umsthn kongres4

MAINTENANCE OF CONGRESS

Hotel Milenij, Opatija, Croatia

DATE

September 15-18, 2010

LANGUAGE

Croatian and English are the official language of the Congress

CROATIAN AND ENGLISH WITH SIMULTANEOUS TRANSLATION

KVARNER I OPATIJA

Kvarner is a really unique area with a well indented coastline and numerous attractive islands, mountains, dense forests, lakes and rivers. It can commend a long tradition of tourism lasting almost 160 years.
Once Opatija was a favourite destination of numerous Hapsburg elite and even today it has preserved its exceptional beauty and unique harmony with nature.Its very mild Mediterranean climate (in winter 7.0°C and in summer 21.9°C) with warm seas and ample vegetation make this part of Kvarner a kind of green oasis.

Park Angiolina
This central park in Opatija is also a horticultural monument set over 3.64 ha with some 150 different plants growing there. In the centre of the park is Villa Angiolina, once the property of Higinio Scarpa, who was known as a great admirer of nature. Many plants were brought from the Far East, South America, Australia and other parts of the world and are not typical to this area. Among the more interesting plants is the Japanese Camellia (Camellia japonica) which, for its beauty, became one of the symbols of Opatija. This park is also ornamented with the oldest building in Opatija, the church of Sv. Jakov (St. Jacob) which, according to historical records, dates back to 1439.

Lungo mare
This well-known, 12 km long promenade is one of the numerous beauties of Opatija's Riviera connecting Volosko, Opatija, Ičići, Ika and Lovran. Its reconstruction began in 1885 with the opening of the first hotels in Opatija and was finished in 1889 when the first health resorts started.

Fountain - Helios and Selena
A beautiful fountain is situated close to the Church of Sv. Jakov in front of the Imperial Hotel and is the work of art of the sculptor Hans Rathausky from 1889.

Girl with a seagull
Opatija's unique symbol is the work of art of the sculptor Zvonko Car which has been standing near to the sea since 1956. Just like a mermaid it pays tribute to the numerous walkers strolling along Opatija's well known promenade and is certainly the most photographed monument by the numerous tourists visiting the town.

The Church of St. Jacob (crkva sv. Jakova)
This is the oldest building in Opatija and is mentioned in historical records as far back as 1439 and was built on the foundations of a Benedictine monastery, the Abbey (Opatija) which gave its name to the town. It is also unique as a replica of the relief "Pieta", the work of art of the famous Croatian sculptor Ivan Meštrović can be found here.

The Monument dedicated to Friedrich Julius Schuller
Friedrich Julius Schuller was the general manager of the Southern Railway Association and is considered a pioneer in transforming Opatija into a modern tourist destination. He purchased Villa Angiolina, built up the Kvarner Hotel and its annexes as well as other hotels and resorts.

The Summer theatre
A spectacular theatre with a huge stage situated at the Lido was opened back in 1931 with the pompous performance of Verdi's Aida. Its tradition has continued and today this is a long-established arena which hosts numerous national and world names such as Joe Zawinul, Seal, Tony Levin, Manu Katch, Gibonni, Parni Valjak, Arsen Dedić, Toni Cetinski... as well as numerous Croatian theatres offering performance of their opera's, operetta's and musicals.

Villa Angiolina
Opatija's tourist history began back in 1844 when the Croatian patrician and merchant, Higinio Scarpa, built Villa Angiolina and gave it the name of his late wife. This beautiful villa is situated very near to the coast and is ornamented with a park full of a variety of exotic plants. Here, the Scarpa family's numerous friends and business partners enjoyed the residence, including the Croatian banus Josip Jelačić and the Empress Mary-Anne, wife of Emperor Ferdinand I. In 2001, the Villa was rebuilt and restored and is today a place which supports numerous classical music concerts.

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