The river - the city of five seasons

Rijeka is often unfairly labeled as a boring, industrial town that doesn't offer much to the modern traveler. However, today the Kvarner capital is a modern university center with a rich cultural, sports and tourist offer. It is filled with many historical attractions, such as the invention of the first torpedo, the oldest working light bulb and the first photograph of a grain of sand in motion. The river is cosmopolitan, breathing with full lungs, and the locals claim that it also has five seasons. This is reflected in their carnival.

A city with a cosmopolitan feel

The river surprises even after a short walk through the picturesque coastal streets. The rich past of the place can be seen in its buildings, and we can easily imagine the bustle and impatience of people with suitcases in their hands, who at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century most often sailed from Rijeka to the then New World, America. The life jacket from the famous Titanic, which found its place in the city's Maritime and History Museum. The river was even an independent city-state for a few years, and this turbulent past can also be attributed to the proximity and influence of Italy. The center of the Kvarner Bay is still known today for its liberal spirit, and representatives of as many as 11 national minorities live in it, the most numerous of which are Italians, Serbs, Albanians, Bosniaks, Hungarians and Czechs.

The fifth season - a time of antics, dancing and fun

The river was known for its carnival life hundreds of years ago, when masked dances and parades were enjoyed by the Austrian and Hungarian nobility, Russian princesses, German barons and counts from all over Europe. The ancient tradition was revived by the Kvarner capital in 1982 and until today it has been shaped into a modern tourist offer, which ranks the city among list of 500 most important events in Europe , "top 500 European Events". Rijeka Carnival is more than just a reason to take the world less seriously for a short time. In a series of processions, "festas", competitions, exhibitions and concerts based on old carnival customs, with elements of Venetian and Austrian city carnivals, each of us will find something for ourselves. Carnival birth, which the locals call the fifth season, represents a kind of chasing away darkness and evil spirits and heralds the arrival of spring. This year, we will certainly have a hard time waiting for it, because the carnival time was written quite late in the calendar. This did not bother the carnival organizers, as they handed over the city keys to the carnival mayor, Master Toni, on January 21 and on the same day chose this year's queen of the Rijeka Carnival, thereby officially opening the carnival season. Local enthusiasts prepare for the entire course of events all year long, and there is a lot of work involved The Rijeka Carnival ranks as the third largest event of its kind in the world, and the city of Rijeka has been a full member of the European Association of Carnival Cities, FECC, since 1995.

Black man with white turban and "bell ringers"

The river and the carnival also serve us with different symbols. The distinctive sign of the city and the mascot of the carnival is »morcic", a black guinea pig with a white turban on its head, which is also a typical Kvarner tourist souvenir. It was probably created under the influence of Venice, which in the 17th and 18th centuries was obsessed with everything that smelled of the Orient, and the rich Venetian patricians liked to treat themselves to dark-skinned pages and servants in Eastern clothes. The latter sparked the imagination of Venetian goldsmiths, who created the figure of a Venetian moretta-black man with a white turban and a golden bust. The Reški morčić is a more modest copy of the moretto, which became part of traditional Kvarner women's jewelry due to its reasonable price, and was also worn by sailors and fishermen for good luck. We cannot imagine the Kvarner carnival and especially the haunting of winter without »bell ringers", which are strongly reminiscent of our Slovenian curents. Dressed in a navy striped shirt, with a scary mask and unusually large cow bells, they are the most characteristic carnival group, which send fear into the bones of many a visitor.

International Carnival Parade

The river is only a good hour's drive away from our capital, and so in the still cold days of March, we are offered the ideal opportunity to liven up our everyday life with a short escape into the world of fantasy, which this year offers 28. Rijeka International Carnival Parade. The climax of Rijeka's carnival spectacle, which the Sunday Times described as one of the most exotic events in the world, took place on March 6 in the city center, starting at 12 noon. The closing parade of masks, carnival groups and allegorical vehicles is a reflection of a centuries-old tradition, as well as a parody of the current political and social situation, when more than 10,000 participants in thematic groups from many European countries walk along the main Rijeka street Korzo. Everyone wants to present themselves in the best possible way, as they are accompanied by an average of 150,000 visitors every year, and the main procession is around 70,000 curious and fun-loving people.

Mediterranean temperament in our immediate vicinity

The easiest way to get to Reka is by car, but if you want to spice up your trip a bit more, you can go there by train. Ljubljana and the center of the Kvarner Bay are connected by two direct trains daily. Along the railway line built in 1873, we will get to know a city with a Central European history and a Mediterranean soul in just over two and a half hours of driving. Its location by the sea is the reason why there is no shortage of top cuisine and entertainment. In the recently opened to the Invidia Club they will make sure that we hedonists, hungry for fun and great food, are satisfied. Those who swear by good jazz will find their musical paradise in the club The tunnel, which is located in the unique ambience of the tunnel of the old railway line. Just a stone's throw from the main promenade, Korzo, there is a beautiful Art Nouveau building markets, where, in addition to the interesting catch of the day, you can also try fresh fish and seafood, as some stalls prepare, according to many, the best food in the city. For those with deeper wallets and a desire for an elegant ambiance, we recommend a visit to the nearby tourist center Abbeys or fishing villages. Both seaside resorts offer a range of top-class restaurants based on marine Mediterranean cuisine, among which are particularly renowned Le Mandrač, Amphora and Blue basement in Voloski and Bevanda in Opatija. Since Rijeka is primarily a transit and industrial city, most hotels are located along the Kvarner Riviera. It is the most recognizable in the city itself Hotel Bonavia, also known for its wellness center. Opatija boasts the longest tradition of tourism in the Kvarner Bay, where we will find the most offers for pampering the body and soul, as most hotels offer excellent treatments in their own spa and wellness centers. The river is therefore not just a barren harbor town, but a lively center that is interesting to the cosmopolitan traveler even at a time when the sea is not warm enough for carefree holiday splashing.