Croatia - Eastern Europe - page 183

GETTING THERE & GETTING AROUND
BY CAR If you've driven to Rijeka, it's only another 20 minutes to Opatija via the
coastal highway.
BY BUS The bus (no. 32) stops in front of the Rijeka train station and travels the
length of the Riviera to Lovran every 20 minutes for 10kn ($1.90/90p) one-way.
Once in Opatija, walking throughout the town and to nearby villages is customary.
WHERE TO STAY & DINE
The Millennium at Mar s ala Tita 109 ( & 051/202-000 ) has oversize bathrooms
that are better than average, with double marble sinks and little conveniences like
retractable clotheslines. The windows have remote-control awnings, but the pillows
are flat as pancakes, and the towels are skimpy. Guests have pool and gym privileges,
and the staff will make dinner reservations, call a cab, or send your faxes, but doubles
that start at 170

€

($217) are steep considering that most other services require an

extra fee.
The lemon-drop-yellow Bristol , at Mar s ala Tita 108 ( & 051/706-300 ),
reopened in late June 2005 after an extensive renovation that ended 15 years of being
closed to the public while it sheltered Slavoninan Croats who were displaced by the
1991 war. Happily, the Bristol is now a sophisticated, tasteful showpiece with doubles
starting at 156

€

($200). The exceptional English-speaking staff will help guests find
a restaurant, book a bike tour/countryside picnic, and everything in between.
The Hotel Astoria , at Mar s ala Tita 174 ( & 051/706-350 ), was built in 1904
as Villa Louise in Austrian-Mediterranean style. Today the hotel's atmosphere is more
Guggenheim Museum with touches of whimsy. Guest rooms, which start at 150

€
($192) for a double, are sleek and comfortable with artwork, vases filled with lucky
bamboo, and a generous-size flat-panel TV.
Despite Viennese architect Carl Seidl's artful 1924 reconstruction of the property,
Villa Ariston's guest rooms, which start at 810kn ($139/£74) for a double, are dis-
appointingly cramped, dim, and in need of updating. The presidential suite, however,
has a fabulous balcony and an unsurpassed view of the garden. It is rumored that Coco
Chanel and JFK slept in the inn at Mar s ala Tita 179 ( &

051/271-379 ), but not

together.
Walking up the long, wide staircase to the Hotel Imperial 's front door at Mar s ala
Tita 124/3 ( & 051/271-577 ) makes you feel like you're approaching a monument,
and once inside, the impression sticks. The hotel was built in 1885 and resembles a
fine old opera house—crystal chandeliers, soaring ceilings, long corridors, heavy vel-
vet curtains, and a dining room fit for a royal banquet. Guest rooms, which start at
585kn ($101/£53) for a double, have updated bathrooms and period furniture, but
they are dark and tired-looking even if they have balconies.
Preluk ( & 051/622-249 ) is a campground 4.8km (3 miles) north of Opatija
near Volosko, and for 109kn ($19/£10) for two people and a car and tent site, it is
particularly well-situated bargain for those who love watersports.
Amfora , at C rnikovica 4 ( & 051/701-222 ), in Volosko about 1.6km (1 mile)
away from Opatija's main drag, is one of the best restaurants on the Opatija Riviera.
Try the savory black risotto done to creamy perfection and full of tender pieces of
squid—it's an Adriatic specialty.
Slatina , at Mar s ala Tita 206 ( & 051/271-949 ), is a local hangout on an
enclosed porch, and it dishes up huge portions of Slav specialties like s opse salad, a mix