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 the pearl of Croatian tourism was set in motion by none other than Villa Angiolina. Built in 1844 as a holiday home by the esteemed merchant Iginio Scarpa and named after his prematurely deceased wife, Angiolina, this villa—constructed in the Adriatic Biedermeier style—quickly became the social hub for distinguished guests from across the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. Within its enchanting garden and opulent salons, the elite of the era reveled: Empress Maria Anna, Ban Josip Jelačić, and renowned scientists, writers, and artists of the time.

Today, the Villa Angiolina is open to all visitors, including those who just want to stroll along the paths of the park.

As part of an upcoming project, the building of Villa Angiolina will undergo significant physical and functional restoration and reconstruction. This will prevent further degradation of the protected cultural monument, returning it to its original state. The museum space will also be modernized with new exhibits to showcase Croatia’s tourism heritage more dynamically, enhancing its appeal to visitors.

Post-project, the museum’s operations will improve thanks to better infrastructure, refreshed and contemporary exhibits, increased visibility, and other enhancements.