Spread between three historic buildings, this excellent museum houses a permanent collection of old photographs, postcards, brochures and posters tracing the history of tourism, and there鈥檚 always a well-presented travel-themed exhibition as well. But it's the buildings themselves that are the main attraction. The restored Villa Angiolina is one of Opatija鈥檚 grandest structures 鈥 a marvel of trompe l鈥櫯搃l frescos, Corinthian capitals, gilded mirrors and geometric floor mosaics 鈥 though the addition of modern windows is a crime against architecture.
Verdant gardens surround the villa, replete with ginkgo trees, sequoias, holm oaks, Japanese camellias (Opatija's symbol) and even a little open-air theatre where costumed recitals are held. Neighbouring Swiss House (1875) was an outbuilding of the main villa, used partly as a buttery. Further west, past St James' Church, the Juraj 艩porer Artistic Pavillion (1900) was originally built as a patisserie.
