Pejac’s best-known works combine elements of surrealism and optical illusions. His site-specific outdoor pieces, often using silhouetted figures, interact beautifully with their surroundings. As seen in the photo above, 'Camouflage (Tribute to René Magritte)' depicts a boy with a slingshot aiming at a flock of birds, the birds cleverly constructed from broken panes of glass. 'Ashes To Ashes' lies on the walls of an old canal, the artist scratching off the surface of the crumbling wall to form the figure of a deer immersed in fire. Like the latter, 'Brain Drain' is also located near the clock on Tito square, a black and white acrylic work depicting a jellyfish with a human brain rising in water.

f Lonac

Street art

One of Croatia’s most famous street artists, Lonac’s contribution to Rijeka's streets is an eight-metre by four-metre portrait of his father entitled 'Nitpicking'. Working from a photograph of his father and armed with over a hundred spray paint cans, it is one of his most photorealistic works to date. In tribute to Rijeka's former shipbuilding industry, the mural depicts his father making a model sailboat.

Lonac 'Nitpicking' Ružićeva street, across from club Život

a Isaac Cordal

Street art is lurking in every corner in Rijeka. From elaborate murals to surreal sculptures, here are five street artists you should look out for in the city.

Pejac: 'Camouflage (Tribute to René Ma

Spanish street artist Isaac Cordal is best known for his deftly absurdist sculptures. His most recognised works are from the ongoing 'Cement Eclipses' series. The grey-suited melancholic figures are dotted around the city in strange postures, peeking out from holes in walls or perched precariously on ledges. His work is found in most major European cities - but these tiny figures are only 15 cm in size, so keep your eyes peeled if you want to catch them.

Hartera warehouse, off Ružićeva street

s Sebas Velasco

Sebas Velasco began his artistic career by graffing the walls of his hometown, before moving to Bilbao to study Fine Arts. He still uses walls as canvases for his gorgeous, bafflingly well-detailed portraits made with oils, acrylic and pencils alongside the spray can. His piece in Rijeka is in two parts: a local worker from the shipyard, taken from a photograph, with a nighttime scene of the city set above it.

Isaac Cordal miniature sculptures Throughout Rijeka city centre e.g. Konto, the clock on Tito square

Sebas Velasco murals Franjo Rački street, at the beginning of the stairs leading to Trsat

Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

A history of Rijeka in ten buildings

Hotel Neboder & HDK Sušak

Josip Pičman & Alfred Albini, 1937-1947 Throughout the inter-war years the centre of Rijeka was under Italian occupation, and most commercial activity moved to the nearby suburb of Sušak, which remained firmly within the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (subsequently Yugoslavia). Hotel Neboder, and the HDK cultura centre that stands at it base, were in many ways intended to demonstra that whatever the Italians could do, Croats could do better. The ensembl also aimed to fulfill the needs of a growing town by providing hotel, concert stage, library and cultural centre all in one place. When Josip Pičman’s original plan for a glass-clad tower was modified due to budge constraints, the architect committed suicide, believing (erroneously as it turned out) that he was no longer in charge. Pičman’s successor Albini narrowed the tower, giving it the iconic pencil-box appearance that characterizes it today.

Jonathan Bousfield journeys through the history of Rijeka in ten remarkable buildings.

ÆÆ ul. Strossmayerova 1, Sušak.

Sugar Refinery Building/ Palača Šećerane

Andrea Menini 1786 The administration of Rijeka’s sugar refinery was housed in this solid-looking building from 1786. The exterior is handsome enough but the real delights lie inside, where late-Baroque frescoes, stuccowork, ceramic ovens and chandeliers lend the place an aristocratic, palatial air. Currently being renovated, it is set to reopen as part of the City Museum in 2020. ÆÆ Krešimirova

Villa of Archduke Josef/ Vila nadvojvode Josipa

RIJEKA’S ARCHITECTURAL RICHES aren’t just limited to canonical sights such as the Clock Tower, Governor’s Palace or Trsat Castle. Examples of everything from medieval to post-modern can be found scattered around the centre. What follows is a list of just ten buildings that say something unique about the city – although there are plenty more out there, and we might easily have chosen an entirely different ten. Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

Originally built in 1710, this elegant residence was given a nifty facelift in the late nineteenth century, when the architects transformed a simple Neoclassical building into an all-thingsnice amalgam of every historical style they could think of. Statuettes lurk in niches, Art-Nouveau heads emerge above window frames, and there’s even a sphinx standing guard at ground level. It served as the residence of Archduke Josef Karl Ludwig (1833-1905), a grandson of Emperor Leopold III, and a renowned authority on the ethnography and language of Hungarian Roma.

Leaning Tower of Rijeka

Built in the fourteenth century, the belfry of Rijeka’s Church of the Assumption is a wonderful stump of medieval masonry. It’s called the leaning tower because a survey in 1920 found it to be 40cm out of whack from the perpendicular. The fact that it is in a relatively small square (and can often only be photographed by bending down a it or using a wide angle lens) ensures that most pictorial representations seem to show it almost toppling over.

ÆÆ Park Nikole Hosta

ÆÆ put Vele Crikve

Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

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Hotel Europa

Giuseppe Bruni, 1874 This handsome building overlooking the port was where the beaumonde used to stay during the city’s pre-World War I heyday. It’s no longer a hotel (it now serves as administrative HQ of the local county council), and the ground floor is no longer occupied by the cafes and patisseries that made this corner – then known as Dante Square – the social hub of the city. Wall plaques honouring Josip Gorup (the Slovene businessman who built it) and Mór Jókai (the Hungarian novelist who passed through several times) provide some evidence of the building’s cosmopolitan past.

Zamet Sports Centre

3LHD, 2009 As if to demonstrate that Rijeka’s modernist traditions aren’t just limited to the 193 the city engaged Zagreb avant-architectural bureau 3LHD to throw up this extravag contemporary sports complex in the hillside suburb of Zamet in 2009. It looks like a different building whichever way you look at it, with lego-like grey blocks rising gen out of a plaza at one end, and imposing geometric slabs looking like icebergs at the Stepped pedestrianized zones lead up and over the lower parts of the structure, cre plentiful ways of enjoying what is, in effect, part-building, part-landscape. ÆÆ Trg riječkih olimpijaca 1

ÆÆ Riva 10

Capuchin Church

Giovanni Maria Curet 1904-1929 The first thing you see when you get off the bus, this neo-gothic basilica makes an immediate impression with its double staircase, red-andwhite-striped brickwork, and cheeky pinnacles. It took a very long time to build due to funding problems – a tale indelibly associated with Slovene mystic Johanca, who was brought to Rijeka by the Capuchins because her reputation for going into a trance and weating blood would help to raise money. Johanca was found to be a fraud, and her name became a byword for fakery.

The Small Skyscraper (Mali Neboder)

ÆÆ Trg Žabica

Adria Palace

Francesco Matiassi 1897 The most imposing of the buildings along Rijeka’s Riva, the Adria Palace was built in 1897 for the Adria shipping company. It is nowadays the seat of Jadrolinija, Croatia’s national ferry operator. A thorough clean-up in 2007 removed a century’s worth of grime, leaving this grandiouse chunk of yellow-ochre to serve as an eloquent reminder of Rijeka’s erstwhile maritime might. You’ll have to crane your neck to get a good view of the allegorical sculptures leaning from its upper storeys. Facing the sea are captain, helmsman, engine room stoker and pilot; facing inland are female figures symbolizing Japan, Egypt, India and Europe.

Raoul Puhali 1939 So-called because it was a little bit smaller than the one on Jadranski trg, this attractively curvaceous building with protruding balconies is arguably the most beautiful modernist building in Rijeka. It’s one of those buildings that seems to change colour from mellow ochre to metallic grey depending on the light, like a warning beacon of the city’s changing moods. Occupying the ground floor of this predominantly residential building is the Mali Neboder secondhand bookshop, one of those cult locations that all bookish visitors gravitate towards sooner or later.

The Rijeka Skyscraper (Riječki Neboder) Umberto Nordi, 1939. Originally called the Arbori Palace after the main investor Marco de Arbori, this 12-storey building is the defining landmark of Rijeka’s Korzo, which runs eastward from the tower’s base. With a façade of ruddy bricks it looks a lot more homely than some of the more brutalist designs of the modernist period. Arbori was thought to be mafia leader Al Capone’s accountant, and the thought that Chicago mob money paid for this Rijeka landmark has long been a source of titillation to local historians.

ÆÆ Ciottina 20

ÆÆ Jadranski trg

Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Shopping Made in Rijeka & Style Stylish, fun and totally unique: we round up five Rijeka-made creations from local designers and artisans.

Hero4Heroes

Marijana Hero makes clothes for everyday heroes, women who are unafraid to express themselves in their choice of fashion. Her funky clothes feature bright, bold colours on handmade dresses, shoes, bomber jackets and bags. A former design student, Marijana's earliest inspiration came from her grandmothers, both of whom were seamstresses. As a child, she was always drawing dresses and began to make them for her dolls. You can still see this sense of playfulness and fun in Marijana's designs today.

Bruketa

Located in the city centre, Bruketa was the first privately owned art gallery in Yugoslavia, founded in 1974 by couple Vedrana and Vladimir Bruketa. An art teacher and nifty craftsman, he built his own kiln when it was difficult to buy ceramic tools. Vladimir’s ceramics were the first items to adorn the gallery’s walls. They were later joined by Vedrana's colourful jewellery. At the end of the '90s, daughters Morana and Vilena joined the family business. The family opened their second gallery in Rijeka. Named Bruketa 2, they show off local artists from Rijeka and international artists from all over the world. Since opening, Bruketa 2 has organized over 60 independent exhibitions.

GB Torpedo pen

GB Torpedo brings together the skills of artisans Tonči Grabušić and brothers Valter and Leonard Balen. The trio combined their experience in jewellery and design to produce beautiful pens which pay tribute to the torpedo, a Croatian invention first made in Rijeka. All three of their handmade models have been made using precision mechanics and goldsmith’s craftsmanship and look rather swanky indeed. The pen’s propellers are adorned with Swarovski stone and can be ordered in elaborate wooden boxes that come with a USB stick preloaded with a 30 minute documentary on the history of the torpedo in Rijeka.

Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

The best of Kvarn

Plavi Podrum most modern. Run by Daniella For gastronomic pleasure A short drive from Rijeka, Volosko is also a 15-minute seaside stroll from Opatija, past stunning sea views until you arrive at a tiny harbour where fishing boats bob in the chop of Kvarner Bay. Here the Plavi Plodrum is not only the oldest restaurant on the Opatija Riviera, but also one of the

Kramarić, an award-winning sommelier whose handiwork is a cellar holding about 300 types of wine, this stellar dining destination is known for its scampi buzara, its tri-coloured tagliolini with scampi, peaches and Istrian truffles, and its sea bass served with pumpkin-andcoriander purée.

Plavi Podrum

Rab

Dazzling day trips

While Rijeka has plenty to keep everyone entertained, the city is also a major transport hub, and the ideal starting point to discover the cultural attractions and outdoor activities on its doorstep.

IN MANY WAYS, wedged between Habsburg-style luxury. Just outside, History here is not only

mean that a zip over the water, the Italianate gastro enclave of in Volosko, notable restaurants Habsburg – the ancient walled however swift, would require an Istria, the northern seaboard make best use of the seafood from community of Kastav is where theovernight stay. of continental Croatia and the the deep Kvarner Bay alongside, and pre-Roman Illyrian tribes buried The nearest island of Krk, stunning natural wilderness of the fresh organic produce from the their dead, as illustrated by the however, is an easier proposition – Gorski kotar, the area around surrounding countryside. Beyond necropolis at the foot of this hilltop after all, this is where Rijeka airport Rijeka has everything the most stretches a string of beaches. settlement. is located. The most populous demanding of Eurotravellers Nature lovers can look out for Given Rijeka’s role as a major island in the Adriatic has a bit could wish for. lynx, eagles and bears around Ris-seaport, there are also daily year-of everything for everybody – Next door, the ornate spa hotelsnjak National Park while hikers, round catamarans heading to medieval rarities, a busy main and coffeehouses of Opatija climbers and paragliders can headthe islands of Cres, Rab and Mali town and a local white wine worth beckon those keen to experience for nearby Učka Nature Park. Lošinj, although afternoon sailingswriting home about, Žlahtina. Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

Lovran

Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Dazzling day trips For coffeehouse culture

For outdoor adventure

Opatija was built on elegance, royalty and the With eight recommended tracks for mountain upper crust staying in grand villas and takingbikers, 62 routes for climbers in the canyon of the air along the Lungomare in the late 1800sVela draga and peaks first climbed in 1722, the and early 1900s. This fin-de-siècle legacy Učka Nature Park has long been a scenic destiremains, Opatija’s distinctive Habsburg-era nation for active receation. Also encompassing look best reflected in the Viennese-style the Ćićarija mountain range, this expanse of coffeehouses where Mahler, Puccini and some 160 square kilometres straddles Istria, its Chekhov would spend the afternoon. long eastern fringe running parallel to the AdriPick of the bunch is, of course, the Wagner atic close to Opatija and Lovran. Paragliding at the Amadria Park Hotel Milenij, where you and hang-gliding are big attractions here, with can take coffee with a hand-crafted praline, national and international competitions held, an apéritif or an artisanal ice cream on the participants taking off from ramps at Vojak and expansive terrace overlooking the Adriatic. Brgud. Hiker and climbers will be following in There’s a quite wonderful range of cakes, too,the footsteps of the renowned Venetian botanist so a quick coffee becomes a whole afternoon’s Zanichelli, who made the first recorded ascent experience. of Mount Učka nearly 200 years ago. Local For something more contemporary yet hikers, Viennese tourists, even minor royalty, still elegant, then the Camellia has, like the popularised the Učka slopes, so much so that Amadria Park Grand Hotel 4 Opatijska a first guidebook to the sport was published in Cvijeta itself, been completely overhauled and 1913. Today, with an early start, it’s an easy day reopened as new in March 2019. trip from Rijeka, although you can also stay at a mountain lodge.

Crikvenica

Grand Hotel 4 Opatijska Cvijeta Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

In the other direction from Rijeka, Risnjak 2017-18 season, Platak even opened before the that follows the coast. Stretches of rocky beach National Park is also frequented by climbers, main one at Sljeme, outside Zagreb, used forare fronted by towering villas, some abandoned hikers and spelunkers. Here you’re in the heart the World Cup. Seven ski runs serve visitors, and of others converted into luxury hotels. of unspoiled Gorski kotar, whose wooded varying skill levels, with night-time skiing also Further along, the quieter, pebbly shores of Ičić slopes buffer up to the border with Slovenia, available. Non-skiers can hire sledges. and Lovran, attract holidaymakers, while nearby inviting somewhat ambitious comparisons to Medveja has its own attractive shingle beach. Switzerland. For a beach break The pebble beaches at Lovran get busy in It is, however, undeniably beautiful, and As a resort, Opatija was deliberately arranged summer, as with jumping bars after sunset. perfect hiking country. From the picturesque the gateway to several beaches along the 12-kilFurther round the Kvarner littoral, Crikvenivillage of Crni Lug, where you find the main ometre Lungomare, the shaded promenade ca offers plenty of beaches a short walk from the office and entrance to the park, a signposted educational trail runs through the forest for 4.5km. Those with strong calves and proper hiking boots can take a more challenging route up to Veliki Risnjak, the highest point in the park. Most reach the top in around three hours, perhaps resting at some point at Šloserov dom, named after the 19th-century botanist and explorer who first detailed much of the nature and landscape here. Back down below, the nearby village of Razloge is the main departure point to explore the source of the river Kupa, one of the largest and deepest springs in Croatia. Other natural attractions include Vražji prolaz, a canyon 800 metres long wedged between steep-sided rocks, lined with bridges and stairs for easy exploration. Close by, the dramatic waters of Zeleni vir once provided Gorski kotar with its power supply. For sailing and water sports, many flock to Ičići, halfway between Opatija and Lovran, with its marina and annual regatta. In winter, Platak, alongside Risnjak National Cres, Lubenice Park, becomes a major ski centre. For the

Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Dazzling day trips

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centre, fringed by family-friendly hotels. The nearby coastal villages of Jadranovo, Dramalj and Selce provide easy relaxation, the latter connected, as is the nearby island of Krk (and therefore Rijeka airport) by a speedboat service in summer. Among the number of Blue Flag beaches in and around Crikvenica, Dramalj’s caters to naturist visitors. Alternatively, a lovely stroll awaits along the eight-kilometre promenade that stretches from Cape Kacjak in Dramalj to the Bay of Slano in Selce, past sandy beaches, natural pebble coves and lush Mediterranean vegetation. Further down, Novi Vinodolski is a modern coastal resort with its own riviera and string of beaches.

For rare wildlife

As its Croatian name suggests, the Risnjak National Park is home to the Eurasian lynx – or, rather, home once more to the Eurasian lynx. Hunted to extinction here when these picturesque wooded slopes became a popular destination for Habsburg holidaymakers in the 1800s, the lynx has enjoyed a modern-day revival thanks to its successful reintroduction just over the border in Slovenia. Given its solitary existence on the highest slopes, only the most fortunate and dedicated of visitors will catch a glimpse of this predatory creature – though there’s every chance of seeing a wild boar, an eagle owl, possibly even a chamois. Brown bears, wolves and wild cats are also known to appear from time to time. In Mount Učka Nature Park, the mountain lodge of Poklon has an information office, with hiking maps readily available. These rugged slopes are home to roe deer and wild boar, with brown bears a welcome recent visitor. Some 18 types of bat call Učka home, including the Alpine long-eared variety otherwise found in Austria and Switzerland.

Vojak kula

EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE

For a spa afternoon

With a jaw-dropping panoramic view from a wall of windows, the Spa Centre at the Hotel Adriatic stands out even in the luxury hub of Opatija. Alongside, the Beauty Centre offers all kinds of stress-relief and relaxation massages, as well as hydration facials and antiageing treatments. Alternatively, the Kvarner, today under Remisens Premium, practically invented the concept of spa tourism. Opatija’s first hotel when it opened in 1884, the Kvarner allowed this elegant destination to assume the title of Royal Health Resort five years later. Its spa zone now has two Finnish saunas, a Turkish bath, a jacuzzi just for two, and a beauty and Roe deer at Učka massage centre. In the same group, the Hotel Ambasador contains the Five Elements Wellness & Spa, For a wine tour and restaurants purely because of Žlahtina, whose philosophy is guided by ancient Žlahtina is the signature white wine from Krkthe straw-coloured dry white cultivated here Chinese medicine, thus providing a holistic island, and the place to sample it is around its and here only. Two destinations stand out in approach to health. The hotel itself has just terroir of Vrbnik. A medieval tangle of a townparticular: the panoramic Nada, also a winery, been overhauled and reopens in June 2019 set atop a limestone outcrop dramatically and Gospoja, run by the local Toljanić family, a having merged properties with the Villa surrounded by the Adriatic way below, Vrbniktavern and wine-tasting outlet on the prominent Ambasador. attracts many visitors to its scattering of wineries square of Škujica. Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Port of diversit

Port of diversity To present Rijeka’s current role as a European cultural ambassador, Peterjon Cresswell explores the city’s maritime heritage.

IT WAS BACK IN that 2013 the City of Rijeka embarked on the project that would see it named European Capital of Culture for 2020. The project quickly assumed the title that currently serves as the motto for a whole year of cultural initiatives around the city and beyond: Port of Diversity. In its proposal, the strategic planning group made specific reference to the Rijeka of a century ago, when the then named Fiume was a bustling port and a vital resource for the AustroHungarian Empire. To underline this, the document describes Rijeka as ‘the gateway for hundreds of thousands of emigrés from Europe to North and South America’. This was given added dimension in 1903, when the Cunard sailing line, whose top-ofthe-range superliners were sponsored by the British government of the day, introduced a direct Rijeka-New York route. Calling at ports in Italy and Gibraltar, the service would be carrying 50,000 people a year to the New World by 1906 – the equivalent of Rijeka’s expanding population of the time. Two years later, the route was renamed the ‘Hungary-America line’, served by a fleet of 11 ships, voyagers arriving directly from Budapest, using a direct train connection that exists to Germanic languages interspersed by the occaParliament in Budapest and, perhaps most this day. A three-floor hotel, the ‘Emigranti’ was sional burst of English – it was here that Boltonimportantly, mayor of Rijeka for more than two built to cater to those in need of rest before the born engineer Robert Whitehead, the son of aformative decades in the late 1800s. De Ciotta, long journey – or, perhaps, after it. Lancashire cotton bleacher, made his name by whose mercantile, multi-lingual father Andrija The traffic was not entirely one way. Anyone inventing the torpedo. He was paid in HungarLjudevit Adamić built some of the factories visiting Rijeka in the early 1900s would have ian forints for his trouble. currently being reconfigured for European found a complete mix of nationaliHis fellow creator was Rijeka- Capital of Culture Year 2020, was largely ties, with Italians in the majority – it born Giovanni Luppis, whose responsible for the urbanisation of modern-day was here that later legendary New 'Anyone roots reflect the very diversity of Rijeka. visiting Rijeka York mayor Fiorello La Guardia his home town. Known to Croats De Ciotta worked with another Englishman, served in public office at the start in the early as Ivan Vukić, he could trace his John Leard, then the British consul in Rijeka, of his career. Croats, Slovenes, 1900s wouldfamily origins to Poreč, Vis and to create the blueprint for an industrialised city Germans and Hungarians also with plenty of noble of Central Europe, similar to how Budapest had have found Dubrovnik, lived here in large numbers. The Italian blood mixed in. developed 20 years earlier. The aqueduct that conversations overheard along the a complete Similarly, the man who provided the burgeoning city with fresh water mix of waterfront and the main street, introduced the two men to each and dealt with its sewage took Ciotta’s name. the Korzo, meant that Rijeka was other in 1864, Giovanni de Ciotta, Leard, meanwhile, took up residence in the nationalities' a real Tower of Babel, the smatterwas at one time a soldier in the villa later named after Archduke Josef Karl of ings of Italian, Slavic, Magyar and Austrian Army, a Member of Austria. This Baroque pile, in Nikola Host Park, Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

beside what is today Muzejski trg and site of the Rijeka City Museum, tells its own story. In the 1890s, as Rijeka was developing according to Ciotta and Leard’s plans, the Habsburg royal had the whole property revamped and expanded. To do this, he commissioned local architects, the father-and-son team of Pietro and Raffaello Culotti, to create new wings and loggias. Pietro Culotti, also responsible for Rijeka’s market hall, would pass away before the new building was unveiled, but Raffaello saw the project through to completion. It was here that Archduke Josef Karl would host extravagant social gatherings, inviting prominent politicians, entrepreneurs, engineers and ship owners whose place of business was Rijeka. Their peers, meanwhile, would be convening in the hallowed institutions of Vienna and Budapest. The archduke himself passed away in 1905, a significant date as this was also when the so-called Fiume Resolution was published here in Rijeka. This was the first call for a united land of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia. It failed but it helped spread the notion that would lead to an independent Croatia nearly 90 years later. The archduke’s villa would pass into the ownership of the City of Rijeka and today it houses the state archives, a vast collection of historic documentation, the earliest dating back to 1201. The concept of Rijeka as a port of diversity is amply illustrated here – and also in the long list of luminaries who would emerge from this cultural melting pot during the Habsburg, Italian,

Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Port of diversity

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Yugoslav and independent Croatian eras. Theas a port, Rijeka has a tradition of tolerance. Michal Koleček, the project also involves the country’s current (and youngest) president Even today, long after Hungarian and Italian collaboration of prominent bodies such as Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, was not only born rule, their influences can be felt around the city. Rijeka’s Maritime & History Museum and Natuhere but returned to Rijeka from North America Certainly, in terms of architectural grandeur and ral History Museum, stately institutions ranged to embark on her political career. The long-term coffee culture, you still find echoes of Habsburg around the Archduke’s Villa where Habsburg leader of post-war Communist Hungary, János Europe and an Italianate lifestyle. A slow stroll monarch Josef Karl would once gather the leadKádár, was a Rijeka man, as was his significant down Rijeka’s Korzo reveals palatial façades and ing lights of the day. dissident opponent Miklós Vásárhelyi. Giovan-terrace cafés, tucked in from the deep-water port Today Rijeka is the gateway to the Adriatic, ni Palatucci, the so-called ‘Italian Schindler’, is that attracted so many ambitious cosmopolitans the sleek, white Jadrolinija ships not bound for thought to have saved thousands of Jews from to the city from the 1860s onwards. Ellis Island but rather the booming tourist mecthe death camps while serving as Chief of Police Of all the many initiatives set up as part of cas of Dalmatia. The city where a unified Croatia in Rijeka during World War II. Rijeka-born ClauRijeka 2020, perhaps the one that most mirrors was first declared is a national transport hub, dia Scrobogna took the stage name of Orettaits overriding motto of Port of Diversity is Lunconnecting Zagreb, Istria and the picturesque Fiume from her home town to become a star gomare. at Essentially a meeting point for contemislands dotting the Kvarner Bay. But it remains Rome’s Cinecittà, the Italian Hollywood, either porary artists to reinterpret Rijeka’s historicalopen to international influence, its annual side of the war, bowing out with a part in La and social heritage, Lungomare also brings incarnival attracting tens of thousands of foreign Dolce Vita. Award-winning Austro-Hungarian urban, maritime and industrial communities visitors, its renowned Museum of Modern & playwright Ödön von Horváth, early X-ray pioalong the surrounding Bay of Kvarner – alongContemporary Art a showcase for subjects as neer Peter Salcher, renowned composer Ivan with the 2013 ECC proposal, the City set out diverse a as industrial art, classic rock album covZajc, prodigious Hungarian mathematician long-term plan to develop Primorje-Gorski Kotar ers and award-winning Czech experimental art Paul Felix Nemenyi, within 50 years or so Rijeka County along with Rijeka, during the seven years over a period of several weeks in 2018. produced a whole range of pioneering personrunning up to 2020. Thus the hilltop village of Like Trieste, Genoa, Marseille and Naples, the alities from diverse ethnic backgrounds who Bršec, the gastronomic hub of Volosko, the island other main ports of the Mediterranean during would make their mark in the fields of science, of Mali Lošinj, the classic resort of Crikvenicathe andboom years of the late 1800s, Rijeka is politics and the arts. Rijeka fish market will all host art installationshaving to reinvent itself from its industrial and Equally, as also stressed in the proposal that and inspire short stories, while forming part of occasionally a troubled past. And, as its former would allow the city to come full circle and year-round cultural tourist route. maritime rivals are also discovering, art and become European Capital of Culture for 2020, Curated by Czech academician and art critic diversity are the cornerstones in this process.

Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

All figured o Rijeka flies the rainbow flag for queer culture and feminism every spring. Marc Rowlands meets the organiser of Smoqua.

DESPITE AN INFAMOUS 2013 referendum

which defined marriage as a union between 'man and a woman', the rights of gay people in Croatia have been on the up since the country joined the European Union in the same year. Not exactly known for its liberal credentials, it has helped Croatia’s gay communities and the country’s image as a whole. Rijeka has always been a bit different. Progressive, liberal-minded, its politics are shaped by its seaport location which has welcomed different cultures for centuries. So it might come as a surprise to many to learn that unlike fellow Croatian cities Zagreb, Split and Osijek, the city of Rijeka has no gay Pride march. ‘'In Rijeka the climate is tolerant,' says Antonija Stojanović, Rijeka resident and a member of the city's LORI organisation, 'Maybe there was a need for Pride in Rijeka 15 or 20 years ago, but now we are already ready for the next step. So, we decided instead to found a festival of queer and feminist culture.' In place of a Pride march, Rijeka has Smoqua. Meaning ‘fig’ in Croatian, Smoqua is the biggest, buzziest event in the city's LGBTQ+ calendar. An official expression of diversity in Croatia, like the The event is gearing itself for international recog‘People from Rijeka, in general, are just not used city itself, it’s proudly different from its peers.nition. All of their programmes are in English to and oppressing minorities,’ says Stojanović. They Whereas other cities hold noisy Pride marches Croatian, as are the subtitles for the world cinema like to do things differently in Rijeka. And Smoqua through their streets, with attendees sometimes screenings. The globe-spanning 2019 event boasts may be the perfect reflection of that. facing lines of protesting opposition, Smoqua's participants and volunteers from Bulgaria, Greece, ÆÆ Smoqua is held from May 23-25. (lori.hr/en/queer-cultu tour of Rijeka's streets is more of a relaxed stroll, Spain, France, echoing the diversity of its host city. where marchers receive only smiles and well- A cavalcade of colour and rainbow flags, Pride is wishing waves as they pass through the city. often the most visible expression of the gay com'For the first few years we didn't even discuss munity, but that simply isn't the case in Rijeka. having a Pride march, because all our efforts The city's community are not as hidden as they are were channelled towards establishing and helpin other parts of Croatia and freedom isn’t restricting Zagreb Pride and many different projects ed by to just one day a year. The rainbow flag flies LGBT activists all over Croatia,' admits Stojanović, above the City Hall on International Day Against whose NGO ‘LORI’ was founded in 2000 as the Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (May 17 first lesbian organisation in Croatia, later broadin 2019) - Rijeka is the only city in Croatia to offiening its reach to incorporate the entire LGBT+ cially recognise the date in such a way. This is all spectrum. 'Rijeka has not suffered the kind oftestament to LORI and city mayor Vojko Obersnel oppression that other places in Croatia have.who Pridegladly accepted the proposal. For last year's usually comes as a result of oppression, but we Smoqua, LORI also managed to get several raindidn't feel that kind of thing here. So, we thought bow flags flown down the length of Korzo, Rijeka's to do something else.' main pedestrianised thoroughfare. As with LORI's own broadening of remit, it’s It is to the credit of Rijeka that its gay population typical of independently-minded Rijeka that its haven’t suffered the hateful homophobia visible standout LGBTQ+ event includes feminism. 'It's elsewhere. In 2012, a spontaneous walk through all part of the same struggle' is how Stojanović the city in support of Split Pride attracted hundreds sees it. Smoqua will be its third occurrence, and of Rijeka locals, most from outside the LGBT+ features workshops, panel discussions, moviecommunity. In 2013, a march in Rijeka against the screenings, art and performance, with its nowdefinition of marriage referendum attracted more famous afterparty taking place at the iconic people to the city’s streets than the official visit by Crkva nightclub. Croatia’s popular first prime minister.

Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

seem indistinguishable from Croatian food, who incorporate the sounds of North Africa, coup for 2019 is securing an appearance from but under the spotlight of Porto Etno, the Lebanon, Egypt and Turkey into their techno one of the Balkan region's most intriguing and differences are plainly there to see (and taste). electronica and the psychedelic ethno-soundsadventurous musicians, Rambo Amadeus. The event also champions lesser-known of longstanding Istanbul group BaBa ZuLa. At times outspoken, always individual, this cuisines from the Czech Republic and southerlyAlso appearing on Porto Etno's musical Montenegrin bandleader, composer, singer countries Macedonia and Albania. Often existmenu are two names of huge international and and guitarist pioneered the use of samples in ing on the fringes of European society, the Roma regional significance. Award-winning Franco- Yugoslavian-era music, invited comparisons to people have lived in and around Rijeka for cenMoroccan singer Hindi Zahra sings in English Frank Zappa and as of late, has taken on the lead turies and are well-integrated into Rijeka’s comand Berber. She is also an accomplished actress of a talented group of younger musicians with a munity. Indeed, local resident Archduke Joseph and her songs have been played tens of millions funky jazz-rock sound. Karl of Austria was one of the leading philologists of times on Youtube. Porto Etno's other major Porto Etno takes place from September 6-9 201 of the Romani language in the late 1800s, tracing the language to its Sanskrit and Hindustani Persian roots. Roma cuisine, like their vocabulary, has flourishes from the regions in which they dwell, but their recipes are fascinatingly different, passed down through generations. Food isn’t necessarily centre-stage. People turned up in their droves at the last event, luxuriating in the warm late-summer evenings. The costumed Zvončari, centuries-old groups of bellringers, appeared on stage, as did the distinctive blare of trubači, a Romani brass orchestra. The sounds of trubači return once again for the 2019 instalment of Porto Etno, with the award-winning Boban Marković Orchestra visiting from southern Serbia. A high-profile ensemble on the international stage, their extensive lineup of brass players and percussionists has been heard at festivals all over Europe and was prominently featured in Emir Kusturica’s standout film 'Underground'. In Porto Etno's most adventurous lineup to date, they will be joined by the unique, extraordinary sounds of Czech avant-garde violinist and singer Iva Bittová, Parisian duo Acid Arab,

All on a plate Porto Etno celebrates the diversity of Rijeka through food and music, as Marc Rowlands finds out. THE CULTURAL PROGRAMME for Rijeka

different cultures. So welcoming, in fact, thatinfluenced by Italy, whose gastronomical 2020 European Capital Of Culture gained huge many decided to stay. They have all contributed delights were also on show. Venetian, Napolemomentum last year with thousands of resi- to Rijeka's cultural expression, not least in itsonic, Habsburg, Austro-Hungarian; all have dents and international visitors drawn to its cuisine and music. This is cause for celebration had a significant hand in shaping the food on superbly varied programme of music, visual art, at Porto Etno. your table. János Kádár, who led Communistperformance and food events. They generated At Porto Etno 2018, huge swathes of visitors era Hungary from 1956 until his retirement in huge amounts of buzz in Rijeka and nowhere descended on the Ex Port Delta venue for the1988, and his opponent Miklós Vásárhelyi, are was this truer than the success of Porto Etno.two-day event, snaking around the lanes of both from Rijeka. So it was no surprise to see the An international food festival that explores food stalls and sampling food from a staggering country’s paprika-rich foods at Porto Etno. cultures through music and hot dishes, Porto number of countries and ethnic groups. Balkan neighbours Serbia, Bosnia and Etno particularly celebrates ethnic minorities Croatian cuisine was present, of course, Slovenia also had a place at the table, thanks living in Rijeka and the surrounding region. An including dishes from the nearby Istrian to the presence of their communities within ancient port city, Rijeka is used to welcomingpeninsula. Like Rijeka, the region is heavily Rijeka. To outsiders, their dishes might Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Building storie

Building stories Things are starting to look a bit different in Rijeka. Justin McDonnell and Marc Rowlands explore what's next for Rijeka European Capital of Culture 2020.

Benčić complex

H-object complex Benčić

A PARADE OF RAIN-SMEARED buildings with splashes of Habsburgian glamour, Rijeka isn't your typical seaside town. It remains one of the Adriatic’s main transport hubs, it’s central port providing Croatia with a window to the world. ‘Port of diversity’ is the guiding theme of its stint as the European Capital of Culture, showing off the city’s multiculturalism and its maritime history. Fresh projects are renewing the city, turning its derelict docks into leisure venues and sprucing up its neglected seafront. Here are four major developments set to make the city an even more vibrant and exciting place in the next few years.

Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

The most anticipated development of the last few years was the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMSU) in the Benčić Complex, an attractive, dishevelled batch of crumbling factories near Rijeka's seafront. Flooded with natural light, the MMSU has nestled comfortably into its new home, embracing the greypillared, bare-concrete aesthetic without piling on the industrial tropes. Last year, the project scored two major awards from the Association of Croatian Architects and the Croatian Chamber of Architecture. JM

Even bigger things are expected for Benčić. A cluster of brownstone buildings that began life as a sugar refinery, the complex grew to accommodate a tobacco factory and was repurposed as a manufacturing plant for motor parts after WWII. It’s newest reincarnation sees the buildings divided into three main parts – H-Object (MMSU), T-Object, the new city library, and the administrative building of the Sugar Factory, an extraordinary eighteenth-century building with faded oil frescoes and swirling stucco that will house the permanent collection of the Rijeka City Museum.JM

Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Building stories The Galeb

The recent hoo-ha generated by the Galeb project – the redevelopment of former Yugoslav ruler Tito's boat into a floating museum – left some uncomfortable about the treatment of Tito as a tourist attraction, resulting in scepticism about the project's eventual completion. If it all goes ahead, the museum intends to preserve the original features of Tito’s living quarters. On the lower deck, a hostel with bulls-eye windows will host seafaring guests, with a restaurant and bar on the second level. There's also talk of an outdoor cinema and everything from a barber shop to an ice-cream parlour. Whatever happens, there are few places in Croatia where the idea would even be considered, Rijeka better suited than most to unpack the complicated legacy of the socialist dictator. JM

Green Wave

'Manchester's got everything except a beach' said Ian Brown, singer of the city's popular band The Stone Roses. Rijeka doesn't suffer from this deficiency, with brilliant beaches a bus ride from the city centre. But, it could be said that Rijeka's got everything except a park. As the city developed over the years, its residential districts thronged with new workers attracted by its thriving maritime industries, and the plotting of green space was not a priority. There are a few parks: Pančićev, Heroja, the tiny Nikole Hosta and Vladimira Nazora, but Rijeka has been crying out for more green spaces. (it’s telling that the cemetery, Kozala is one of the most favoured boltholes for those seeking fresh air) The aim of Green Wave is to address this lack of greenery using the city itself. Urban squares and streets will get new trees and plants, with residents and businesses encouraged to use their windows and balconies to grow flowers and edible herbs. These small steps should help to green the city, improve the microclimate, encourage visits from friendly insects and raise awareness about ecological issues.MR Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Drama queens, artistic wierdos, neighbours, pets, party monsters, science nerds, treasure hunters, culture pirates, adventurers, hipsters, workers, brokers, couchsurfers, rebels, art freaks, bloggers, strangers, sailors, friends, parents, soul-searchers, Klingons, bureaucrats, babies, ecologists, poets, mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios, athletes, pensioners, superheroes, heritage defenders, phantoms of the opera, galactic hitchhikers, flat earthers, undiscovered talents, E.T., bookworms, volunteers, fashion victims, wannabes, journalists, conservatives, politicians, immigrants... All are welcome in the Croatian Port of Diversity!

Good neighbours 27 Kvarner communities are being partnered with different neighbourhoods in Europe. Peterjon Creswell looks at five neighbourhoods in Kvarner to see what makes them so unique.

WHEN RIJEKA SUBMITTED its ultimately successful proposal to become European Capital of Culture in 2020, part of the strategy at the same time was to develop certain communities in surrounding Primorje-Gorski Kotar County in the years leading up to the event itself. Specific 2020 projects have since been designed with the region in mind. One such is 27 Neighbourhoods. The number chosen to correlate with the members of the EU, this long-term initiative has been put in motion to establish international partnerships and exchange programmes between 27 communities around Rijeka – villages, islands, resorts – and the nations of the European Union. The overriding principle is one on which most communities are based: the social and cultural interaction between neighbours. Here we pick five of the 27 chosen Croatian neighbourhoods and find out what makes each one special.

Kastav

In the initial presentation for the 27 Neighbourhoods project, festivals figure prominently. And few of the selected Kvarner communities are more suited to staging festivals than Kastav. Almost equidistant between Rijeka and Opatija, this historic walled settlement is surrounded by smaller communities whose residents not only preserved their cultural heritage but were instrumental in reviving the Rijeka Carnival. The most notably example is the masked bellringers from Halubje, the Halubajski Zvončari. In fact, until 1997, Kastav was officially a district of Rijeka until it gained its own city status. This in turn has encouraged the municipality to showcase the town’s rediscovered identity with arts festivals – Kastav Cultural Summer is one of the most significant in the region. The town’s many ateliers, galleries and exhibition spaces figure prominently. Other times of the year see smaller events focusing on blues music, guitarists and the new wine vintage.

Lovran Crikvenica

The resort town of Crikvenica is where Habsburg Archduke Josef would spend his holidays, taking the air before returning for another tour of duty with the dragoons. Similar to pioneering Opatija, in the late 1800s, Crikvenica developed a highend infrastructure for health tourism. Starting with a bathing beach in 1888 then a hydrotherapy hotel in 1895, for the period of some 25 years before World War I, this smart seaside retreat facing the north-east coast of Krk island attracted the cream of fin-de-siècle society. But then the world discovered the islands off the Kvarner littoral, Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson went skinny dipping on Rab, and Crikvenica failed to hold on to the grandeur that Opatija always exuded. Today, though, Crikvenica is a happy medium between family-friendly resort and activesports destination, with surfing, paragliding, sailing and diving all offered in high season, and plenty of beaches to choose from.

Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

Sheltering at the foot of Mount Učka, Lovran offers both a lesson in European history and a picturesque retreat with stunning sea views. These obviously attracted notable Roman general Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, conqueror of Marc Anthony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium in 31BC. It was here that this close friend of the Emperor Augustus built his summer retreat and retirement home, the remains of which the great Arab cartographer Muhammed Al-Idrisi may have admired when passing through ‘large and progressive’ Lovran in the 1100s. The shipbuilding he also describes ensured that Lovran was an attractive proposition for the counts of Istria and subsequent Habsburg rulers here – the magnificent Gothic frescoes in St George’s Church and Baroque chapels reflect this golden age. Somewhat overshadowed by nearby Opatija when tourism replaced industry in the late 1800s, Lovran is today a manageable town of some 4,000, whose historic attractions, fin-desiècle villas and Lungomare promenade make for a very pleasant stay indeed.

Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Good neighbours

Mrkopalj

When it came to select the host for one of the opening get-togethers for the 27 Neighbourhoods project, an obvious choice would have been one of the grand Habsburg hotels in Opatija, or a destination restaurant in historic Lovran. Instead, ‘Pleased to Meet You’ in November 2017 took place in little Mrkopalj, a small town of some 1,200 souls that many Croatians couldn’t find on the map. Holding the presentation and banquet at the Mrkopalj Centre for Culture set the tone for the years to come. This mountainous community in the highlands of Gorski Kotar cannot claim to have attracted Habsburgs to carouse here in the late 1800s – it doesn’t even have a hotel to speak of. But Mrkopalj is precisely the kind of town that would benefit most from a cultural exchange with Cyprus, Portugal or Luxembourg, putting Mrkopalj back on the map some 500 years after the noble Frankopans assigned it away with the stroke of a quill. Those visiting can look forward to bracing hikes, hearty game stew with polenta and rare wildlife such as brown bears, chamois and eagles.

Vrbnik

Several island locations feature among the 27 Neighbourhoods, each having developed in their own unique way. Here, customs are preserved and change is slow. None, perhaps, is more unique than Vrbnik, a medieval outcrop on the eastern coast of Krk island. Many coming to Rijeka at some point during European Capital of Culture Year will be flying into its airport on Krk island. Linked by a dramatic high-altitude bridge, you can catch glimpses of the many cultures that reigned in the region – Rome, Venice, Hapsburg, Italian and Croatian - on just this one small island. Explore Vrbnik and you’ll find rare Glagolitic manuscripts kept in the Parish Church, living examples of a dead Slavic language invented by the monks whose disciples created Cyrillic. Vrbnik is most known for Žlahtina, the strawcoloured dry white cultivated here and here only. Though stocked at every local restaurant, it’s probably best enjoyed at Nada, whose spectacular panoramic setting creates the perfect backdrop for the divine lamb and fresh mussels on offer.

Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

Kvarner for everyone

Advertorial

Religion Beyond its beaches and urban buzz, Kvarner is a surprisingly diverse The Kvarner capital of Rijeka, is famously one destination which offers all sorts of niches in modern tourism.

of the most diverse cities of the Balkans, its port has welcomed visitors and migrants for centuries. There are several minority groups dwelling in the city. They have all added to the exciting cultural mix of Rijeka, influencing all aspects of daily life, from its cuisine to its music. It’s no surprise, then, to learn that Kvarner is a region with many different faith groups. Jewish, Mormon and Muslim communities live here, as do the Bahá'í Faith, the Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Serbian Orthodox church and several denominations of the Protestant church, living happily alongside Catholic communities who make up majority of Kvarner's population and Croatia as a whole. Many of these groups have places of worship worth visiting regardless of your beliefs. The architectural brilliance of Rijeka's mosque comes to mind. Outside of the capital, there are monasteries on Krk, Lošinj , Rab and Cres islands, and candlelit tranquility offered in any number of Kvarner's churches. Kvarner is also a popular place of pilgrimage. The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Trsat in Rijeka has been a pilgrimage destination since 1291 and was visited by Pope John Paul in 2003. A bronze statue called ‘A Pilgrim to Trsat’ was placed near the site to celebrate his visit.

Kvarner holidays and healthcare Rest and relaxation.

Business

It’s easy to fall in love with the Croatian coast. Many return home fantasising about a life on the Mediterranean. Little do they know that much of coast falls into sleepy hibernation outside of the main tourist season, the streets growing drowsier until things open again in summer. Kvarner is unique on the Adriatic coast as a region where this virtually never happens. A community of businesses and individuals stay busy with a year-round calendar of events and networking opportunities. It’s no surprise, really. Kvarner has throughout history been at the forefront of tourism in Croatia. Its capital Rijeka was the first to be connected by an international train route to the heart of Europe, with royalty, artists and dignitaries meeting here to combine business with sun-soaked pleasure. The region's transportation links today continue to be among the best in the country. Rijeka boasts its own airport and happens to be the nearest coastal city to the international transportation hub of Zagreb’s Franjo Tuđman airport. The stately Austro-Hungarian resort of Opatija was once connected to Rijeka's international railway by tram, such was its popularity as a destination for Europe's elites. Over a hundred years later, the town is still the region's hub for business tourism. Together with nearby Rijeka, Opatija offers over 15,000 seats in over 130 halls, all equipped with state-of-the-art technology for business conferences. Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Amadria Park Opatija Everything you need for a unforgettable stay

Almost 150 years since it was fi rst established as Croatia’s premium tourist town, OpatijaCroatia, off ering faultless menus of freshly caught seafood and the fi nest regional meats. today still exudes the elegance and splendour of the times when Europe’s royalty and

For desert, the hotel also off ers the handcrafted work of our chocolatiers at Milenij Choco.

fi nest artists rubbed shoulders on its promenades and terraces. Its neighbour, Restaurant Sveti Jakov off ers the same high standard produce, but prepared Signifi cant stakeholders in the tourism of seaside Šibenik and capital city Zagreb, Amadria in a less formal manner; the classic Mediterranean cookbook, enjoyed with a backdrop of Opatija’s most beautiful park. Our Osteria da Ugo restaurant also provides casual dining Park has some of Opatija’s fi nest hotels, restaurants, spas and villas. In Opatija we maintain the town’s time-honoured and top rate traditions in the service industry, providing highly using the fi nest sourced ingredients, its menu striving to use ingredients supplied by local, trained, experienced personnel and the very best facilities to ensure a unforgettable stayindependent producers. in which you’ll feel pampered like royalty. Opatija’s original appeal to European high society was its welcoming, year-round weather Opatija and its close neighbour Rijeka are unique on the Croatian coast; only hereand can the health benefi ts its climate and natural resources provided. Amadria Park again you see the opulent architecture of the Austro-Hungarian empire resplendent against the upholds these traditions, off ering two of the town’s fi nest wellness centres. The luxurious glistening Adriatic. Amadria Park’s presence here has only bolstered this reputation We

Hotel Milenij Spa is a place to be pampered and become relaxed to your core. There, guests

are proud to hold some of Opatija’s most exquisitely designed hotels, placed in the most can enjoy the latest beauty treatments, advanced skincare and contouring, Finnish sauna, picturesque locations at the heart of the town.

Turkish bath, salt bath treatments, heated relaxarium beds, pools and Jacuzzi.

Our Wellness Oasis (located at Grand hotel 4 opatijska cvijeta) is a facility for rejuvenaWithin our hotels lie some of Opatija’s most popular restaurants and cafés, famous for their beautiful seaside terraces and breathtaking sea views. The terrace of our Hotel Milenij’s istion, its wellness treatments occurring to a backdrop scent of fl owers and the ocean. Its regarded as the best in the town to enjoy a lavish breakfast, morning coff ee or afternoonoff ers include both indoor and outdoor pool areas, therapeutic pool and whirlpool, sauna, tea with homemade cakes. At dusk, it frequently buzzes with social gatherings and live

hammam ritual and Turkish bath with fi tness regimes, yoga room, solarium and private

music. Hotel Milenij’s Restaurant Argonauti is a fi ne dining experience famed throughout trainers also available.

PHONE:+385 51 278 007 | INFO @AMADRIAPARK.COM

WWW.AMADRIAPARK.COM

Advertorial

The history of healthcare in Kvarner A playground for the holidaying Austro-Hungarian elite, Kvaner was attracting a wellness crowd back in the eighteen-hundreds.

‘OH TO BE IN THE MIRACLE-WORKING sea breezes were central to the very idea of Railway company, started buying up land here southern sun, which is capable of healing travel. Europe’s first resorts – whether the spa in 1882. Opatija had the advantage of being every ache of body and soul’. So wrote towns of Central Europe or the society hangouts right next to the new railway line, making it Austrian traveller Marianne Trebitsch-Stein of the French Riviera – all offered a vacation that the perfect candidate to become the Habsburg in Viennese newspaper Neue Freie Presse in could also be considered a cure. Empire’s answer to the Cote d’Azur. 1910. Such words might fall easily from the After a relatively late start in the early Local doctors had been talking up the health pages of newspapers today; however they 1880s, Croatia’s Kvarner Gulf became centralbenefits of Opatija for quite some time. Blessed carried a bit more weight in the years before to Europe’s idea of a healthy break. It was the with a unique microclimate that guaranteed World War I, when a holiday could quite nearest bit of the Mediterranean to Vienna and mild winters, it was ideally therapeutic on a literally be a life-saver rather than a simple Budapest, the big cities of the Habsburg Empire, number of levels, especially for chest infecmatter of hedonistic fun. especially after Rijeka’s connection to the tions, heart complaints and rheumatic pains. Health tourism is nowadays seen as railway network in 1873. The air was humid, the sea water had a high something of a niche, an extra business Opatija, on the northern rim of the Kvarnersaline content, and thick forests of chestnut opportunity for a destination eager to offer Gulf, just north of Rijeka, was where Adriatic and laurel protected the village from the worst a bit more than just beaches and bars. For tourism first took off. Despite its growing winter gales. nineteenth-century travellers, however, health popularity as an aristocratic retreat, it was Pioneering Austrian surgeon Theodor Billroth tourism was the whole point of the holiday. not much more than a fishing village when regarded Opatija as perfect for post-operative Fresh air, stress reduction, sunshine and saltyFriedrich Schüler, director of the Southern convalescence. He persuaded balneology Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

came to regard the Adriatic as an important health resource for their urban population. Baroness Adolfina Hasslinger came to Veli Lošinj to establish the Maria-Amalia home for Viennese girls with scrofula, while renowned spa-doctor Josef Simonitsch also opened a sanatorium in Veli Lošinj which specialized in seawater baths for children. Both Opatija and Lošinj initially flourished as winter resorts and baths were taken indoors. However the idea of bathing in the sea itself mushroomed in popularity in the decade before World War I, and the character of the resorts began to change. By the 1920s, sunbathing and skimpy costumes became de rigeur, newspapers filled up with adverts for suntan cream, and the beach culture we know today began to take shape. Health tourism never actually went away, it was just replaced in the popular imagination by the primacy of the beach. The health resort of Crikvenica started receiving this new breed of beach-goer in 1906. Unlike the pre-war aristocratic elites and their winter-long health-cures, specialist Josef Glax to head up Opatija’s Rest- Another spur to the growth of Adriatic most tourists of the Twenties and Thirties cure Commission. Glax went on to become the tourism was the alarming spread of tuberculosis could only afford a week or two’s holiday in the guiding spirit of Opatija’s development as a in Central Europe, and the belief that warmth,summer, and the nature of the travel industry health resort, as well as the author of numerous sea air and sunshine could play an importantchanged in order to accommodate this new Opatija-boosting guidebooks. part in its treatment. Weak-chested heir to the seasonal rhythm. The idea of the beach holiday The 1880s and 1890s were boom years that Habsburg throne Franz Ferdinand was sent towas, in any case, a natural outgrowth of the saw the construction of hotels, sanatoria andthe Kvarner island of Lošinj in autumn 1895. He nineteenth-century’s obsession with travel as a pensions of all types and sizes. Most sanatoria continued south to Egypt when winter came –form a of therapy and healing. specialized in a wide range of hydrotherapy, typical example of how the wealthier segmentsHealth tourism remains an important part filling metal baths with seawater so that theirof society would travel from one rest-cure to of Kvarner’s identity today. From the seaside guest never had to leave the premises. Clinics another in search of the right combination of resorts of Crikvenica to Opatija, its hotels still paid special attention to diet, with a particular climate and rest. offer a wide range of treatments that fulfil emphasis on the sour-milk drink kefir, and the Lošinj was in many ways the laid-back serious medical needs as well as catering for the so-called grape-cure: the latter was particularly alternative to Opatija. Tourism here revolved modern desire for personal pampering. The effective in treating people with liver or kidney around small pensions rather than big hotels,contemporary interest in wellness weekends complaints. German doctor Max Joseph Örtel, thereby suiting those who preferred peace and and spa breaks is simply the latest commercial one of the great popularizers of structured quiet to crowded cafes, bandstands and balls. expression of a culture that has been around for walking as a form of therapy, developed graded The case of Lošinj also reveals how the Austrians a very long time. By Jonathan Bousfield paths for people with heart problems. Another pioneer was Hungarian doctor Kálmán Szegö, whose Szegö sanatorium had a special block for children – who were encouraged to spend time outdoors doing exercise or playing sports. Szegö banned adult books and magazines from the facility on the grounds that children had to develop minds of their own. Opatija naturally attracted ambitious young doctors, eager to establish private practices. Success usually depended on bagging a wealthy aristocratic patient, and hoping that word-ofmouth publicity would bring in some more. With such a concentration of doctors, each of which was expected to send their patients home feeling healthier than when they arrived, the town served as a creative laboratory for all kinds of cures. Hungarian doctor Geza Fodor developed a health cocktail he called Marina, a concentrate of filtered seawater with added carbon dioxide that was often stirred into milk. Mihael Sternbach’s pharmacy was something of a cult address in the growing resort, selling unique remedies such as Laurol, an extract of laurel leaves that could be applied to the skin to ease pain or inflammation.

Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Did you know...

Kvarner – a region that has always been visited for health purposes www.kvarner.hr

Kvarner Health & Wellbeing Kvarner has a long tradition in health tourism. During the 19th andcome 20th to seek medical help associated with allergic, respiratory and effect skin on the respiratory system) and on the coast, fresh produce from century, the climatic health resorts were built in Opatija, Crikvenica, diseases Veli that are treated in an ambient of exotic Mediterranean plants land and sea, our clean Adriatic sea and excellent air quality – they are Lošinj and Mali Lošinj. Opatija gained the status of a royal health destination beautiful walkways through parks. all here. On the professional medical side, from respiratory experts to in 1889 and the tradition continues until today spreding across the entire The long tradition of caring for, improving and protecting healthorthopaedic, in dental and dermatological specialists, the region is home Kvarner region. Opatija Riviera is a leader in wellness services combining Kvarner, combined with its natural and cultural features, provides to you world-class medical providers with state-of-the-art technology: new the natural properties and long tradition. Modern thalassotherapy with uses the perfect reason to visit the area and surrender to its benefits. guests are certainly beginning to notice. the power of the sea as a source of hydration, algae and air in theSpend treatment a week or two each year on your health and change your dailyIn recent years the medical providers who are members of Kvarner aimed to increase vitality and beauty. Thalassotherapy Wellness centers environment can for a while to enjoy the diversity of services that we offer. Health Cluster have treated thousands of visitors or who choose be found in Opatija, Crikvenica and Mali Losinj. In the modern day, medical professionals who champion the treatment in the Kvarner region of Croatia. In 2018, the list of members Islands make a great place to visit if you're looking to feel stress-free benefits of exercise, healthy diet, seawater and clean air have noted of Kvarner Health Cluster includes medical providers, tourist offices and while walking through the ancient towns, beautiful coastline or a forest what the region has to offer health-seeking visitors. Extensive walking, hotels, all of whom work together to ensure the perfect stay for medical with the smell of aromatic herbs. In Veli Lošinj Health Resortrunning visitorsand biking trails in pine forests (known for the therapeuticand health tourists to the region.

Diversity is beautiful

Kvarner diversity Somewhere between the mountains and crystal clear sea full of islands, has everything to your liking! Kvarner's rich cultural heritage is truly coastline and Austro-Hungarian villas. Rijeka, a port town with a at the northern coast of Croatia, stands Kvarner – an area with hospitality exceptional, as is its beautiful nature. You can also enjoy a vast array richof history and numerous monuments and attractions, is a host of tradition longer than 170 years. From the middle of the 19th century, local foods and activities that will satisfy the inner gourmand and thrill many manifestations and festivals during the whole year. The Rijeka when the hotel Kvarner first began to host guests, the hospitality seeker of in every visitor. Carnival is the most popular manifestation when all the creativity and Kvarner developed a long tradition. Kvarner is the place where Kvarner even has a mild Mediterranean climate so you can visit it allfun year unleash in Rijeka. Rijeka has been chosen as the European Capital most demanding visitors can find something for themselves. Whether round. The elegant and charming Opatija is a romantic city popular ofinCulture (ECOC) for the year 2020 so make sure you check out all that you are seeking a peaceful family holiday, active outdoor vacationthe or summer but during winter as well, especially for Advent and New this interesting city has to offer. Crikvenica and Novi Vinodolski make a destination where you can relax and improve your health, Kvarner Year season. It is well known for its parks surrounded by the romantic a great place for an active holiday and historic richness.

kvarner region tourist board 51410 opatija, nikole tesle 2, t +385 (0)51 272 988, e kvarner@kvarner.hr tourist information centre “kvarner info – the adriatic gate”: t +385 (0)51 623 333, 628 888, e info@kvarner.hr www.kvarner.hr

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A view from the world leader

As the Kvarner region looks to expand its healthcare and wellness tourism, what can it learn from Southeast Asia, one of the world leaders of growth in this sector? THE KVARNER REGION has

‘One of the drivers for medical long been enjoyed by health travel is the quality of healthcare visitors, its beaches, spas and and hospitality,’ he continues. wonderfully mild year-round ‘From my experience in Malaysia, climate recognised for its health medical tourists travel to countries properties for almost 150 years. which provide not only quality and Ever since its natural potential affordable healthcare services, was recognised as the perfect but also a comfortable experience. aid to help people recuperate So, hospitals must provide and convalesce, the region has strategies that promote a stress-free invested heavily in maintaining experience for the patient to attract its first-class reputation as a more international patronage. As centre of excellence in this field, in every industry, success in the from the spas it built over a medical tourism industry depends hundred years ago to the finest on knowledge and proper execution quality healthcare facilities it of key strategies which must centre constructed in the modern era. on the need of the prospective Kvarner's aim is to be recognised consumers. Building a viable once again as Europe's premier medical tourism market, therefore, destination for medical, health and requires collaborations between wellness tourism. In order to do so, the public and private healthcare can it take any tips from South East sectors. Of course, marketing is Asia and Malaysia in particular, the central factor for success in the one of the world leaders for growth health tourism industry.’ in this sector? Croatia is one of the world's Many believe it can, hence the leading tourist destinations. Few invitation for Sherene Azli, CEO of haven’t heard of its stunning Malaysia Healthcare Travel Counnatural beauty and remarkably cil, to address Kvarner region's well-preserved ancient main annual event of the sector, architecture. The fact it offers the Crikvenica International a world-class healthcare and Health Tourism conference 2017. medical rehabilitation, specialist and its highly developed tourwellness industry is less known. Azil's office oversees an industry examinations, diagnostics, dialy- ism industry, highlighting the The first-rate schools of in Malaysia which is experiencing sis treatments, and more.' Malay- region's bountiful offerings to a medicine in the Kvarner region globally recognised growth and sia is one of the few countries huge potential customer base. And and its excellent private sector success. Their national healthcarein the world where healthcare well it might, for within just 400 institutions make it a premier travel industry is growing at an travel is a government supported kilometers of Kvarner live some destination for healthcare tourists average rate between 16 – 17 per-industry, while being driven 500 million Europeans whose in Croatia. Combined with the cent every year, against a global by the private sector. There is healthcare may not always meet region's time-honoured reputation annual average of 12-14 percent. some way yet to go in Croatia for the same standard of excellence as for accommodating visitors and its 'The exposure the Kvarner Health investments and strategy to stemseen in Kvarner and almost nevertransport accessibility, the region Tourism Cluster had received from a streamlined and dedicompetes with the fantastic pricesof Kvarner is one of the best options internationally in recent years for cated national body, as they do inavailable here. ‘Croatia is one of for healthcare and wellness its healthcare and wellness facili- Malaysia. But, within the sector the top tourist destinations in the tourism in Europe. There are few ties points to the potential it has to of this region, Kvarner Health world,’ says Krešo Glavač, who asplace in the world where you can be a leading healthcare travel desTourism Cluster have seized the the Croatian ambassador to sev- recuperate with a backdrop as tination in Europe,' Azli told Time initiative in bringing together the eral South East Asian countries has beautiful as this – and Malaysia Out Croatia, clearly impressed by collective strengths on offer in seen first-hand the developmentsis certainly one of them. But like the facilities and initiatives she order to replicate the route taken in the healthcare tourism sector inMalaysia, besides its glistening saw on her second visit here. in Malaysia. Malaysia and neighbouring coun- beaches and spectacular scenery, 'The cluster is keen on proKvarner Health Tourism Cluster tries. ‘Every year, tourists flock topeople are slowly beginning to moting safe, high quality, and bridges the gap between Kvarner's Croatia for its beautiful views, sunrealise that Kvarner offers a whole affordable treatments especially world class health and wellness sets, and historical value. Becauselot more, including its potential in dental and aesthetic surgery, facilities, its internationallyof the tourists that visit, this coun-to become one of the world’s most orthopaedic, physical therapy, linked transport infrastructure try already has a global value.’ promising hubs for healthcare. Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

RIJEKA centre of excellence in medical studies Since it was founded in 1955, the Faculty of Medicine of the University

The educational process constantly adapts to best practices informed by

of Rijeka has grown into a ever developing educational and scientific the most recent scientific research, enabling the faculty to bond with the institution with an enviable reputation both in Croatia and abroad.

leading local and international institutions in the field of healthcare, high

education and science. Through an integrated approach, our students acquire not only knowledge, skills and competency, but also the highest ethical standards, ability of Accepting our responsibilities in such an integrated, international network independent thinking, critical evaluation, problem solving and to adapt we commenced teaching our courses of medicine in English in 2017/18 immediately to developments and scientific advances.

and immediately filled enrollment quotas as a result. In 2019/20 we

commenced dental medicine studies in English. Located in a beautiful seaside city with multiple cultural and activity options, The Faculty of Medicine in Rijeka provides education for studentsAs a result, we are confident that some of the best doctors, dentists and of medicine, dental medicine and sanitary engineering, informing onmedical practitioners of Europe’s future will have been educated at the prevention, healthcare, treatment and rehabilitation.

Faculty of Medicine in Rijeka.

More info can be found http://medical-studies-in-english.com/ at:

Health in Europe’s healing garden Kvarner Health Tourism Cluster gathers 29 members from medical, touristic and university sector. Kvarner region, with its 170 years long tradition, has positioned itself on the map of Europe among the leading health destinations, as a Riviera famous for its year-round offer of high-quality services in health tourism. Cluster can offer you a recognizable and competitive health tourism product compiled of the following services offered by our members:

Kvarner Region - Health & holiday all in one place For decades, the Kvarner Region has been a premium destination for holi-procedures. The region’s wellness centres are generally situated in new or daymakers enticed by its spectacular natural assests, its adventures andrenovated, its top-of-the-range hotels which offer the latest equipment and cultural heritage. A famously long tradition of the highest standard medical, highly trained staff in packages which hold highly competitive prices. healthcare and wellness services is a facet of Kvarner shared by almost no other Mediterranean tourist destination. Such packages focus on programmes for the prevention and healing of illnesses, the maintenance and improvement of health and are run by multiHighly professional staff, the best-equipped institutions and the application disciplinary teams composed of doctors, physiotherapists, kinesiologists, of the most modern technology have helped maintain Kvarner’s reputation nutrition as and other experts. Anti-stress programmes, vitality programmes, one of the most favorable destinations for medical and cosmetic treatments massages and also thalassotherapy, seawater and sea air-healing are all part of and dentistry. In particular, it has long held a reputation for the cure and Kvarner’s rehayear round health & wellness offer. bilitation of those suffering from respiratory and heart illnesses. For those looking for an oasis of peace, a place to rest from the everyday stress or for recuperation, this combination of natural resources, long tradition, Aside from its large public complexes, Kvarner region’s smaller private quality service and more-than-acceptable prices, are the reasons for which medical institutions help provide a multi-faceted package of medical - ser Kvarner is recognised as a leading destination for health and well being. vices; institutions offer stomatologic, orthopaedic or aesthetic surgery

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Anaesthesiology Check-ups Cardiology Dermatology and venereology Diagnostics Endocrinology Physical therapy and rehabilitation Gastroenterology Gynaecology and obstetrics Haematology Hemodialysis Nephrology Neurology Medical-biochemical laboratory Ophthalmology Orthopaedics Otorhinolaryngology Physical examinations Preventive examinations Pulmonology Radiology Surgery (general and aesthetic) Urology Wellness

Dental medicine: • • • • •

Conservation Dental prosthetics Oral surgery and implantology Parodontology Smile design

Tourist services:

Kvarner Health Tourism Cluster The synergy between Kvarner’s public and private institutions in healthcare, This tou-foundation guarantees a warranty, that all those who wish to improve therism, science, education and transport, make the Kvarner Health Tourism Cluster ir health and choose the Kvarner region to assist them in doing so, won’t regret unique, not only in Croatia, but also in Europe. The aim of the association isit.the Instead, they will come to a place where it is possible to achieve a complete promotion, development and improvement of the region’s health tourism offer. physical, psychic and spiritual wellness - everything that health essentially is.

Health services:

For more information contact us on e-mail info@kvarnerhealth.hr or visit our website www.kvarnerhealth.hr.

• • • •

Accommodation Excursions Guides Transfers

Educational services: • Postgraduate specialist study Health Tourism

Rijeka Top 20

Zvončari, who cast out the dark of winter and summon the coming of spring. Find a place early on Rijeka’s main street, the Korzo, and be prepared for late partying. ÆÆ (rijecki-karneval.hr/en).

Municipium

Municipium is set in a grand Habsburg-era building, tucked away in a quiet courtyard right in the centre of town. Door staff might greet you at the entrance, but don’t worry, this provides a very informal dining experience, down to the day’s menu chalked up on a board. This menu is usually fish-oriented, reasonably priced considering the quality of service, presentation and the fare itself. The wine list runs to scores of (mainly Croatian) varieties, a decent number available by the glass. Note also the cut-price lunch specials, marende.

Port and transport hub in Kvarner, Rijeka merits exploration thanks to a fascinating past and a lively city centre.

the museum’s crammed vaults Museum of Modern & Contemporary are Art regularly rotated in a highly

Currently the poster boy imaginative cycle of changing, of Rijeka’s cultural scene themed exhibitions. There is on account of its recent move to also a busy schedule of solo and new premises in the ex-industrial group shows featuring artists Benčić complex, the museum has from elsewhere. Occupying part one of the richest collections of of the so-called H-building, which contemporary art anywhere in began life as a sugar refinery Croatia. There is no permanent before becoming a cigarette exhibition, however; items from factory then a tractor-making

ÆÆ Trg Riječke rezolucije 5 (051 213 000, facebook.com/municipiumrijeka).

King’s Caffe

The first of Rijeka’s cafébars to get really serious about craft beer, this is still one of the best places to enjoy a pint or two. Not only is there a long menu of choices on draft or by the bottle, there’s also a neat-but-cosy © Marko Šetković auntie’s living-room ambience

workshop, the museum is an outstanding example of how to adapt 19th-century industrial architecture for contemporary cultural use. ÆÆ Krešimirova 26c (051 492 611, mmsu.hr).

Rijeka Carnival

Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

Croatia’s main annual public celebration, February’s Rijeka Carnival now attracts some 100,000 visitors to the city centre. Consisting of several events in the run-up to the main parade on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday, the former pagan ritual still features bellringers in terrifying masks and costumes, the

King’s Caffe

Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Rijeka Top 20

to the whole place, with framed pictures and old-school wallpaper overlooking a solid collection of dark wood tables. ÆÆ Frana Kurelca 3A (051 564 763, kingscaffe.com).

City Museum

Set in a pavilion alongside the Governor’s Palace – and thus alongside the History & Maritime Museum, making it a convenient first port of call for any first-time visitor to Rijeka – the three-floor City Museum has a modest permanent exhibition but stages a number of fascinating temporary ones. Exhibition subjects tend to concentrate on Rijeka’s seafaring past. ÆÆ Muzejski trg 1/1 (051 336 711, muzej-rijeka.hr).

Tarsa

Hidden away among quiet suburban lanes behind Trsat’s sports hall, Tarsa could almost be a village inn, and it’s not surprising that it has become one of Rijeka’s prime venues for a slap-up traditional revolves around lavish platters meal. Despite being a modern of local meat and fish, grilled or building the décor is decidedly baked; home-made pastas with trad, with plenty of exposed brick tangy goulash accompaniment; and wooden beams. The menu and some of the Kvarner Gulf’s

City Museum best pancakes to round things off. Pay particular attention to the platters for two; specialities such as the Franjo Glavinić pork chop stuffed with pršut and

Brasserie AS

mozzarella or the Maksimilijan squid with baked potatoes and vegetables are well worth the extra outlay. ÆÆ Josipa Kuflaneka 10 (051 452 089).

Brasserie AS

Formerly the Belgian Beer Brasserie and still bearing decorative traces of the Benelux, this prominent terrace bar with an atmospheric interior remains one of the key spots to drink in Rijeka. Located so close to the harbour you can see ships passing from the tables outside, it’s worth a longer linger for its hearty Belgian-style cuisine and, most notably, brews in draught and bottled form from the land of beer. ÆÆ Trg Republike Hrvatske 2 (051 212 148, ugostiteljstvo-as.com).

Grand Hotel Bonavia

Rijeka’s classiest option, part of the Umag-based Plava Laguna group and right in the heart of town, this is a modern business hotel with a spa and gym. Sauna cabins and massage and beauty treatments have also been introduced. The 120 rooms are tastefully done out, the in-house Kamov restaurant is one of the best in town, and the terrace café overlooks the city.

Dolac 4 (051 357 100, 051 Tarsa ÆÆ

Grand Hotel Bonavia

357 980, bonavia.hr).

Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Rijeka Top 20

Conca d'Oro

2,000 consoles, terminals and With a great city-centre calculators are exhibited, either location and a reputation in display cases or for hands-on as one of the best places investigation. Ivana Grohovca 2A (051 562 100, in town, ‘The Golden Conch’ can ÆÆ charge higher prices than most. 091 780 5709, peekpoke.hr). Along with the usual seafood offerings, appetisers include fish CukariKafè carpaccio with capers, and mariCukariKafè is a cross nated salmon. The day’s catch is between a modern displayed on ice, and includes art gallery, a film set a wide selection of molluscs. A for a children’s fairy-tale adventure decent range of Croatian wines may and a passenger steamer cruising accompany. The hefty salads can up the River Nile. Everything about work as a small meal, followed bythe a place exudes character: the list number of cheeses. Snappy service of speciality beers includes not adds to a pleasant atmosphere. just Duvel and Chimay but several ÆÆ Kružna 12A (051 213 782, lesser-known Belgian brands fb.me/concadorori). as well. And unless you specify otherwise, tea will be served with a Peek&Poke dandy slice of fresh orange. Both a museum and aÆÆ Trg Jurja Klovića 4 (099 888 5949, club for enthusiasts, facebook.com/cukarikafe). Peek&Poke is one of Rijeka’s most unique attractions. Konoba Na Dedicated to the early days of Kantunu computers and computerised This once-tiny games, Peek&Poke also looks to seafood bistro has reassess the reputation of those expanded into the neighbouring pioneers, mocked at the time, room and kitted itself out with whose groundbreaking ideas new furniture – its reputation eventually made our lives easier for serving some of Rijeka’s best Konoba Na Kantunu or more entertaining. Sir Clive seafood in a simple setting remains Sinclair, for example, is given a unchanged. Settle at one of the stellar biography. All tolled, some rustic wooden tables in the bright,modern interior and admire Bistro Mornar the trays of just-caught fish and Although Mornar crustaceans chilling behind the is next to the docks glass. Point at your choice and and the marine wait for it to be expertly grilled, terminal, the views from its perhaps dressed lightly with olive L-shaped corner terrace include oil and big chunks of sea salt, andjust a snippet of sea and a whole then served up as a minimalist load of car park. Forget the masterpiece. The car park terracescenery: hearty meat dishes here gets the sun and gives a view of the satisfy, and the fish comes right docks. You can find fancier, but not off the boats or from the nearby much better. market, which means it’s fresher ÆÆ Demetrova 2 (051 313 271). and cheaper than most places in town. Join hungry locals and Karolina sailors as you tuck into generous A slick, modern platters of calamari, sardines glass-enclosed or superior freshly caught structure, sitting whitefish at amazing prices. all by itself on a pier in the main ÆÆ Riva Boduli 5A (051 312 222, harbour, houses an upmarket bar facebook.com/bistromornar). and nightspot that draws a mix of yuppies, tourists, hipsters and Celtic Caffè Bard hard-drinking barflies. The terrace On a small square looks out onto the sea; inside is a on a hill in Rijeka’s carefully designed, dimly lit space, Old Town, a Guinwith high tables and tall stools ness sign announces this quaint in the middle of the bar area, and old-style wood-and-brass pub lower chairs with zebra-striped with exposed brick. There’s Kilkcushions at the two ends. The enny beer too, but thankfully it’s darkness releases inhibitions, more than just another faux Irish and the techno and trance music joint. The walls are cluttered with inspire a good time. interesting local art, and the bar ÆÆ Gat Karoline Riječke (091 490 4042, and upstairs gallery are packed Peek&Poke facebook.com/KarolinaBarRijeka). with interesting local people,

mostly in their twenties and bands and all kinds of excuses thirties. Music ranges from elec- for a party. tronica selected by the staff to ÆÆ Slavka Krautzeka 12 (051 452 183, facebook. occasional Irish folk bands. Seats com/The-Beertija-Rijeka-401627149938396). outside, too.

ÆÆ Trg Grivica 6B (051 215 235, facebook. com/Bard-128484343907485).

Trsat Castle

Hotel Jadran

Jadran contains 66 nicely fitted rooms in an enviable shoreside location. Set by Rijeka’s first stretch of swimmable sea with its own stop on the No.1 bus route east of town in Pećine, the Jadran (‘Adriatic’) has been a spot for bathing since it opened in 1914. There’s a supplement charged for sea-facing rooms. Half-board deals are available.

Visit this fort for the panoramic view alone, best enjoyed from the terrace café beneath the Nugent mausoleum – the Kvarner Bay spreads out before you. Irish-born Austro-Hungarian naval commander Laval NugentWestmeath fought Napoleon and rebuilt the medieval Frankopan ÆÆ Šetalište XIII Divizije 46 (051 fortress to house his family and his 216 600, jadran-hoteli.hr). art collection – his hoard of Greek vases can now be seen in Zagreb’s Trsatika Museum of Archaeology. The Fabulously located mausoleum is worth a look, partly up in Trsat, this if you like your Central-European eaterie, part pizhistory, partly to see how the zeria, part grill offers high-grade dynasty looked back then. versions of renowned standards, Trsatika ÆÆ Partizanski put 9a, Trsat. with a terrace view to boot. House specialities include lamb chop The Beertija with homemade noodles, tuna Governor’s the History & Maritime Museum Uphill from the steak with polenta and salsa verde, Palace – but because of its own history. centre in Trsat and ragout with pasta. The pair of Built in the 1890s A century ago, with the collapse but well worth you, if carnivores, could order the by Hungarian of the Habsburg Empire, Italian seeking out, this Rijeka branch steak-and-potatoes for two. À la architect Alajos Hauszmann, poet Gabriele D’Annunzio seized of Zagreb’s Beertija bar sticks carte, you’ve got all the domestic also responsible for similarly control of Rijeka and installed to the same formula – a superb favourites, grilled squid, monkfishstately buildings in Budapest, himself in the palace. Mussolini range of bottled beers from all and pljeskavica meat patty, here the Governor’s Palace is worth duly removed him but for that over the world, and well-chosen served with feta cheese. exploration not just for the cultural short period, Rijeka was the poet’s weekend DJs. Look out, too, ÆÆ Šetalište J Rakovca 33, Trsat (051 attractions within and around personal domain. for indie nights, Doors tribute 451 716, restaurant-trsatica.com). it – the Rijeka City Museum and ÆÆ Muzejski trg 1.

Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

Bistro Mornar

Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Attractions Capuchin Church

this landmark on Rijeka’s main interest, there’s also ballet and opera heart of things ever since it was the As your bus draws into Rijeka, drag was converted into a tower on the agenda, and the interior is Corso, showcase thoroughfare of pretty much the first thing you see by Filbert Bazarig in the later worth a look around – Gustav Klimt Fiume. Terrace cafés and shops towering alongside is this unusual1700s after much of the town wasand brother Ernst helped paint theline this pedestrianised stretch, architectural combination that destroyed by an earthquake. The ceiling before its grand unveiling, where a the Rijeka Carnival unfolds is Our Lady of Lourdes, aka the architect was not only instructed performance of Verdi’s Aida. in all its February finery. In terms Capuchin Church. Constructed by his masters to create something ÆÆ (051 355 900, hnk-zajc.hr) of actual sights, there’s the Clock over nearly three decades in the of fitting Habsburg finery but to Tower and nearby, the Radio Rijeka early 20th century, the church is leave the archway intact. A century Governor’s Palace building, more of a curiosity. All best known for its distinctive bricklater, the City Tower gained a clock, Grand residence of the city the other main museums are a work in alternating colours, and thus bringing the monument governor, now home to two short walk away. the elegant twin staircase. Scale into common usage as a point of museums. See Rijeka Top 20. it, and you are afforded a view of rendezvous. ‘Meet me under the ÆÆ Muzejski trg 1 Museum of Modern and the nearby seafront. If you’ve justclock’, say locals, ‘Pod uriloj’. Contemporary Art arrived, it also allows you a chance ÆÆ Trg Ivana Koblera 1 History & Maritime Museum Current poster boy of Rijeka’s to get your bearings. Somewhat overshadowed by Ala- cultural scene. See Rijeka Top 20. ÆÆ Kapucinske stube 5 (051 335 233, Croatian National Theatre jos Hauszmann‘s grandiose Gover-ÆÆ Krešimirova 26C (051 492 611, mmsu.hr/en) glurdska-kapucini.blogspot.com). Both an architectural and culnor’s Palace in which it is housed, tural landmark, Rijeka’s Croatian this old-school museum contains Peek&Poke City Museum National Theatre was designed a modest collection of period cos-Quirky collection of early Convenient first port of call by the same team of architects astumes, coins, instruments, chairs computer technology. See and introduction to Rijeka. See its namesakes in Split and Zagreb:and weaponry. Displays of replica Rijeka Top 20. Rijeka Top 20. Austrian Ferdinand Fellner and hisships reflect Rijeka‘s proud past ÆÆ Ivana Grohovca 2A (091 780 ÆÆ Muzejski trg 1/1 (051 336 German partner Hermann Helmer.and tradition. 5709, peekpoke.hr/welcome) 711, muzej-rijeka.hr) Muzejski trg 1 (051 213 578, ppmhp.hr/en) In fact, the pair created dozens ofÆÆ theatres across Europe, from Odessa Rijeka Natural City Tower to Zürich, this one opened in 1885. Korzo History Museum The original gateway to the city Though Croatian-language per- Rijeka’s main street, parallel to the Behind the Governor’s Palace it from the port in medieval times, formances here may be of limitedsea and the Riva, has been in the overlooks, Rijeka‘s Natural History

Peek&Poke Museum established its large collection of specimens from the Kvarner Bay, Gorski kotar and Istria, thanks to private collectors from the mid 19th century onwards. Key displays include one of sharks and rays, and a geological history of the Adriatic Sea. ÆÆ Lorenzov prolaz 1 (051 553 669, prirodoslovni.com/eng)

St Vitus Cathedral

Standing at the edge of Rijeka‘s Old Town, St Vitus Cathedral is a Venetian-inspired construction from the 1600s, topped by a Baroque rotunda. Inside, the crucifix was the source of many a medieval legend. ÆÆ Grivica 11

Trsat Castle

Panoramic fort and mausoleum of an Irish-born naval commander. See Rijeka Top 20. Korzo Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

ÆÆ Partizanski put 9a, Trsat. (trsatskagradina.com)

Capuchin Church

Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Where to eat

ON OUR RADAR Placa 51 ttttt

A lively place occupying an enviable corner spot on a harbour-facing street, this is another good tip for a great Rijeka lunch. The menu is strong in local staples in the 80kn-100kn range such as ombolo (lightly smoked pork chop) and fillets of fish, and there’s a daily list of cheaper chalked-up specials that rely very much on what’s seasonally available – and what the chef can get his hands on at the nearby market. The style of decor and presentation is contemporary bistro-bar rather than folksy inn, with an open kitchen indoors and cushioned benches out on the terrace. Scrumptious own-made cakes are another major asset. ÆÆ Riva Boduli 3A (051 546 454, facebook.com/placa51)

Primorska Konoba ttttt

The ‘Coastal Inn’ goes for the rustic look inside, with checked tablecloths and domestic nicknacks aplenty; however it’s the chic glassenclosed terrace hovering above an animated Old Town corner that makes this such a good place to be at lunchtime. The other attraction is of course the food: mainly traditional stuff reinvented for the requirements of today’s breezy urban eater. Many of the things listed as marende (‘elevenses’) actually function as light lunches, particularly the traditional barley-and-bean stew known as jota. Homemade pasta choices such as hand-rolled cigarshaped pljukanci with mushrooms or tagliatelle with prawns (both hovering in the70kn zone) will fill a gap with tasty aplomb, while squid stuffed with cheese and rice, sploshed liberally with a tangy tomato sauce, is a stand-out among the mains.

Bistro La Rose

A cosy bistro with outdoor seating on one of the Old Town’s tiny piazzas, La Rose offers a wellexecuted but affordable blend of French-inspired fare and KvarnerIstrian staples. The Gallic side of La Rose’s character is most evident in the quick-lunch dishes such as onion soup, bouillabaisse and quiche lorraine. Local inspiration lies behind the truffle-garnished pastas, seafood risottos, fillets of sea bass, although everything is served with Mediterranean bistro flair. The ambience – rose-themed decor and jazzy music – makes it an ideal spot for a lunchtime tête-àtête or an intimate evening meal.

ÆÆ Krojačka 1 (095 671 6717, facebook.com/primorskakonoba)

Porto O’Hara ttttt

Sloppy passata, proper mozzarella and a light, fluffy crust blistered by the wood oven, O’Hara’s are sterling pizzas. Situated on the riva, with several boats moored on the other side of the road, grab a seat on the outdoor terrace. Booking in advance is advised to ensure a spot as O'Hara is justly popular. Busy over summer weekends in the weekday evenings, O'Hara Rijeka is equally popular in winter when the action moves indoors, the terrace last year being reserved for the alfresco cooking of mulled wine and sausages. If you're a pizza fan or (ambitiously) aiming to eat only one pizza in Rijeka, O'Hara should be first on your list.

ÆÆ Andrije Medulića 8 (051 315 504, facebook.com/bistrolarose)

ÆÆ Riva 12a, Rijeka (51 568 888, facebook.com/ohararijeka)

Bistro Mornar

Hearty meat dishes and fresh fish. See Rijeka Top 20. ÆÆ Riva Boduli 5A (051 312 222, facebook.com/bistromornar) Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

Primorska Konoba

Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Where to eat

Boonker

outside during the summer, with With a large, shaded terrace righttables on facing the National Theatre. Rijeka’s main waterfront, BoonkerÆÆ Verdijeva 7B (051 561 916, kingscaffe.com) has already drawn a crowd despite its rather strange name. Calling Konoba Blato itself a ‘pizzeria and lounge bar’, it In a sturdy wood-and-tile cellar on does a decent job of serving pizzas the pedestrianised square where (from 40kn, house Boonker with the two main canals meet, this gorgonzola and Gran Padano 61kn) small, dimly lit eatery makes homebut can probably leave the loungestyle seafood and hearty meat dishbarring to a more suitable locale es in a pleasant family atmosphere. nearby. The fritto misto is a wise buy The fish is always fresh and well at 65kn but most are here to enjoy prepared, as is the octopus salad to the sea views rather than undertake accompany it. There are only halfany serious culinary adventure. a-dozen tables, busy during work ÆÆ Istarsko pristanište 1 (051 breaks; the tiny bar has a few stools, 401 738, boonker.hr) nearly all occupied by locals. Daytime and early evening only.

King’s Food Pub

scampi. Mozzarella salad makes a nice change from seafood, and Löwenbräu beer is something different from the stock Istrian wines. A selection of cheap daily specials is chalked up on a board outside. A front terrace is open in summer.

can be expected, as well as a warm smoked tuna and goulash or lamb welcome from the staff. stew with local šurlice noodles. ÆÆ Vatroslava Lisinskog 12 (051 312 Meat-eaters get a choice of top108, facebook.com/pages/Konobapings such as truffle sauce or roseFiume/1463348327096429) mary and capers for their thick, juicy steaks. The amicable waiters Konoba Na Kantunu will not only show you the catch of This seafood tavern serves some the day, but tell you what’s freshest ÆÆ Matije Gupca 5B (051 212 of Rijeka’s best seafood. See – even if it’s something less expen274, konoba-feral.com) Rijeka Top 20. sive, like calamari. The side room ÆÆ Wenzelova 4 (051 313 271, facebook.com/ has big windows with a great view Konoba Fiume Konoba-Na-Kantunu-840341129439818) of the canal below. Just metres from the main market, ÆTitov Æ trg 2B (051 374 501, konobanebuloza near the port and the Korzo, stands Konoba Nebuloza the stone-walled, brick-arched, A friendly little restaurant next to Maslina na Zelenom trg high-ceilinged Fiume, with its dailythe Rječina Canal provides per- ‘Olive on Green Square’ – even offering of grilled ray, mackerel, fectly prepared fresh seafood at though it’s actually on Koblerov sardines, tuna, squid, goulash andreasonable prices in a comfortabletrg, right in the city centre – echoes cod stew on Fridays. Simple meals, atmosphere. It serves a lot of the the time when Rijeka’s main procooked the local way, are based on fish others do, but the menu here duce market was here. Chef Dušan the freshest seasonal ingredients lets you know whether it has beenDžimbeg has duly created two types from the nearby market. Decent farmed instead of caught wild. of selections, ‘Gourmand Mediterlocal wines and affordable prices House special starters include ranean’ and ‘Small Menu’. Those on

ÆÆ Titov Trg 8C (051 336 970, facebook.com/

The successful recipe of popular pages/Konoba-Blato/141828369229717) beer bar King’s Caffe transported to a new location, this time with Konoba Feral burgers. A full range of craft and A handy little downtown eaterie specialist beers is on the menu specialising in seafood, with a as well as a list of beef patties andfew meaty options too. Frog stew burritos, in a neo-Gothic interior with potatoes and kale is one complete with medieval-style of the more unusual of these; murals of pennant-wielding otherwise the menu features Boonker knights. It’s a great place to sit the standard white sea fish and

King’s Food Pub Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

Konoba Na Kantunu

Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Where to eat

to Rijeka with the recipe largely unchanged – a handful of gourmet-burger options (from 44kn) backed up by some imaginative salads (available either as a garnish or a light lunch in its own right) and rough-cut fries. Outdoor seating on a corner of one of the Old Town’s most animated piazzas. ÆÆ Koblerov trg 2 (051 581 363, submarineburger.com/locations/rijeka)

Tarsa

Rustic Tarsa up in Trsat has become one of Rijeka’s prime Conca d'Orovenues for a slap-up traditional meal. See On Our Radar. ÆÆ Josipa Kuflaneka 10 (051 452

Placa 51

Konoba interior has a decent selection 089, facebook.com/pages/Konobanondescript from the outside, next Primorska to The “coastal inn” goes for the rustic of pastas, including own-made Tarsa/183811574986571) a café that often has loud football on look inside, with checked table- ravioli, and gnocchi dishes. It’s TV, but is tastefully decorated inside cloths and domestic nick-nacks otherwise worth saving your Trsatika and has an open smoking area. Prices aplenty; however it’s the chic glassappetite for the steaks, including Great location, great grilled are suspiciously low; two people can stuff themselves, with dessert, for enclosed terrace hovering above the house variety with red wine, delights. See Rijeka Top 20. an animated Old-Town corner thatpine nuts, prosciutto and fried ÆÆ Šetalište J Rakovca 33, Trsat (051 451 140kn or so and the food is excellent. rocket. at For dessert, the seasonal 716, restaurant-trsatica.com/en) From pljeskavica to pastas to pizzamakes this such a good place to be lunchtime. See On Our Radar. cake is made on the premises. to various meat and fish dishes, eveKrojačka 1 (095 671 6717, ÆÆ Ivana Zajca 24A (051 311 122, Conca d'Oro rything is good quality and service Æ isÆ facebook.com/primorskakonoba) ristorante-spagho.com) A good location and a reputation as speedy. Great for those on a budget one of the best places in town. See who don’t want to resort to fast-food Ristorante Spagho Submarine Burger Rijeka Top 20. chains; it also does takeaways. ÆÆ Ulica Miroslava Krleže 11 (051 624 This neat little corner restaurant The successful Zagreb boutique ÆÆ Kružna 12A (051 213 782, 471, facebook.com/pizzeria.ex) with part rustic, part minimalist burger operation has branched out fb.me/concadorori)

a budget shouldn’t worry – dishes in either category average 70kn, with the exception of the smoked tuna and beefsteak tagliata. You can always opt for pizza, though it would be a shame not to investigate the various carpaccios and panzanellas. Homely yet contemporary, Maslina also makes a point of being childfriendly, with high chairs provided. ÆÆ Koblerov trg (051 563 563, mnzt.hr)

Municipium

Grand Municipium is one of the top tables in town. See Rijeka Top 20. ÆÆ Trg Riječke rezolucije 5 (051 213 000, facebook.com/municipiumrijeka)

Placa 51

A lively place occupying an enviable corner spot on a harbourfacing street, this is another good tip for a great Rijeka lunch. See On Our Radar. ÆÆ Riva Boduli 3A (051 546 454, facebook.com/placa51)

Pizzeria Ex

A little hard to find in a maze of similar-looking streets up the hill, Municipium Restaurant Ex hasn’t been found by the tourism industry yet. It’s Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

Tarsa

Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Where to drink

Where to drin

ON OUR RADAR

Bar Bar

Still feeling new after its 2015 opening and a fixture on the Old Town drinking circuit, Bar Bar describes itself as a wine and tapas bar – and, although it’s the drink that most people are here for, there’s always a more-thantempting selection of nibbles ranging from pršut and cheese to marinated fish and steak tartare. Bar Bar has made sensitive use of the ancient building it’s housed in, with bare bricks and ancient stonework adding character to the snug interior; the action frequently spills out on to the street on warm weekend nights.

Three Monkeys ttttt

Opened last November, Three Monkeys is a big hit with Rijeka's hipster crowd thanks to its swish décor and refined cocktails. A long, thin venue with funky, exposed lighting hanging from above and a DJ sometimes perched at the end of the bar on weekends, it is frequently busy in the evenings with parties or groups of friends savouring cocktails dressed with slices of cucumber and served in chunky glasses. By day, it serves one of the best coffees to be found in the city, although its vast array of high-quality spirits is also available if you're in the mood. All drinks are prepared by knowledgeable and well-presented staff.

ÆÆ Pod Kaštelom 3 (097 712 9949, bar-bar.eu)

The Beertija

Up in Trsat but well worth the trek for its quality beers and soughtafter sounds. See Rijeka Top 20.

ÆÆ Šetalište A. K. Miošića 1 (051 282 374, facebook.com/pivnicacont)

ÆÆ Slavka Krautzeka 12 (051 452 183, facebook. com/The-Beertija-Rijeka-401627149938396)

Samovar Bar ttttt

Book Caffe Dnevni Boravak

A great little café with cushions, carpets and chandeliers setting an old-fashioned livingroom tone, and with outdoor seating right in front of one of Rijeka’s most instagrammable street murals. As well as being a popular coffeeand-cake stop, it’s also an outlet for locally based tea-blending outfit Samovar (whose shop is just across the way). Sporting energising names such as ‘Torpedo’ or ‘Rijeka Riser’, their blends mix strong black and green teas with floral flavours and aromatic spices.

Your coffee here comes with original art and stacks of books, CDs and vinyl. See On Our Radar. ÆÆ Ciottina 12A (no phone, facebook. com/BookCaffeDB)

The Beertija

ÆÆ Trg Matije Vlačića 1 (051 215 521, facebook.com/SamovarBARijeka)

Book Caffe Dnevni Boravak ttttt Living-room-style hangout that will appeal to those who like a bit of culture with their coffee – the floor-to-ceiling shelves are absolutely stacked with books, CDs and vinyl LPs, while a small annexe serves as a cute art gallery. Literary readings and live music feature several times a month; on other days it serves as a mellow social hub for the city’s reading, writing and chatting community.

ÆÆ Ciottina 12A (no phone, facebook.com/BookCaffeDB)

Bar Bar Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Where to drink

Where to drin

Brasserie AS

River Pub

Belgian within, Adriatic once you’re sat on the terrace near the port. See Rijeka Top 20.

Beautifully upholstered furniture sits on an old tiled floor, while a sturdy bar counter holds up taps of Bass, Caffrey’s, Guinness and Kilkenny. The framed photographs from around Istria are a nice touch, old regional maps too, with a few busts of Irish writers. Set behind a big, wooden door, halfway down from the museums.

ÆÆ Trg republike Hrvatske 2 (051 212 148, ugostiteljstvo-as.com)

Celtic Caffè Bard

On a small square on a hill in Rijeka’s Old Town, an Irish pub with a genuine local following. See Rijeka Top 20.

ÆÆ Frana Supila 12 (051 324 673, facebook.com/riverpub.rijeka.1)

ÆÆ Trg Grivica 6B (051 215 235, facebook. com/Bard-128484343907485)

Sabrage

Cont

Up in Trsat, this lovely spot is well stocked and well staffed. Along with classic cocktails and long drinks, there’s a long wine list, a Tinto Reserva hiding among the Zlatni Plavac and Dingač. Whiskies such as 14-year-old Oban and ten-year-old Talisker can be sipped in an elegantly carved wooden interior decorated with portraits of famous locals. Nice hot chocolates for winter too. ConKing’s Caffevenient for a visit to Trsat Castle.

It’s rare for a hotel café to function as a happening bar that’s good enough to pull in outside custom. It’s a trick that Cont (as in Continental, the name of the hotel to which it's attached) has pulled off rather well by turning itself into a lunch bar and craft beer pub, with a selection of draft ales from the St Vid (Rijeka) and Medvedgrad (Zagreb) stables, and a lot more in bottles. There’s a week-day offering of marende (‘elevenses’) chalked up on a board outside (available from 10am to 1pm Mon-Fri, they’re great value if

ÆÆ Petra Zrinskog 2, Trsat (051 218 088, sabragebar.com)

Fiorello Pub Brasserie AS you’re ready for an early lunch), and an all-day menu of burgers, pastas and goulashy stews. With a wedge of outdoor seating under lime trees, it’s a great place to kick back. ÆÆ Šetalište A. K. Miošića 1 (051 282 374, facebook.com/pivnicacont)

CukariKafè

The funky CukariKafè offers Belgian beers in a unique interior. See Rijeka Top 20. ÆÆ Trg Jurja Klovića 4 (099 888 5949, facebook.com/cukarikafe)

Filodrammatica Bookshop Cafe

This smart café with a busy terrace has been one of Rijeka’s most popular meeting points since the late 19th century, when the Filodrammatica functioned as a municipal cultural society. Nowadays the caryatid-encrusted Filodrammatica building is shared between a brightly lit bookshop and this plush cafe at the front, with its sumptuously upholstered benches and the odd chandelier. As well as coffee, cakes and alcoholic drinks, it serves a range of breakfasts and CukariKafè light-lunch sandwiches.

point but faces the clock of the Nad Urom At the quieter end of the main Accessed by scaling a flight of City Tower, giving you a bird’s eyeSamovar Bar Korzo thoroughfare, Fiorello stairs through a Tito-era shoppingview of Rijeka’s landmark sight. A great little café facing one of honours the little-known fact that centre, Nad Urom is one of those Standard drinks at standard prices, Rijeka’s most instagrammable a famed New York mayor, Fiorello unique places you’re very happy to with TV football thrown in. street murals. See On Our Radar. La Guardia (as in the airport) find. Its terrace not only overlooksÆÆ Koblerov trg 1 (051 317 553, ÆÆ Trg Matije Vlačića 1 (051 215 521, started his diplomatic career the Korzo from its winning vantage facebook.com/nadurom.ri) facebook.com/SamovarBARijeka) at the US consulate in Rijeka. Beyond the name, it doesn’t overdo the theme, rather provide a cosy spot for a few drinks, with seating outside. Lively when there are live football games on, it has a pleasant buzz by day, when regulars chat over cups of quality Filicori Zecchini coffee from Bologna. ÆÆ Korzo 2D (no phone, facebook. com/fiorellopubrijeka)

King’s Caffe

The serious craft-beer destination in Rijeka. See Rijeka Top 20. ÆÆ Frana Kurelca 3A (051 564 763, kingscaffe.com)

Kosi Toranj

Kosi Toranj has a winning terrace on a small hidden square with an aged leaning tower that gives the establishment its name. The interior is an attractive needleshaped room, with two long glass walls, big art and low, lounge seating. A popular place to watch the game, too. ÆÆ Put Vele Crkve 1 (no phone, facebook.com/caffe.kosi)

Filodrammatica Bookshop Caf

ÆÆ Korzo 28 (no phone)

Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Nightlife

ON OUR RADAR

Nightlife

Boa

This branch of a successful Malinska club of the same name is a see-and-be-seen scene full of pumping music and pretty people dressed for success. The decor is mostly white, coloured by fancy lighting. There’s lots of posing premidnight, but eventually the disco, hip-hop and techno soundtrack gets dancers moving and the crowd mingling. By day it’s a slick café.

Crkva ttttt

One Rijeka's greatest nightclubs offering the best in house and techno. Spectacular lights and lasers criss-cross this intimate venue, its DJ booth raised centrally in the room to appear like an altar in a church, from where the DJ delivers their sermon. They host old school techno nights, hip-hop concerts, house music events and just about every Croatian DJ worth their salt, alongside international guests who appear once or twice a month.

ÆÆ Ante Starčevićeva 8 (091 339 9339, facebook.com/CLUB-BOA-MalinskaRijeka-Rovinj-171347653002 )

Crkva

Rijeka’s premier nightclub for alternative music. See On Our Radar. (Ružićeva 22, no phone facebook.com/mi.smo.crkva)

ÆÆ Ružićeva 22, no phone facebook.com/mi.smo.crkva

Život

Live gigs and raves in your granny’s house. See On Our Radar. Karolina (Ružićeva 22, no phone facebook. com/mi.smo.crkva) and charges that little bit extra toSee Rijeka Top 20. seats outside allow you to watch Gat Karoline Riječke (091 490 4042, the comings and goings of a busy Champagne Bar Pommery encourage the kind of clientele ÆÆ Celebrating its tenth anniversary who would be out of place at urban facebook.com/KarolinaBarRijeka) downtown street. in 2018, Pommery is one of hangouts for a younger crowd. ÆÆ Dolac 8 (095 553 7659, facebook. those places that may not be for ÆÆ Korzo 33 (091 444 1666, facebook.com/ Klub Bačva com/bacvaklubrijeka) everybody but can be great fun Champagne-Bar-Pommery-341601636042930) Bačva is a convivial bar by day and with the right people. Very central, a place of varied entertainment by Phanas Pub with a prominent terrace that Karolina night, with live music, readings Down at the harbourfront, this gets busy by day, Pommery hostsA slick, modern glass-enclosed and sundry random performancesplace is best experienced late at DJs and drinks promotion nights party spot on the main harbour. staged. The beer range is huge and night when the two-floor wooden pub with maritime knick-knacks is packed to the rafters with partying twentysomethings, the room zinging a commercial dance and rock soundtrack. It gets busy late on and difficult to get inside. Guinness, Kilkenny and Stella, wines and cheap cocktails complement the standard Ožujsko beer, but the drinks here are secondary to the social buzz. ÆÆ Ivana Zajca 9 (051 213 377, facebook.com/phanaspub)

Rakhia Bar

Specialising in rakija, the local form of grappa that comes in all kinds of flavours, Rakhia is essentialy a lively urban nightspot which programmes live music on Tuesdays, and DJs and parties Thursdays through Saturdays. Scattered in between are rakija tastings for extensive sampling.

Život ttttt

Every city needs a place like Zivot. A live music venue where you can really let your hair down, Zivot offers a stage to visiting indie bands and DJs who play everything from grime to Yugoslavian disco. Decorated like your gran’s house on drugs - expect to see UV-blasted doilies and dodgy watercolours - it’s an essential part of a night out in Rijeka, and its reasonable price-list draws in a loyal crowd. ÆÆ Ružićeva 2, no phone facebook.com/KlubZivot/

Tunel ttttt

This tunnel dug into a railway embankment is heaving most nights, especially at weekends when there’s usually a band and DJs playing techno and/ or electronica. A vaulted stone ceiling, lasers and a good-looking crowd in their twenties and thirties comprise the decor. Getting to the bar, or just finding a place to stand, can be a challenge. The few tables out front fill up in warmer weather. ÆÆ Školjić 12 (no phone, facebook.com/tunel.klub)

ÆÆ Andrije Mendulića 5 (091 937 8345, facebook.com/RakhiaBarRijeka)

Tunel

Rakhia Bar This club is literally underground. See On Our Radar.) Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Where to stay

Botel Marina

Botel Neboder

Botel Marina

location. See Rijeka Top 20. underground car park. The youth hostel, the first in town. Moored on Rijeka’s city-centre ÆÆ Šetalište XIII Divizije 46 (051 wonderful Socialist-era lobby has,Well sited in Pećine, east of waterfront, this Danish-built ship 216 600, jadran-hoteli.hr) sadly, been replaced by something town by the sea on the No.1 bus used to ferry Swedes from Stockmore modern – while the rooms route, the YHA offers standard holm to the Kvarner islands beforeNeboder remain adequate. dorm beds and three doubles seeing action during the Siege of If you’re looking for a cheapie in ÆÆ Strossmayerova 1 (051 373 538, in the attic, all with breakfast Dubrovnik in the 1990s. Her sailing town and the Continental is full, jadran-hoteli.hr/neboder) included, a snip for the price and days over, the former Kronprinsescome to the aptly named 14-floor, location. Open all year and with san Ingrid was then moved from 54-room ‘Skyscraper’ by the Youth Hostel Rijeka 24-hour reception. Mali Lošinj to here in Rijeka, whereflyover. Following renovations Opened in 2006, the former ÆÆ Šetalište XIII Divizije 23 (051 406 420, hfhs. she was kitted out as a 35-room, a few years ago it now has an Villa Kozulić is a modern, 61-bed hr/en/hostels/rijeka-youth-hostel-481 three-star lodging with an extensive restaurant and 24-hour reception. A gym is planned for the near future. ÆÆ Adamićev gat (051 410 162, botel-marina.com)

Grand Hotel Bonavia

Rijeka’s classiest option, part of the Umag-based Plava Laguna group and right in the the heart of town. See Rijeka Top 20.

your city break experience

ÆÆ Dolac 4 (051 357 100, 051 357 980, bonavia.hr)

Hotel Continental

Upgraded to a three-star after a long-needed renovation, the central Continental is in a bulky 100-year-old structure overlooking the canal. Reasonably priced, comfortable and convenient, it’s an excellent choice for those who need an affordable stay in the city centre. The in-house Cont bar has garnered its own crowd thanks to its decent range of craft beers. ÆÆ Šetalište Andrije Kačića-Miočiča 1 (051 372 008, jadran-hoteli.hr/continental)

Hotel Jadran

Jadran contains 66 nicely fitted rooms in an enviable shoreside

Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

Hotel Jadran

plavalaguna.com

The longest-running hotel in Rijeka, where tradition meets modernity. Šetalište Andrije Kačića Miošića 1, 51000 Rijeka T: +385 51 372 008 F: +385 51 372 009 continental@jadran-hoteli.hr

Thanks to it’s unique location, you have unparalleled views of the Kvarner Bay.

Just one look through the glass doors is enough make you fall in love with the Adriatic forever

Strossmayerova 1, 51000 Rijeka T: +385 51 373 538 F: +385 51 493 299 neboder@jadran-hoteli.hr

Šetalište XIII divizije 46, 51000 Rijeka T: +385 51 216 600 F: +385 51 216 458 jadran@jadran-hoteli.hr

WWW.JADRAN-HOTELI.HR

Where to shop Borovo

Subject of a major cult in the former Yugoslavia, Borovo stock the Croatian-made Startas shoes, a brand of slinky canvas tennis shoes reinvented with a funky range of patterns and classics. The wacky patternwork shoes have been touted by international fashion media including Vogue USA. ÆÆ Korzo 12 (borovo.hr)

BuRa Design Store

One year old, BuRa is a baby on Rijeka's design scene, but one with big ambitions. Located in the south east of the city centre, it sells exclusively Croatian designed goods, but also takes its store design incredibly seriously. At the far end of the store is a centrepiece changing room, spectacularly clad in a huge circle of black latex extending from floor to ceiling. In front of this is a contrasting off yellow wall with a matt surface. Inside, a chair made of recycled materials lies before a generous mirror. The changing room doubles up as a stage, BuRasince branched out from bonbons positioning itself to be a multipur-to produce wafers, tea biscuits, pose venue which communicates powders, sprinkles and cooking with Rijeka's broader arts scene. chocolates. Pride of place goes to Elegant dresses and bags make up Kraš Bajaderas, sweets of exquisite the bulk of what's on offer here, almond enriched almonds, all each of the store's walls dedicatedindividually wrapped and oriental to one of four Croatian designers, in flavour. Griottes have sourmany of whom work with new cherry centres in dark chocolate materials but using traditional coating. Ideal gifts but you may be methods. There are some funky, tempted to dip in. modern necklaces, accessories and ÆÆ Korzo 24A (51 580 959, kraschocobar.com) home design features too. ÆÆ Matije Gupca 13A (51 564 940, facebook.com/BuRaDesignStore)

Borovo

Šta da?

A gold-painted bicycle propped against a gold-painted railing Croata marks the entrance to this fasciBritain has the bowler, France hasnating little shop that's simply the beret and Bavaria the comedybursting with creativity. Many leather trousers. And Croatia? of the garments, accessories and Croatia has the cravat. Croatia household items on display are a is the home of the cravat. It's the tribute to the art of recycling, with national cultural symbol. Even bags made from old sails, pillows the word 'cravat' comes from the fashioned from the leftovers of Croatian word for 'Croat': hrvat. old tents, and rings made from Not surprisingly, Croatia takes twisted metal cutlery. Rijeka-based this tradition seriously. The artists are responsible for most of cravats, scarves, and shawls are cut the things on display. Shop owner from the finest silk, with special Amna Šehović produced the promattention paid to the design motifsinently displayed shoulder bags – many inspired by local heritage.and T-shirts bearing typical Rijeka ÆÆ Korzo 3 (51 444 475, croata.hr) catchphrases Šta da! ('You Don't Say!') and Bo! ('Whatever!'). The shop also sells wool, beads and habKraš Choco Bar Over a hundred years old, one of erdashery bits, just in case you're the most famous brands in Croatiaseized with the desire to embark on was renamed after an anti-fascist a hobby project of your own. hero from World War II, Josip Kraš.ÆÆ Užarska 14 (51 587 897, The confectionery makers have happyhobbyshop.blogspot.com) Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

Šta da?

Rijeka beaches

Hit the beach

Rijeka’s has urban beaches and some just a short drive away. Understated and free from crowds of tourists, they offer splendid isolation.

RIJEKA IS SOMETIMES referred

close to the city centre you could to as Zagreb by the sea, its Austrowalk back for a sundowner in just Hungarian architecture and rich 15 minutes. A little further to the cultural life more like Croatia's east is Glavanovo, which benefits capital than any other city by the from shallow seas and surrounding ocean. Many inhabitants of Rijekatrees – perfect for families on foot will have a favourite beach and – and then finally Grčevo. These often these are a drive out of the beaches have shower facilities. city, but sometimes not. Hidden To the west of Rijeka there are from view of new visitors to the many more beach options includcity centre, Rijeka does have some ing Igralište, Ploče, Bivio, Skalete,This extensive and open beach lifeguards and a floating sea barrier very nice beaches of its own. Some Kostanj Bay and Preluk. Most of has access to the sea for disabledplus showers and toilets suitable are even within walking distance. these are more impressive than people and lifeguards plus a beach for disabled persons. Kostanj Bay is Those that are not are within just those to the east of the city. It is volleyball court and a complex of also a Blue Flag beach, recognised a short bus ride away. necessary to travel to them all byswimming pools. for clean, clear waters. To the east of the city centre local bus. The tree lined Bivio beach is next Located at the point where there are four beaches, Brajdica Igralište is the nearest of these and has a toboggan. Just around Rijeka's coastline takes an almost Sablićevo, Glavanovo and Grčevo.with its beach volleyball court, the corner is Skalete, a beach 90 degree turn into becoming the For those acting on impulse and catering facilities and a toboggan.popular for sea sports. Istrian peninsula, Preluk beach deciding mid-afternoon that they If you don't visit by day, try it at Kostanj Bay and Preluk are the is notable for catching the wind, fancy a quick dip in the sea or night as it's a popular hangout westernmost beaches in Rijeka, particularly in the mornings, and is sunbath by the beach, Sablićevo after dark. Next further out from with Kostanj Bay probably the therefore popular with windsurfers is perhaps the best option. One ofthe city is Ploče, a Blue Flag beach beach in Rijeka best equipped for and yachtsmen. It has an entrance the oldest beaches in Rijeka, it is so recognised for its clear waters. disabled visitors. There are trained for smaller vessels from the land.

Koštanj

Ploče

Brajdica Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

Sablićevo

Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Opatija Top 10

Biedermeier-striped furniture and a piano, where local talents play pleasing background music while you have coffee and cake or slam back vodkas and imagine you’re a Habsburg. ÆÆ Maršala Tita 138 (051 718 260, hotel-mozart.hr).

Monokini

Opatija’s leading (only?) contemporary bar attracts a younger, more bohemian crowd. Friendly staff give enthusiastic service, even though things can get hectic later on. The bar, on the main road through the heart of town, comes with funky decor with retro overtones from the 1960s. Monokini also accommodates regularly changing exhibitions by Croatian artists. CDs range from techno to rock.

Grande dame of the Kvarner Riviera, Opatija still exudes Habsburg splendour.

Hotel Miramar

ÆÆ Maršala Tita 96 (051 718 441, facebook.com/monokini.opatija).

an outdoor pool surrounded by a locally and prepared in a variand indoor pool and an upscale respatio and steps leading down to the ety of different ways. Johnson is taurant that merits visiting even if Remisens Premium hotel beach – inside, you’ll find a undoubtedly one of the best places you’re staying elsewhere. The ultrasauna and pool. to enjoy the traditional Kvarner seastylish Navis has careening hallways Hotel Kvarner ÆÆ Uvala Pava Tomašića 2 (051 710 Completely revamped by food repertoire, although the prices decked in Pollock-esque swirls. the Remisens group, Croatia’s first444, liburnia.hr/en/hotel-kvarner). are correspondingly high. The design theme isn't continued luxury hotel on the Adriatic, the ÆÆ Majčevo 29B, Mošćenička Draga in the rooms, which are decorated Kvarner, right on the promenade, Johnson (051 737 578, johnson.hr). with contemporary furnishings and is an imposing imperial presence Named after American presitasteful artwork. All of its 40 rooms in the heart of Opatija. Fans of dent Lyndon Johnson (the all have private balconies with sea Design Hotel Navis grandeur will love the majestic former owner was a fan), this resSet on a cliff overlooking views. Luxury on this level is justly size of the Crystal Ballroom, taurant is a pillar of the Opatija Rivithe sea, Navis is a white-stoned lair expensive, but you may not find a the ornate hotel lobby and the era culinary scene, serving freshlyfit for a Bond villain. A beautiful better boutique hotel in Opatija. splendid seaside terrace beyond caught fish, lobster and shells with example of Adriatic modernism, the ÆÆ Ivana Matetića Ronjgova 10 (51 it. The rooms are furnished in a haute-cuisine sense of style. Pride recently constructed Navis features 444 600, hotel-navis.hr/en) antique style. The grounds includeof place goes to the scampi, caught its own private beach, an outdoor

Hotel Mozart

gets mobbed for mid-afternoon Hemingway Opatija teatime. Superior central European This slick seaside space of desserts are prepared with seasonal several bars and two small local ingredients. The quality of the dancefloors is the main local spot espressos and other brews standsto drink and party. After sundown up to the cakes, with beans selected it heaves with fun-seeking from around the globe. Part of the holidaymakers looking to mingle Plavi Podrum newly rebranded Amandria Park over Opatija’s best cocktails. Plush, Milenij, the hotel also offers super-low chairs make it hard to leave the Plavi Podrum Hotel Agava lative spa facilities and great views. covered terrace, with its view of the Hotel Milenij, Maršala Tita 109 (051 202 000, on one side and the open This dining destination in This villa, built in 1896, was ÆÆ marina the gastro hub of Volosko, renovated in 2006 to make aamadriapark.com/en/hotels/hotel-milenij). sea on the other. outside Opatija, is the oldest 76-room four-star hotel in a luxuriÆÆ Zert 2 (051 272 887, 098 718 restaurant on the Riviera. Today ous setting near the sea and the 802, hemingway.hr/opatija). Hotel Miramar it’s run by Daniela Kramarić, pretty Angolina Park. The rooms The 1876 Villa Neptune an award-winning sommelier, are stunning – polished wood was superbly renovated Hotel Mozart backed by a cellar holding 300 floors, period-style furnishings, and expanded to include three Of all the refitted fin-de-siècle varieties of wine, 60% of which are air-conditioning and internet. guest villas, creating a full-service confections on Opatija’s Croatian. The wine also gets usedLittle extras, such as internationalresort hotel with its own rocky shore, perhaps the Mozart is most in the food, which centres around newspapers delivered to your door, beach. Stylish, comfortable and true to the genre. Behind a striking fillets of finest fresh fish served inand laundry and room service, air-conditioned rooms have their façade of art-nouveau curves and a much more imaginative range offer that special touch. own balcony or terrace. There’s a sea-facing balconies, 26 rooms of of sauces that you find in the more ÆÆ Maršala Tita 89 (051 278 100, spa with a heated pool, whirlpool,equal style echo the grandeur of traditional Adriatic restaurants. amadriapark.com/en/hotels/hotel-agava). saunas, steam room and beauty the period. There’s enough room You’ll get a full introduction to the treatments. Cross the footbridge for a cosmetic studio and piano bar, Plavi Podrum style by opting for Café Wagner from the Lungomare for the and meals can be taken in a pretty one of the tasting menus. A Viennese-style café invok- private fenced-in beach. courtyard. The Hotel Mozart Piano ÆÆ Obala Frana Supila 4 (051 701 ing Opatija’s Habsburg herit-ÆÆ Ive Kaline 11 (051 280 000, Bar has a stunning interior, with 223, plavipodrum.com). age with its creamy cakes, Wagner hotel-miramar.info). art-nouveau style stained glass,

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Café Wagner Hotel Navis

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Spring/Summer 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Essentials Rijeka airport (051 842 040, Trsat (No.2) or Pećine (No.1) – the ljekarna-jadran.hr). Drugs rijeka-airport.hr) is on the centre is compact and walkable. Open 7am-8pm Mon-Fri; Penalties for use, possession and northern tip of the island of Krk, Tickets are 10kn on board, or 7.30am-1pm Sat. trafficking of drugs are severe. near Omišalj, 25km (15.5 miles) 15kn from kiosks, valid for two The most central pharmacy, right Offenders can expect jail sentences south of town. A bus meets arriv- journeys. Routes and timetables on the main street. and/or large fines. als (45mins, 50kn) and runs to on the Croatian-language Rijeka’s main bus station at trg Autotrolej website (www. Tourist Information Centre Electricity Žabica. Taxis should have a set fee autotrolej.hr) should be relatively Korzo 14 (051 335 882, www. Croatia uses a 220V, 50Hz voltage of 255kn, but journeys to more easy to work out. visitrijeka.eu). Open June-midand two-pin plugs. Visitors from distant parts of town can be at The No. 32 bus for Opatija Sept 8am-8pm Mon-Sat; 9am-2pmthe UK require an adaptor. least 300kn. (25mins, 30kn) leaves every 20 minSun. Mid Sept-June 8am-7.30pm Rijeka is northern Croatia’s utes from the suburban station byMon-Fri; 9am-1.30pm Sat. Health biggest transport hub and port. the canal, passing the train station. English-speaking staff provide Croatia has a reciprocal agreement Jadrolinija catamarans serve maps, leaflets and advice. with the UK that means – in Cres and Mali Lošinj, and Rab and theory – British passport holders RESOURCES Novalja. Tickets are bought from Dentists & doctors are entitled to free hospital the Jadrolinija office (051 666 111, Pharmacists can help with minor treatment in Croatia. Even so, www.jadrolinija.hr/en) at Riva 16. Clinical Hospital complaints but for proper medi- we recommend investing in The bus terminus at trg Žabica Center Rijeka cal care, go to the local hospital ortravel insurance because public is close to the city centre. There Krešimirova 42 (051 658 111, emergency unit where a duty doc-facilities are not always available are frequent services from Zagrebkbc-rijeka.hr/?lang=en). Open tor can look at you. Details of gen-and, particularly in the case of an (2hrs 30mins) and regular ones 24hrs daily. eral hospitals in the main towns are emergency, you may need to go from Split (8hrs 30mins) and Main city hospital near the given in their sections in this guide. private. The standard of medical Zadar (4hrs 30mins), operated bytrain station. care in Croatia is generally good. different companies. Disabled travellers The train station is further west Hrvatska pošta Croatia is not as enlightened as Insurance from the bus terminus, and so Korzo 39 (072 303 304, www.posta. others in providing facilities for Travellers should take slightly further from town. hr/en). Open 7am-8pm Mon-Fri; the disabled. Prior to travel make out comprehensive travel There are three direct services 7am-2pm Sat. enquiries with your hotel as to insurance, especially if you a day from Zagreb (around four The most central post office, with whether it has disabled access and are going to indulge in any hours) and currently one direct money exchange and Western facilities – some do, but not all. risky sports – climbing, skiing, overnight service from Budapest. Union facilities. Savez organizacija invalida Hrvatske mountain biking – although be See www.hzpp.hr/en for details. Savska 3, Zagreb (www.soih.hr). sure to check the small print first to You should only need to use theLjekarna Korzo The association of organisations ofsee if such activities are covered by city bus network if you’re going toKorzo 22 (051 211 036, disabled people of Croatia. your policy.

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Essentials

VOCABULARY Yes/No da/ne Hello/good day dobar dan Goodbye doviđenja Hello! (familiar) bok! Good morning dobro jutro Good evening dobra večer Good night laku noć Please molim Great/OK dobro Thank you (very much) hvala (lijepo) I don’t know Ne znam Do you speak English? Govorite li engleski? Sorry, I don’t speak Croatian oprostite, ne govorim hrvatski I don’t understand Ne razumijem What’s your name? (fam/pol) Kako se zoveš/zovete? My name is... Zovem se... Excuse me/sorry Oprostite Where are you from? (fam/pol) Odakle si/ste? When? kada? How much is it? Koliko košta? Large veliko Small malo More više Less manje Expensive skupo Cheap jeftino Hot (food, drink) toplo Cold hladno With/without sa/bez to 4pm Monday to Friday. Post called Croatian Angels (+385 62 Open otvoreno Landmines Landmines are a problem in the offices are open from 7am to 7pm,999 999) that offers tourist infor- Closed zatvoreno countryside. Look out for signs and generally close at weekends. mation in English. The website Can I book a room? Mogu li bearing a skull and crossbones Shops open from 8am to 8pm www.croatia.hr is reasonably rezervirati sobu? and stay well clear. However, not weekdays and until 2 or 3pm on comprehensive. Where is? Gdje je...? all minefields are marked and it isSaturdays; in summer some stay Croatian National Tourist Where to? Kamo? definitely not advisable to wanderopen longer. Office (UK) The Lanchesters, Here ovdje around any abandoned villages or 162-164 Fulham Palace Road, There tamo wander across any uncultivated Pharmacies London W6 9ER. Left lijevo fields. In war-affected areas such Pharmacies are usually open fromCroatian National Tourist Office Right desno as eastern and western Slavonia, 8am to 7pm weekdays, and until (USA & Canada) PO Box 2651, NY Straight on ravno the area between Karlovac and 2pm on Saturdays. In larger towns10118 New York. Backwards natrag Split, and around Zadar, do not some are open 24hrs. Prescriptions A ticket to... Jednu kartu za... stray from main roads or clearly need to be paid for. Visas Single u jednom pravcu marked footpaths. Visitors from the European Union, Return povratnu kartu Telephones When does the next bus/ Canada, USA, Australia and New ZeaMoney The dialling code for Croatia is ferry/ train leave for...? Kada polazi land do not need a visa if they are stayThe Croatian kuna (kn) is divided +385. Croatian town and city codes ing in Croatia for less than 90 days. sljedeći autobus/trajekt/vlak za...? into 100 lipa. Coins are issued in have a zero in front of them that For longer stays, you have to contact Arrival polazak denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 must left off when making phone your nearest Croatian embassy. Departure odlazak and 50 lipa and 1, 2 and 5kn. Notes calls from overseas. Station kolodvor come in denominations of 10, 20, When calling overseas from Websites Airport zračna luka 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1,000kn. Croatia, the prefix 00 is the www.croatia.hr Official tourist Port luka; ferry terminal Euros are accepted in the posher international access code. website – good hotel database. trajektna luka hotels and some restaurants but www.kvarner.hr Kvarner Regional the currency in everyday use Tourist information Tourist Board. Emergency numbers is the kuna. All cities, towns and even a num- www.timeout.com/croatia In a local emergency, call 192 for ber of villages have tourist infor- Regularly updated travel guides on the police, 193 for the fire brigade Opening times mation offices. Levels and quality leading Croatian destinations. and 194 for an ambulance and Public sector offices and most of service are very variable. There’s www.rijeka2020.eu/en/ Up-toask for an English speaker. businesses usually work from 8amalso an additional call service date guide to 2020 happenings. Time Out Rijeka Spring/Summer 2019

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DESTINATION FOR TRAVELLING FOR A GOOD REASON

THALASSOTHERAPIA OPATIJA

Thalassotherapia Opatija follows in the same traditions as seen

in the golden days of Opatija’s health tourism, when it was the

destination du jour for Europe’s social elite and medical practi-

tioners. Opened in 1957, it has ever since been one of Europe’ favored destinations for health and wellness tourism.

THALASSOTHERAPIA AS A VITAL PROFESSIONAL FACILITY Always at the cutting edge of modern advancements, we both follow and help to

shape current trends for cardiovascular and reumatological treatment. We provide

state-of-the-art medical methods in the fields of diagnostics, treatment and prima ry and secondary prevention of these illnesses.

CARDIOLOGY AND CARDIOLOGICAL REHABILITATION

We promote the latest cardiological rehabilitation as a multifactored, all-inclu process involving asessment and correction of risk and the control of symptoms. diagnostics laboratory and rehabilitation units include all of the latest diagnostic,

monitoring and therapeutical equipment. Our strongest success lies in the dedicat

ed relationship between client and our therapists, the latter’s positivity and motiv tion providing total care and speedy, safe rehabilitation.

PHYSICAL AND SPORTS MEDICINE AND RHEUMATOLOGY

We offer diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of inflammatory and degenerative

diseases and injuries of the musculoskeletal system, as well as rheumatic and neu

logical diseases and sports injuries. Our programmes are frequently adapted to th

specific needs of athletes, some of whom are at the peak of their individual sports

NUTRITIONAL EXPERTISE Our weight loss programs and nutritional counseling aid rehabilitation and facili-

tate independent living for clients with physical disabilities. Well balanced diets al

improve metabolic abnormalities in injured organs/tissues (metabolic rehabilitatio

Much more than eating plenty of fruit and vegetables, we direct clients to the exa foods and nutrients they specifically require for treatment. We also provide nutri-

tional education and counselling as aids to our holistic treatments of food disorde

THALASSOTHERAPIA OPATIJA Maršala Tita 188/1, Opatija, 51410 | T: 00385 (0) 51 202 857 marketing@tto.hr | www.thalassotherapia-opatija.hr