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Kvarner Bay lies on the eastern side of the Učka
mountain and travelling from Pula to Rijeka along the coast there
is a great view of Učka rising above the town of Rijeka and the
small towns of the Opatija Riviera. The Vinodol valley stretches
along the northeastern part of the Kvarner coast and the
southeastern side of the bay is defined by Zavratnica cove, which
cuts into the Velebit mountain. Kvarner is a good example of
dramatic diversity of climate and landscape within a small area,
so typical of Croatia: only twenty kilometres from the coast,
there are excellent ski slopes on Platak.
The Kvarner islands abound in beautiful sand
beaches. The Vransko lake in Cres is a natural wonder: its surface
is 16 meters above and the bottom 74 meters below sea level.
There are many small settlements
nestled along the Adriatic road running along the Kvarner coast.
Lovran, a place with a very pleasant climate and beautiful
vegetation, it has been inhabited since Roman times. Ika and Ićići
are two picturesque villages on the Adriatic road and Ićići has
a marina. Opatija is on the very border of Istria and Kvarner. It
was named after a Benedictine abbey first mentioned in the 15th
century. The town has a long tourist tradition and is one of the
most atmospheric destinations in the Adriatic during the whole
year. The town of Rijeka is the biggest town and port in the area.
Further along the Adriatic road lie the towns of Crikvenica and
Novi Vinodolski. Crikvenica was named after a church of the former
Pauline monastery which has been turned into a hotel. Novi
Vinodolski was in the Middle Ages the seat of the Frankopan dukes.
Further down the road is Senj. It was originally a Roman
settlement and it is famous for the Uskoci which opposed Venetian
naval power. Particularly interesting in the area is the Paklenica
National Park. The region ends with the bay of Zavratnica which
cuts into the land almost a kilometre, in the vicinity of
Jablanac. |
