Volosko Fishing Village

At the northern end of Opatija's Lungomare promenade, the pastel-painted fishing village of Volosko has quietly become Croatia's most concentrated fine-dining destination. Its history is older than its glamorous neighbour: while Opatija was still a monastery surrounded by pastures, Volosko was already a busy Austrian customs harbour serving traders from Rijeka. Steep stone stairways climb from the small horseshoe port past 17th-century fishermen's cottages, many now converted into ateliers, wine bars and Michelin-recommended restaurants — Plavi Podrum, one of the oldest wine cellars on the Adriatic, has been serving here since 1888. The waterfront still has a working feel: nets drying on railings, elderly fishermen mending pots, and small blue-hulled boats going out at dawn for scampi. The 3.5-km walk from Volosko to Lovran along the belle-époque Lungomare, entirely at sea level, is one of the great coastal strolls in Europe — Chekhov, Puccini and Isadora Duncan all did it before you. Come in the late afternoon for aperitivo at the harbour, book dinner at Bevanda or Plavi Podrum in advance, and time your return walk for after dark when the little chapel of St. Anne floats above the sea, softly lit.