Croatia

Kvarner

Region

The Kvarner Bay is located between Istria and the Croatian mainland, with the port city of Rijeka at its northern end.

The Kvarner Bay is located between Istria and the Croatian mainland, with the port city of Rijeka at its northern end. The seaside resort of Opatija and the islands of Krk, Cres, Lošinj, and Rab make it a varied region for city, beach, and island days.

Rijeka is the third-largest city in Croatia and was European Capital of Culture in 2020. The Opatija Riviera features villas and hotels from the Habsburg era. Krk is connected to the mainland by a bridge; you reach the other islands by ferry or catamaran. The Kvarner Islands have their own specialties, such as the Rapska torta on Rab.

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Rijeka is Croatia's third-largest city and most important port, at the northern end of Kvarner Bay. European Capital of Culture in 2020, it's more a working city than a holiday resort, with market halls, a promenade, and a lively pub scene.

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Rab

Rab is an island in the Kvarner Bay, whose namesake old town with four bell towers lies on a narrow peninsula. In the north of the island, near Lopar, are some of the few sandy beaches on the Croatian coast.

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Opatija

Opatija is a seaside resort on the Kvarner Bay west of Rijeka, which became a spa town for the Habsburg society in the 19th century. Villas, grand hotels, and parks still define the waterfront today.

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Olgierd Rudak / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

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Krk

Krk is the largest island in the Kvarner Bay and is connected to the mainland by a bridge. The main town of the same name on the southwest coast has a walled old town with a Romanesque cathedral and a Frankopan castle.

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More places in Kvarner

Mali Lošinj

Mali Lošinj is the largest town on the island of Lošinj in the south of the Kvarner Bay, with a long natural harbour and pine forests on Čikat Bay. The island is known for its mild climate, dolphins off the coast, and an ancient bronze athlete statue that has its own museum.

Round trips through this region

Istria and Kvarner

A round trip through the northwest of Croatia: Venetian coastal towns, hill villages with truffle cuisine, the Arena of Pula, and the seaside resorts and islands of Kvarner.

9 Days

6 stops

Nearby

Krk

Opatija

Opatija is a seaside resort on the Kvarner Bay west of Rijeka, which became a spa town for the Habsburg society in the 19th century. Villas, grand hotels, and parks still define the waterfront today.The Lungomare coastal path stretches twelve kilometers along the water, from Volosko to Lovran.

Rab

Istria

Istria is the largest peninsula of the Adriatic and is located in northwestern Croatia, near the border with Slovenia and Italy. Venetian port towns like Rovinj and Poreč, the Roman arena of Pula, and hill villages above the Mirna Valley make the region one of the most visited in the country.