Rijeka, the third largest city in Croatia after Zagreb and Split, is located on the shores of the River Bay in the Adriatic Sea. To this day, the life of the city determines the presence in it of two ports, cargo and passenger, they also bring Rijeka the main part of the income, however, like tourism. By land, it is connected with the most important cities in Croatia (as well as some cities in Italy and Slovenia) by good roads. Check clothesbliss for how to get to Croatia.
The city got its name from the place where it was located – near the Rechina River, which in translation simply means “river”. Other names for Rijeka are Rzheka, Fiume, Flaum.
How to get there
- By plane
From Moscow, the journey to Rijeka will take a little over 5 hours, including at least one transfer. The nearest airport is located 30 km from the city, on the island of Krk, from there you can get to the coast in the Rijeka region via an arched road bridge by taxi or bus. Shuttles run from the airport to the city, the ticket costs about 43 HRK. The prices on the page are for December 2021.
- By train
The railway line Zagreb – Pula passes through Rijeka, so you can first get to the Croatian capital in a convenient way, and then come to Rijeka: the train takes 3.5-4.5 hours, tickets from 110-120 HRK.
- By car
Rijeka is connected by good roads to the most important cities in Croatia (as well as some cities in Italy and Slovenia).
- On a ferryboat
Rijeka is home to the largest port in Croatia. Ferries run between the city and Zadar, Split, Dubrovnik, as well as the nearest islands.
Business tourism in Rijeka
Busy transport routes and bustling commercial activity in Rijeka made the city the center of business tourism in Croatia. Despite the large number of attractions, regular exhibitions, symposiums and salons are of great interest, which attract business people from all over Croatia and many European countries (most often from Slovenia and Italy). Business representatives from all over the world gather major exhibitions: Automotive, North Adriatic, Nautika.
Rijeka Hotels
There are many hotels in the city: from modest city hotels to the luxurious Hotel Continental, which is located in the very center of the city in a 19th century building. and is one of the symbols of Rijeka. All hotels provide an extensive range of services and are fully consistent with their category. Given the business reputation of the city, many hotels and restaurants offer corporate service and provide conference and meeting rooms.
In restaurants in Rijeka, you can find traditional dishes from various countries, but it is still worth trying Croatian cuisine, which, combined with local wines, will leave an unforgettable experience.
History
Archaeological excavations have shown that people began to settle in these places in the Neolithic times. Before our era, the Celts lived here, their settlement was called Tarsatika (now it is part of modern Rijeka called Trsat). In the 1st century BC e. the city was captured by the Romans and until the 5th century, until the Western Roman Empire fell, the city was under their control. In subsequent centuries, Rijeka changed hands: the Franks, Goths, Turks, Slavs and many other peoples rightly considered the geographical position of this settlement very advantageous and constantly conquered this strategic port. In the 15th century, Rijeka became one of the possessions of the Austrian Habsburgs and received two new names: Fiume (as the Italians and Hungarians called it) and Flaum (Austrian name). During the 19th and 20th centuries, the long-suffering city constantly moved from one state to another, being considered Italian, sometimes Hungarian, sometimes Yugoslav, and only since 1991 Rijeka has been part of Croatia. Until now, the architecture of the city shows a variety of styles and passions of different eras.
Entertainment and attractions of Rijeka
The most ancient attraction of the city is Stara Vrata, the Old Roman gate of the antiquity. Once the lights were part of the fortress wall that protected the city. The most famous is the castle on the Trsat hill. It is from here that a magnificent view of the city and the port water area opens.
The historic center of Rijeka – the Old Town – captivates travelers with narrow winding streets paved with cobblestones, picturesque houses under red tiled roofs and lots of greenery. Pedestrian Crozot Street (its ensemble is made in the traditions of Austro-Hungarian architecture) gives you the opportunity to plunge into the atmosphere of a port city, cheerful and noisy. Crozot begins at the foot of the notable Baroque Clock Tower of the City. Bright strokes in the appearance of Rijeka are the Capuchin Catholic Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, the Church of St. Jerome in the Gothic style, the Cathedral of St. Vitus, built by the Jesuits in the form of a baroque rotunda. Modern buildings are very unobtrusively inscribed in architectural ensembles in which a variety of styles coexist.
Other sights of Rijeka:
- The Oblique Tower of Rijeka is a Venetian tower built at a slight angle, built in the 14th century.
- The Trsat area is a former settlement of the Celts.
- Museum of Art Nouveau and Contemporary Art – paintings, sculptures, posters, film and video works are collected here, exhibitions are constantly held. This museum is the center of the artistic life of the city (site). Address: Rijeka, Kresimirova ul., 26c.
- The Pomeranian Museum is the main museum of Rijeka, where you can learn about the history of the region (after all, Rijeka was its cultural center), see archeological finds, exhibits from antiquity, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, nautical charts and ship equipment, collections of personal belongings of significant people of the city. One of the pearls of the museum’s collection is a collection of clocks from the 18th-20th centuries by European masters. Address: Rijeka, Muzejski trg 1.
Developments
The Italian past of Rijeka still makes itself felt: the city has a long tradition of annual carnivals, and they combine the features of not only Venetian, but also Austrian and Slavic festivities. It turns out a kind of mix of Western European carnivals and Eastern European festivals of mummers. Carnival processions are held before Lent (in 2019 they will be held from January 17 to March 6), and they stretch for weeks. A few weeks before the main event, streets and squares are decorated, the queen and baron of the carnival are chosen, and a children’s procession takes place. But that’s not all: to give the festival even more scope before the main carnival action, an evening procession takes place along the pedestrian street Korzo to warm up and attract the crowd, and only then the largest carnival in Croatia begins.
People dress up in bright costumes and masks, and the most popular ones depict bulls – as a rule, these are participants in the “Procession of Bulls with Shepherds” – this is already a tribute to Slavic traditions. The queen and baron of the carnival is accompanied by a group depicting the Moors – as a rule, these are young girls, disguised and dressed as Africans and Arabs. The Moors are a symbol of the carnival, as is the leaning tower of Rijeka, they are depicted on all souvenirs and flags. As part of the carnival, not only traditional processions are held, but also DJ sets and even snowboarding competitions. You can check the dates and learn more about the Rijeka Carnival at the office. website (in English).
