Getting Oriented

The Kvarner region is a stretch of Adriatic coast dotted with some of the largest Croatian islands. Rijeka, the region’s administrative center and largest town, is within a five-hour drive of European hubs like Munich, Milan, Vienna, Budapest, Zagreb, and Ljubljana. The Kvarner's principal city, Rijeka, is a somewhat dilapidated port (although the 21st century has seen it making a reasonably committed effort at a comeback), with good road and rail connections to Zagreb. Genteel Opatija was founded by the Habsburgs in the mid-19th century as Croatia's first seaside resort. The regional airport is found on the island of Krk.