ISTRIA - Croatia and Slovenia - page 277

contemporary-styled interiorandapartially glassed-interrace,thissplurgerestaurantserves
up classic Croatian flavors using modern methods (such as sous-vide ), upscale presenta-
tion, and a touch of French and Asian-fusion flair. As it earns raves for its creative ap-
proach to local cooking, reservations are smart in the summer (70-200-kn dishes, various
fixed-price meals for 300-500 kn, daily 11:00-24:00, obala F. Supila 10, tel. [phone],
www.lemandrac.com ). Volosko is adjacent to Opatija, in the direction of Rijeka; you can
walk from Opatija to Volosko in about 30 minutes, or drive there in five (you'll dive along
thetopoftown,thentake ahardrighttoheaddowntothelowerstreet andlookforparking,
and finally walk down one more level to the waterfront and harbor).
Opatija Connections
IntercitybusesleaveOpatijafromthebigSlatinasquare,justabovethebeach(nexttoGrand
Hotel Palace); before boarding, buy tickets at the Autotrans office just up the steep road out
of town.
From Opatija by Bus to: Rijeka (2/hour, 30 minutes), Pula (12-14/day, 2 hours), Rov-
inj (3/day, 3 hours), Zagreb (7-8/day, 3 hours), Split (3/day in summer, fewer on weekends
and off-season, 8 hours), and Dubrovnik (1/night, departs around 22:00, 12 hours). Info:
Mobile [phone], www.autobusni-kolodvor.com .
Rijeka
The industrial city of Rijeka (ree-YAY-kah; it translates as “River”) became Croatia's
biggest port under Austro-Hungarian rule. It's dainty little Opatija's bigger, burlier brother
(withapopulationof129,000).LikeOpatija,muchofRijeka'sarchitectureisreminiscentof
theglorydaysoftheHabsburgs.ButunlikeOpatija,mostofRijeka'sbuildingshaven'tbeen
renovated in the last century or so, giving it a seedy, gritty, past-its-prime feel. Since it's a
major transportation hub, there's a good chance you'll pass through. Here are the basics.
The bus station, train station, and ferry terminal are within a few blocks of each other in
a bustling waterfront business zone. The sector is crossed by two one-way streets (going in
oppositedirections): IvanaZajca (orthe“Riva,” alongthewaterfront,runswesttoeast)and
Adami ć eva (which changes its name a few times as it cuts east to west through town).