Looking at the Opatija Riviera with its glamorous villas today, it is hard to imagine that just two hundred years ago almost the entire area was covered in dense laurel forest. At that time, there were only about 120 houses and the Church of St James here. The latter had been built as part of the former Benedictine monastery – the abbey, or opatija in Croatian, which gave the town its name.

The transformation of Opatija into a gem of Croatian tourism started with the Villa Angiolina. It was built as a holiday residence in 1844 by the renowned merchant Iginio Scarpa, who named it after his prematurely deceased wife. The villa was built in the Biedermeier style, with classical and romantic elements. It was a summer residence that had all the amenities typical of the era: a large garden surrounding it, with outbuildings that included a nursery with a greenhouse, the present-day Swiss House, and a carriage shed.

The villa was built near the church of St James. It is surrounded by an English-style garden with a view of the sea. The Villa Angiolina was the first building in Opatija intended for relaxation and escape from an urban environment. It is therefore not surprising that it is today considered the cradle of tourism in the area. It is surrounded by the park of the same name, which is a true botanical gem. This is thanks to Scarpa who, in addition to carefully preserving local vegetation, enriched the park with rare plants from various parts of the world, which were presumably brought to him by the captains of his ships.

Originally, the villa, apart from being a summer residence for the Scarpa family, was also used to welcome distinguished guests from all over the Monarchy. Its enchanting park and luxurious salons were enjoyed by the political and social elite of the time. Opatija was visited by, among others, Empress Maria Anna, Ban (Viceroy) Josip Jelačić with his wife Sofia, Emperor Franz Joseph’s brother Maximilian with his wife Charlotte, Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the Interior Minister of the Austrian Empire Alexander Bach, commander of the ‘Tegetthoff’ polar expedition, and many other dignitaries.

In 1882, the general manager of the Austrian Southern Railways, Friedrich Julius Schüler, came to Opatija and was enchanted by the beauty of the area and its nature. Following his decision, the Southern Railways bought the Villa Angiolina from Count Chorinsky – who owned the villa at that time – and converted it into a guesthouse. This was followed by the construction of the Hotels Kvarner and Kronprinzessin Stephanie (today the Imperial), as well as other villas and hotels. Thanks to the doctors who, as guests of Opatija, noticed the benefits of the climate of the area, numerous sanatoriums were built in the town at the end of the 19^th century. Today, the Villa Angiolina is open to all visitors, including those who just want to stroll along the paths of the park.

After renovation and reconstruction, the Villa Angiolina reopened its doors as the seat of the Croatian Museum of Tourism.