Rijeka holidays

How to reach Rijeka

Flight time: There are no flights to Rijeka from London so you will need to fly to Pula, which takes about 2 hours and 20 minutes.

Transfer time: From Pula buses take about 1 hour 30 minutes to reach Rijeka city centre.

Price: The bus from Pula to Rijeka costs around €12 one way, while a taxi fare will be around €80, depending on traffic and time of day.

Weather and best time to visit Rijeka

April to June

July to August

September to October

November to March

Practical information

• Spoken languages: Croatian is the official language, although English is widely spoken throughout the city.

• Local habits and customs: Croatians are welcoming and gregarious. Greeting people with a smile and saying “dobar dan” (good day) will be much appreciated. Tips (napojnice) are not obligatory, but if you’ve had a round of drinks or a full meal, it’s polite to round up the bill by ten percent or to the nearest convenient figure.

• Currency: The official currency is the Euro. ATMs are widely available, and credit cards are accepted in most places.

• Getting around: Municipal bus tickets can be bought from newspaper kiosks (valid for two journeys) or directly from the bus driver (valid for one journey). Bus fares are calculated according to a zonal system: most city destinations, including Trsat, fall within zone 1, Opatija is in zone 3 and Lovran lies in zone 4.

• Electricity and plug types: Wall sockets in Croatia operate at 220 volts and take round, two-pin plugs. British and US travellers should purchase a continental adaptor before leaving home.

• Time zone: Rijeka is in the Central European Time (CET) zone, which is one hour ahead of GMT, and observes Daylight Saving Time.

Best things to do in Rijeka

Sited on Croatia’s Kvarner Bay, Rijeka is the northern Adriatic’s only true metropolis, harbouring a number of compelling attractions and an appealing urban buzz.

Viewpoints and panoramas

• Trsat Castle: Occupying a bluff high above the city, the turrets and parapets of Trsat’s ivy-clad castle provide excellent views of Rijeka, with the islands of Cres and Lošinj in the distance.

The best districts

• Korzo: Running east from Jadranski trg, the pedestrianized Korzo is Rijeka’s main shopping area and the focus of most of its bustling streetlife – perfect for rambling or people-watching whilst sipping coffee.

Museums

• Peek and Poke: A fascinating museum of information technology containing scores of calculators, gaming consoles and PCs.

• Pharmacy Museum: A small but beautifully arranged affair, telling the history of the local pharmacology scene through a carefully curated selection of artefacts and pictures.

• Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art: The galleries here are a nice blend of white-cube art space and 19th-century brick and iron – this huge collection contains the cream of Croatian artists.

Parks and gardens

• Park Angiolina: Located not in Rijeka but in the nearby town of Opatija, the exotic shrubs and palms of this gorgeous seafront park are well worth the short journey.

Historical monuments

• Kozala Cemetery: One of Mediterranean Europe’s most beautiful cemeteries, with palm trees, box hedges and poplars adding a park-like aspect to an impressive collection of family chapels and funerary monuments.

• The Walker: This confidently striding statue, courtesy of late contemporary sculptor Ivan Kožarić, was placed here in 2010 and is already something of an urban landmark.

• Church of the Assumption: Boasting a beautiful Baroque interior and a 14th-century bell tower which leans ever so slightly to the north – earning it the title of Kosi toranj or “slanting tower”.

Day trips in the area

• Northern Velebit National Park: This highland hiking paradise offers spectacular views of the coast, rustic villages and close encounters of the brown bear kind – whatever you do, don't run!

• Cres Island: One of the more unspoiled Kvarner Gulf islands, its ancient villages hovering above a craggy, uncrowded coast.

• Lovran: Dainty Italianate coastal town scattered with Habsburg-era villas and well worth a day’s investigation.

Activities for families in Rijeka

With beaches, theatres and museums galore, Rijeka is a fantastic destination for families.

• Beaches: Kantrida beach, 4km west of the centre, is a simple pebbly affair that’s always been popular with local families, while Ploče is one of the best-organized urban beaches in the northern Adriatic, with a broad bay of shallow pebble backed by play areas.

• Interactive museums: Rijeka is packed with fab museums, none more family-friendly than Peek & Poke, whose hands-on exhibits and video games are a big hit with kids. For young ones. the Natural History Museum has beautifully presented displays on geology and marine life, including some ferocious-looking stuffed sharks.

• Theatre and cinema: Rijeka’s puppet theatre is one of the most well-regarded in Croatia, with enchanting shows for children taking place between Thursdays and Saturdays, though not in July and August. Artr-kino Cinema stages outdoor summer screenings in an old monastery courtyard.

Free things to do in Rijeka

Rijeka is packed with activities that you can enjoy without having to dip too deeply into your wallet, from fab beaches to some of the country’s biggest festival events.

• Free events: Rijeka plays host to the biggest carnival celebrations in Croatia, with a main parade centred on carnival floats and fancy-dress costumes, although there is one authentic older element in the shape of the zvončari, young men clad in animal skins who ring enormous cow bells to drive away evil spirits.

• Free museums: Take advantage of free entry days at some of Rijeka’s museums, for example, the Maritime and History Museum of the Croatian Littoral, which offers free admission on certain days.

• Beaches: Kantrida beach, 4km west of the centre, is a simple pebbly affair that’s always been popular with local families, while Ploče is one of the best-organized urban beaches in the northern Adriatic, with a broad bay of shallow pebbles backed by play areas.

Nature and outdoor activities in Rijeka

Rijeka’s enviable location, where mountains meet sea, ensures that it’s ripe for any number of adventurous pursuits.

• Hiking: Dominating the skyline above Rijeka, the long, forest-covered ridge of the Učka massif offers a variety of hiking trails catering to all levels of fitness. The most direct route up the mountain takes around three and a half hours.

• Sea kayaking: The clear, calm waters of Kvarner Bay attract sea kayakers from all over, and you’ll see shoals of orange-bibbed paddlers along the shoreline – it’s a great way to view Rijeka from a different perspective. Stand-up paddleboarding is big here too.

• Boat tours: Plenty of companies operate boats and catamarans out of the harbour, so hop aboard and explore the nearby islands, coves and hidden beaches – with stops for snorkelling and swimming along the way.

• Mountain biking: Within the nearby Učka Nature Park there are eight recommended routes for mountain bikers, mostly either of the red or black run variety, so get your pedal legs on.

Local dishes in Rijeka

Seafood in the Kvarner is as good as anywhere in Croatia, but there are plenty of other culinary delicacies which make holidays to Rijeka a standout destination for food lovers.

Some typical dishes

• Scampi na buzaru: Served in a rich garlic and white wine sauce, the scampi are invariably served whole and unpeeled – you are supposed to prize them open with your fingers and suck out the white flesh. Have a serviette to hand …

• Surlice: Absolutely scrumptious, these long, thin tubes of pasta dough are traditionally eaten sa gulašom (with goulash) or sa žgvacetom (with lamb stew).

• Peka: A dish of meat (often lamb or octopus) and vegetables cooked under a bell-like dome covered with hot coals, resulting in tender, flavourful fare.

Fish and seafood dishes

• Brodet: A mouthwatering fish stew comprising various types of fish, to which tomatoes and wine are added. It is typically served with polenta.

• **Sardele na žaru:**Grilled sardines, a simple yet flavour-filled dish which you can find in just about any restaurant.

Meat dishes

• Ćevapi: Juicy rissoles of grilled minced meat served with ajvar (a pepper-based condiment) and flatbread – the classic Balkan staple.

• Pašticada: Big slabs of beef stewed in prunes and red wine, this dish features on the lunchtime menus of almost every konoba.

Sweets and desserts

The nearby town of Lovran is famous for its large, sweet cherries (trešnje), so be sure to pick up a kilo or two, while Crikvenica is renowned for Frankopan torta, a cake made with apricots or peaches, almonds, raisins and sweet spices, and topped with whipped cream.

Local drinks

• Rakija: There’s nothing like a shot of rakija (grape brandy) to oil the wheels of social intercourse. Knock back a herb-infused travarica or carob-flavoured rogačica for a truly heart- and soul-warming experience.

• Wine: The most famous of the region’s wines is Vrbnička Žlahtina, an excellent white from Vrbnik on Krk’s east coast.