Rijeka, Croatia

Although Rijeka (Fiume in Italian) is hardly a ‘must-see’ destination, it does have some real assets, such as Korzo (the pedestrian mall), a tree-lined promenade along the harbour, and the imposing hilltop fortress of Trsat. Lately, it’s the bar-club capital of northern Croatia, making it almost more interesting to visit by night than by day. Despite some unfortunate postwar architectural ventures in the outskirts, much of the cityscape contains the sort of ornate, imposing public buildings you would expect to find in Vienna or Budapest, evidence of the strong Austro-Hungarian influence exerted on the city’s cultural and economic life in the 19th century.

Rijeka is such an important transportation hub that it’s almost impossible to avoid. The buses, trains and ferries that connect Istria and Dalmatia with Zagreb and points beyond all seem to pass through the city. As Croatia’s largest port, Rijeka is full of boats, cargo, fumes, cranes and the kind of seedy energy that characterises most port cities. However, because there’s no beach, resources for visit­ors are scarce. The assumption here seems to be that everyone will either leave the area as fast as they possibly can or base themselves in Opatija.