Lovran, Opatija

A long holidaymaking tradition, dating back to 1873, has bedecked Lovran with numerous examples of the gorgeous imperial Austrian architecture. Numerous villas continue to enchant visitors as they walk around the town which can be considered, in its entirety, a Kvarner postcard from a fabled past.

Lovran, which was once girt with walls and ramparts, will surprise the visitors to its old town core by the details which reveal the episodes from the past. A particular stand-out among the mementos of the past is a medieval tower which now houses paintings and other works of art.

The trail of local art can be picked up again in the Church of Saint George, whose Gothic frescoes are a mere introduction to the wealth found in its sacral treasury. A recognizable feature of Lovran is the church's bell tower, with its unexpected shade of yellow which draws the eye of many visitors.

Lovran's greeting to the summer is the food festival known as Cherry days, when the irresistable aromas of cherry cakes spread through the narrow streets. At the other end of the summer, in October, comes the Marunada - a feast in honor of chestnuts, or maroons - a thick grove of which surrounds the town.

Lovran offers a musical intermission to all the dining events in the shape of its Summer of culture, when the open-air stages throughout the town feature various musicians, bands and orchestras.

For a break from the dining and the music, head to the ten-mile walkway called Lungomare, which connects Lovran to the other towns on the Opatija riviera.

The restless spirit will hardly be able to say no to visiting the nearby Učka mountain park of nature, which features an Outdoor program, itself a invitation for adventure.