Opatija : Croatia

Opatija (Italian Abbazia) is a city in western Croatia, just southwest of Rijeka on the Adriatic coast, population 7,850 (2001), total municipality population 12,719 (2001).
Opatija is situated in the Gulf of Kvarner (Quarnero or Carnaro) in a sheltered position at the foot of UÄ?ka mountain (Monte Maggiore), with Vojak peak at 1401 m. Opatija is located 90 km of Trieste by rail and 40 km of Pula by road. The city is geographically on the Istrian peninsula, though it is not in the Istria county, but the Primorje-Gorski Kotar county.
It is popular summer and winter resort, with average temperatures of 10°C in winter, and 25°C in summer. Opatija is surrounded by beautiful woods of laurel. The whole sea-coast to the north and south of Opatija is rocky and picturesque, and contains several smaller winter-resorts.
The old abbey, San Giacomo della Priluca, from which the place derives its name (abbazia and opatija mean “abbey� in Italian and Croatian, resp.) has been converted into a villa.