Back in 1884, Iginio Scarpa, a patrician from Rijeka, built the Villa Angiolina as a summer house, an event which would eventually mark the beginning of Opatija as a holiday resort. This beautiful Biedermeier building, named after Scarpa's late wife, is today one of the town's most recognisable landmarks. The villa is surrounded by a park dotted with exotic plants that were brought here from faraway parts of the world. Its scenic beauty continues to impress visitors at all times of the year.
A great nature lover Scarpa also left a horticultural legacy, with 60 ornamental fields and over 150 plant species decorating the grounds around Villa Angiolina. It features many exotic plants from all over the world, including the exotic Japanese camellia (Camellia Japonica), which has since become a symbol of tourism for Opatija.
The Villa Angiolina is today the home of the Croatian Museum of Tourism, which collects, houses, researches and exhibits tourism-related heritage items. It is a place to visit if you are interested in valuable collections of historic photographs, picture postcards, hotel items, maps, souvenirs and memorabilia. The price of an entrance ticket is approximately 2 euros.