Istria and Kvarner: secret Croatian beaches and little Venice
(CNN) — Head to Croatia’s northern Adriatic coast to discover some of the country’s most attractive regions. While Dubrovnik and other parts of southern Dalmatia receive most of the attention, the Istrian peninsula and the neighboring islands and coastal ports of the Kvarner Gulf reveal other sides of the rich Croatian culture and history.
In fact, there is almost too much history to absorb – the ancient Greeks and Romans, Venetians, Austro-Hungarians and Italians all left their mark on the region’s architecture, language and food.
Ah yes, food. Truffles, olive oil and deliciously juicy oysters and mussels in Istria, fantastically fatty langoustines in Kvarner, lamb from Cres with a sumptuous taste — and everything goes well with Istrian white malvasia and terana and crisp white Krk zlahtina.
When you’re not exploring ancient Roman ruins, Venetian villages and Habsburg cities, you’re enjoying the hundreds of beaches that stretch along the long Istrian coast to the neighboring Opatija Riviera and the shores of the Kvarner Gulf. Then hop on a ferry to wander the bay’s islands — Krk, Cres, Lošinj and Rab — each accessible from the other, but all requiring a lingering view.
Istria
Medieval Motovun clings to a hill that rises above the vineyards.
dreamer4787/Adobe Stock
Walk along the heart-shaped coast of the Istrian peninsula and you will wonder if you have mistakenly wandered across the Italian border. At various times in its long history, Istria was part of the Roman, Venetian and Habsburg Empires — as well as Italy itself until after World War II — and you can see and taste that legacy everywhere.
Pula has a magnificent Roman amphitheater.
kaycco/Adobe Stock
In Pula, at the southern end of the peninsula, you will see one of the best-preserved Roman amphitheatres in the world, an environment for concerts and the Pula Film Festival. Along the west coast is the incredibly beautiful port of Rovinj — or Rovigno, as it is also known in this bilingual city. Its Venetian-style townhouses are crammed into narrow streets and tiny squares in the medieval old town where you’ll find yourself at one point on the cobbled steps of Grisia, one of its prettiest streets. The best view of the city is provided by one of the boats that regularly sail to the islet of Saint Katarina.
The Parenzana trail runs along an old railway line.
Andrea Vismara/Adobe Stock
Abbey
Opatija is lined with Belle Epoque buildings, such as Villa Angiolina.
volff/Adobe Stock
When the Habsburgs discovered the mild climate of Opatija in the 19th century, they turned the small fishing village on the coast of the Kvarner Bay into the cradle of Croatian tourism.
There is a small but fascinating collection of old photographs, vintage beachwear, posters, postcards and memorabilia dating back over 150 years. Look out for the park’s Wall of Fame, which displays giant paintings of previous visitors, including Albert Einstein, James Joyce, Isadora Duncan, Gustav Mahler, Robert De Niro and the Lumière brothers.
One of the most pleasant ways to explore the city — and other parts of the Opatija Riviera — is to follow the Lungomare. This seaside promenade winds along the coast for almost five miles from the fishing village of Volosko north of Opatija to the town of Lovran at the foot of the Učka Nature Park.
River
See the palaces from the Habsburg era on Rijeka’s Korz.
robertharding/Alamy Stock Photo
To go much further back in time, climb the 528 steps (or take the bus) to Trsat Castle, a 13th-century fortress on a cliff overlooking Rijeka, with a beautiful view of the city and the islands of the Kvarner Gulf . Trsat is also a place of pilgrimage — there is the church of Our Lady of Trsat and the adjacent park with Stations of the Cross along hiking trails and viewpoints.
Krk
Krk is an ideal place for the beach.
Pablo Debate/Adobe Stock
Connected to neighboring Cres as the largest island in Croatia and home to Rijeka Airport, Krk is connected to the mainland by a long bridge. Many visitors bypass the lively resort of Baška, nestled in a sheltered spot at the southern end of Krk — but there are many more beaches along the heavily indented coastline. The village of Vrbnik is a place where you can try the autochthonous white žlahtina from Krk.
The city of Krk, the largest settlement on the island, reveals the complex history of the region within its old town core, with its medieval fortress, Roman masonry and Venetian houses in narrow stone streets. Look for hiking trails that lead you to secluded pebble beaches.
Cres
The town of Cres is another small Venice.
Mislav/Adobe Stock
The long, thin island of Cres winds along the western coast of Krk. This is a relatively untouched part of the Adriatic where sheep roam the thickets and produce the most delicious Croatian lamb. You’ll find just a handful of villages, including the tiny Venetian-style town of Cres and the much smaller Osor, which dates back to Roman times and whose streets are full of public art.
Lošinj
Pristine Lošinj is a perfect refuge.
SVphotography/iStockphoto/Getty Images
Connected by a swing bridge to the southwestern side of Cres, Lošinj descends into the farthest part of the Kvarner Bay. While it may take some effort to get there, it is infinitely worth it.
Filled with wild plants, Lošinj has a soothing scent, which you will discover walking or cycling along the paths in the shade of the pine trees that frame parts of the island.
Back in the 19th century, the Austro-Hungarian emperor Franjo Josip saw the potential of Lošinj as a place where you can completely relax in that fragrant air. One of his favorite places was the deformed Čikat bay, whose clear sea lined with Aleppo pines is as inviting as ever.
Rab
A different kind of royalty put the island of Rab on the map. In 1936, the short-lived British King Edward VIII and his then-lover Wallis Simpson stripped off and jumped naked into the waters off the Frkanj peninsula, sparking a tradition of naturism that has never left. Somehow this small island manages to pack at least two dozen sandy beaches — quite a feat in a country dominated by pebble and rocky coves. Walk along the Lopar peninsula and you will come across several of the most beautiful.
It was not only the clear sea of Rab that enchanted the royal visitors. The extraordinary and beautifully preserved medieval architecture of the city of Rab, which includes four Romanesque campaniles, is equally alluring.