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Villa Angiolina Park Angiolina built in 1844 by a patrician from Rijeka, merchant Higin Scarpa who named it after his late spouse Angiolina. In 1875. The villa was sold to Moravian count Victor Chorinsky. Besides the numerous friends and business partners of Scarpa family, Villa hosted Croatian viceroy Josip Jelacic /1850/ with his wife Sofia, and empress mother Marie Anne, a spouse of emperor Ferdinand I, who spent in Opatija the whole balneal season of year 1860. Lungomare This 12km long coastal promenade joins up the main points along the Opatija Riviera - Volosko, Opatija, Icici, Ika and Lovran. Undisturbed by traffic, this walk along the sea front presents a wonderful opportunity to escape the stresses of everyday life. Construction of the promenade began in 1885, at the same time as Opatijas first two hotels were being opened, The Kvarner in 1884, The Imperial in 1885, and was completed in 1889 when Opatija was declared a climatic health resort. In 1911, during the period of greatest expansion of tourism along the Riviera, the promenade was connected to the neighbouring city of Lovran. Along this path may be found monuments to some of the famous people who used to stay in Opatija, including the writer Henrik Sienkiewicz /above the harbour/, doctor Theodor Billroth /on the wall of St. Jacobs church/, and general Jozef Pilsudski /in the park in front of the Juraj Sporer arts pavilion/. St. Jacobs Church, Opatija, Park sv. Jakova 2 St. Jacobs Church was built around 1420 as a Benedictine colony. This abbey later gave its name to the whole city /Opatija - Abbey/. Little is left of its original form because it was rebuilt in 1506, renovated at the end of the 18th century, and expanded in the 1930s. A replica of the Pieta relief by the famous Croatian sculptor Ivan Mestrovic is kept here. Ucka Nature Park Characteristics of the Park Ucka Nature Park is characterised by an exceptional variety of features in a comparatively small area. Ucka is probably the only place in the world where one can take a photograph of the endemic bell-flower Uckarski zvoncic /Campanula tommasiniana/ and one of the last European locations where patient bird watchers will be rewarded with impressive glimpses of the griffon vulture /Gyps fulvus/ or golden eagle /Aquila chrysaetos/. These species are two outstanding representatives of the ornithological life to be found on Ucka, which includes more than 70 nesting birds and many other birds that occasionally visit this mountain.
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