Macroregion of Rijeka is one of the four Croatian macroregions. The center of the region is Rijeka, situated on the estuary – mouth where the Rječina river flows into Rijeka Bay. Rijeka has a good traffic position. A 103 mi long highway connects Rijeka and Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. Road distance between Rijeka and Ljubljana is 71 mi and 46 mi between Rijeka and Trieste. The area is partially connected to the continental part of Croatia and neighboring Slovenia by the rail network. Thanks to the Adriatic highway (Croatian: Jadranska magistrala), Rijeka is connected to the entire coast and the distance between Rijeka and Dubrovnik is 375 mi. Rijeka's Airport is located on the second largest island in Croatia, Krk. The town is connected to the island of Krk by a bridge. The macroregion around Rijeka and the city itself borders on the largest Croatian peninsula, Istria. They are connected by the Učka tunnel. The islands within the Kvarner – Cres, Lošinj, Rab, Pag and other smaller islands such as Unije, Susak, Ilovik, are connected to Rijeka by ferries and ships.

The title of European Capital of Culture (EcoC) in 2020 gives Rijeka a special charm. The European Commission has awarded one or more cities the title of European Capital of Culture since 1985, so that these cities can enhance and emphasize their cultural and historical values. In 2020 Rijeka shared the EcoC title with the Irish Galway. Some of the former EcoC: Graz (Austria, 2003), Cork (Ireland, 2005), Linz (Austria, 2009), Essen (Germany, 2010), Maribor (Slovenia, 2012), Aarhus (Denmark, 2017).

Apart from being the first Croatian city to hold the title of EcoC, Rijeka is the third largest city in Croatia in terms of population (according to the Croatian Statistics Center CBS, it has 128,624 inhabitants), it has the largest seaport in Croatia and a very rich tradition of carnival parades. It is a university town, has industrial heritage and the water is its trademark.

If you are in Rijeka or its surroundings (Kvarner islands, Gorski kotar, Istria, Zagreb,...), and if you want to get to know Rijeka, connect with a licensed tour guide and:

meet:

• Rijeka's old town;
• Rijeka's Korzo;
• sanctuary complex of Trsat;
• Trsat Fortress.

find out:

• what Robert Whitehead and Fiorello la Guardia were doing in Rijeka in the 19th and 20th centuries and where they lived;
• from whence are derived the names Sankt Veit am Pflaum, Flumen Sancti Viti and Fiume;
• why there is the torpedo - launch station in Rijeka;
• where is stored the life jacket from the steamboat Titanic;
• why Rijeka is called the city of Professor Balthazar;
• who are the bell ringers and why they deserve their place on the UNESCO list as a special intangible cultural heritage;
• how ended the football match Rijeka-Real Madrid in 1984 under the rocks of Kantrida;
• why the tower in the old town is called the leaning tower;
• who played the first football match on the territory of today's Croatia;
• why chocolate and umbrella are Rijeka's souvenirs;
• a story about Rijeka's rock music scene;
• the relationship between rain, water and Rijeka;
• the story of the Sirius house – the seat of the Rijeka's Masons;
• why Rijeka was divided by a wall in the 20th century, ie how and why the inhabitants of Rijeka lived in as many as 9 different countries in the 20th century, always being in the same city - in Rijeka;
• how the city lives today.

experience:

• walk up the Trsat stairs;
• Molo long walk;
• walk along Industrijska street;
• walk - experienced, educational and fun tour of the city market;
• walk to the ˝Cont˝;
• museum tours;
• the typical exclamation in Rijeka „Oh, really?!“

taste:

• natural drinking water that tastes great due to the quality of groundwater karst springs;
• Rigojanci cake.