The Croatian Museum of Tourism Program for 2025 has been designed to attract audiences with a variety of engaging and diverse content. We present the beauty and uniqueness of Croatia through a wide media range—from photographic series to anthological paintings of cityscapes and landscapes, told through the artistic language of modernist painters. We invite you to the opening of the Ljubo De Karina Sculpture Park in Brseč, an exceptional cultural and tourist offering in this part of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County.
The program is thematically complemented by well-known Opatija events that attract a large number of visitors. These include Retro Opatija, during which we will showcase the legendary rock band Indexi with an exhibition arriving from Sarajevo. For the Chocolate Festival, the museum will host an exhibition from the Chocolate Museum in Zagreb, which will present an intriguing story about the history of this delicacy through over 100 exhibits.
With the exhibition “Along the Routes of the Orient Express”, we mark the 100th anniversary of the iconic Esplanade Hotel in Zagreb, linking this milestone to the thrilling story of the Orient Express and revealing how Opatija was once one of the destinations of this luxury train.
Work continues on the completion of the first section of the permanent exhibition, dedicated to the Scarpa family and the origins and life of Villa Angiolina.
Through educational programs specifically designed for different age groups, we aim to attract as many visitors as possible and expand their knowledge of topics related to the history and present of Croatian and Opatija tourism. We are also planning additional activities and events, which will be announced to the public in due time.
“Deliciously Croatia”
Photographs by Damir Fabijanić
Opening: May 6, 2025, at 7 PM
Exhibition dates: May 6 – June 15, 2025
The exhibition Deliciously Croatia was created in 2015 and is being presented in Croatia for the first time. The photographs are a selection from the long-standing photographic work of Damir Fabijanić, with some of them featured in the Croatian Tourist Board’s catalog of Croatian food and wine gastronomy. Deliciously Croatia is a photo essay in which Fabijanić takes us on an exciting journey through Croatia—from the enchanting Adriatic coast to the diverse inland regions.
Through images of selected details of cultural and natural heritage, past and present, as well as ingredients and culinary delicacies from various parts of the country, the author creates visual, associative, and aesthetic connections between two motifs. As a publisher, editor-in-chief, and freelance photographer for over three decades, Fabijanić presents not only a personal vision of Croatia but also elements that are an inseparable part of national identity.
He has photographed the landmarks of Opatija many times, but this will be his first solo exhibition in the area.
Damir Fabijanić has been working professionally in photography since 1987. He is the author of over a hundred solo exhibitions in Croatia and abroad and has received multiple awards. He has created numerous photographic series and projects (Fruits of Evil, Dubrovnik Summer Residence, London from A to Z, In the Middle of Things, Pag Lace, among others), and has collaborated with many institutions. He has also served as the lead photographer and photo editor for several specialized magazines (Croatia, Croatia Airlines, Oris, Iće&piće).
Damir Fabijanić
Grouper / Island under construction, Mljet Island (from the Deliciously Croatia series)
Opening of the Ljubo De Karina Sculpture Park
Hommage to the Natural and Spiritual Heritage of the Homeland
Brseč, May 24, 2025, at 12 PM
Sculptor Ljubo De Karina is an artist of exceptional talent, with a deep sensitivity for working with natural materials, especially stone and wood. He is profoundly connected to his Mediterranean roots and the traditional culture of his homeland. He has developed a distinctive body of work consisting of organic and geometric abstractions of simple forms, inspired by mythical legends, Slavic mythology, and the mystical character of Neolithic culture.
He has transformed the landscape above the cliffs of Brseč into a Sculpture Park spanning approximately 12,000 square meters. The first sculpture was installed in 1996, and by the time of the opening, over 50 sculptures will be harmoniously placed throughout the park. The sculptures are predominantly made of stone and represent his most significant sculptural cycles (Stone on Stone, Penetrations, Verticals, Glagolitic Letters, Stone Pebbles, and others).
The Sculpture Park will be open to the public on weekends (closed during the summer).
Aerial view of the Sculpture Park, Brseč
“INDEXI – In Every Way the Best of the Best”
Opening: June 26, 2025, at 8 PM
Exhibition dates: June 26 – July 13, 2025
Part of the RETRO OPATIJA event series
To mark the 50th anniversary of the first performance of the most beautiful ode to love, “Ti si mi bila u svemu naj, naj, naj!” (You Were the Best of the Best in Everything to Me!), originally performed by the legendary band Indexi at the Opatija Festival in 1975, the Croatian Museum of Tourism is hosting the multimedia exhibition “INDEXI – In Every Way the Best of the Best”, curated by Amina Abdičević, museum advisor at the Museum of Literature and Performing Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
This exhibition, which was first presented to the Sarajevo public in 2023/24 on the streets of the city, will be expanded with numerous new exhibits, especially those that highlight Indexi’s connections to Opatija. It will offer a compelling insight into the career of Indexi, a band closely tied to Opatija in many ways. Moreover, it presents a unique opportunity for visitors of all generations to experience the spirit of the 1970s, a golden era in which Indexi achieved great musical success.
Indexi was a Bosnian rock band founded in 1962 in Sarajevo. Many of their compositions left an indelible mark on the history of Yugoslav rock music. Alongside their legendary singer Davorin Popović, the creative force behind many of their songs included Slobodan Bodo Kovačević and Fadil Redžić.
The enduring connection between the iconic Sarajevo band and Opatija dates back to 1967, when Indexi made their first appearance at a music festival. With their song “Jutro će promijeniti sve” (Morning Will Change Everything) in 1968, Indexi reached the finals of the Opatija Festival. That same year, they introduced audiences to Kornelije Bata Kovač’s composition “Ako jednom budeš sama” (If You Ever Find Yourself Alone). It was at the Opatija Festival that they performed some of their greatest hits and met poet Maja Perfiljeva and composer Hrvoje Hegedušić, forging a long-lasting collaboration and friendship that resulted in timeless classics.
We invite citizens to contact us if they have any memorabilia related to Indexi’s performances in Opatija (photos, posters, etc.).
Indexi on Lido, Opatija
Blue Gazes
Opening: July 18, 2025, at 8 PM
Exhibition dates: July 18 – September 7, 2025
Seascapes and Coastal Views in Croatian Fine Art from Plein Air to Abstraction
From the Collection of the National Museum of Modern Art
We are pleased to announce the guest appearance of the National Museum of Modern Art, whose Zagreb headquarters is currently closed for renovation. This special exhibition in Opatija will present a selection of anthological works from the NMMU collection, which contains over 12,400 artworks, with a focus on Croatian landscape and coastal painting.
While reaffirming the widely held belief in the beauty of the landscape and the picturesque charm of architecture and life by the sea, the exhibition also offers a stylistic overview of the genre’s evolution—tracing the artistic movements that shaped modern art. Serving as a kind of compendium of 20th-century painting, the exhibition spans the aesthetic codes of plein air painting, realism, symbolism, expressionism, idealism, neo-cubism, lyrical realism, socially engaged art, and abstract art—the latter characterized by the reduction of the landscape into free forms, where color and dynamism evoke the eternal fluidity of the sea’s surface.
At a time of heightened awareness about the fragility of our ecological systems and the dramatic consequences of the tourism industry on the sustainability of balance between survival and prosperity, the blues of sea and sky—depicted through a century of artistic dedication to the beauty of nature—serve as a powerful reminder of the importance of protecting it beyond the canvas, in real life.
Featured artists include:
Mato Celestin Medović, Menci Klement Crnčić, Vlaho Bukovac, Emanuel Vidović, Bela Čikoš Sesija, Vladimir Becić, Ljubo Babić, Ignjat Job, Juraj Plančić, Jerolim Miše, Ivo Dulčić, Vilim Svečnjak, Oton Postružnik, Edo Murtić, Oton Gliha, Ante Kaštelančić, Mila Kumbatović, and others.
Menci Klement Crnčić, Jugovina, 1915 – 1920, oil on canvas
Permanent Exhibition on the Scarpa Family and Villa Angiolina
Opening: Late July 2025
Museum advisor and educator Vesna Leiner is leading the final preparations for the first section of the permanent exhibition dedicated to the Scarpa family and the history of Villa Angiolina, which we plan to open at the end of July 2025 in the small salon on the ground floor of the villa.
The exhibition will be based on a multimedia presentation and original artifacts, offering an immersive glimpse into life in the oldest villa in Opatija and the daily life of the Scarpa family, as well as the creation of the Angiolina Park during the lifetime of Higinio Scarpa. The display will also highlight visits by notable political and social figures, along with the early beginnings of tourism in Opatija.
View of Villa Angiolina around 1880, old postcard
On Croatian Tracks of the Orient Express – Esplanade 100
Opening: September 19 at 7 PM
Exhibition dates: September 20 – October 31, 2025
This exhibition reveals the historical connections between Zagreb and Opatija with the Orient Express, one of the most famous trains in history, while also celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Esplanade Hotel in Zagreb. Located just steps from the main railway station, the hotel was an ideal destination for travelers arriving by train. The first guest was a businessman from Osijek named Mr. Glück—whose name means “luck” in German—and he is believed to have brought good fortune to the hotel.
One of the later routes of the train included a stop in Vinkovci, which gained worldwide recognition thanks to Agatha Christie’s novel Murder on the Orient Express.
Since its inception in the late 19th century, the Orient Express symbolized luxury travel, elegance, and adventure, linking Western Europe with the exotic East. After Zagreb was added to one of the routes, the city welcomed numerous travelers who stayed at this luxurious hotel.
The idea of a luxury train connecting European capitals originated with Georges Nagelmackers, a Belgian entrepreneur who, in 1876, founded a company offering top-tier rail services, including sleeping cars and restaurant cars. The first Orient Express departed on October 4, 1883, from Paris to then-Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), and instantly became a symbol of prestige and refinement.
Over the years, the routes of the Orient Express evolved, with the most famous and original route connecting Paris to Istanbul via cities like Strasbourg, Munich, Vienna, Budapest, Bucharest, and Sofia.
One of the most renowned route variations was the Simplon Orient Express, introduced in 1919, which passed through southern Europe—including Milan, Venice, Ljubljana, Zagreb, and Belgrade, en route to Istanbul. This route was named after the Simplon Tunnel, then the world’s longest tunnel, which allowed passage through the Alps between Switzerland and Italy. Zagreb became an important stop on the Simplon route, with many travelers disembarking to explore the cultural and historical sights of Croatia’s capital.
The enterprising owners of the Orient Express organized excursions to various destinations along the train’s stops. One of these destinations was Opatija, accessible even from Venice. In Opatija, travelers were greeted by luxurious hotels like Hotel Kvarner, scenic seaside promenades (Lungomare), and elite society. For many passengers, the Orient Express was more than just a mode of transport—it was the beginning of a unique adventure that included relaxation on the Adriatic coast.
Route of the Simplon Orient Express, around 1920.
The Esplanade Hotel Café, circa 1930.
“The History of Chocolate”
November – December 2025
At the end of the year, during the Chocolate Festival, the Chocolate Museum Zagreb will present the exhibition “The History of Chocolate” at the Croatian Museum of Tourism. Through fascinating exhibits, illustrations, informative displays, and tastings of various types of chocolate, the exhibition takes visitors on an educational and entertaining journey that explores not only the history of chocolate—from the ancient civilizations of Central America to the modern day—but also its impact through the lenses of geography, culture, and society.
Special emphasis is placed on the way chocolate has shaped everyday life, customs, and economic trends across different historical periods and regions.
Few foods in the world have been as thoroughly studied or have exerted such a strong influence on society throughout history. Chocolate is all that and more. This is precisely why “The History of Chocolate” offers a unique opportunity to gain insight into the incredible story behind this globally beloved treat.
Blending scientific facts with engaging stories, this exhibition not only informs but also invites reflection on the role of food—especially chocolate—in the development of human communities.
The exhibition features over 100 artifacts from the collection of the Chocolate Museum Zagreb.
Starting in September at the Croatian Museum of Tourism – A Rich Educational Program
To mark the beginning of the new school year, we are preparing a series of educational programs – specialized guided tours tailored to various age groups.
Special attention will be given to collaboration with the local community, organizing educational activities and other content (lectures, panel discussions) for people of all ages and interests, with the aim of encouraging their creative and critical engagement.
The Croatian Museum of Tourism strives to be a center of cultural life in Opatija and a recognizable place for learning, entertainment, and creative leisure, not only for the citizens of Opatija and its surroundings but also for visitors and tourists.
Thank you for following the programs of the Croatian Museum of Tourism!
Author of photos in the gallery: Filip Gardoš for Kigo.hr
