Villa Angiolina & Park

Built in 1844 by Iginio Scarpa (who basically invented Opatija as a resort destination), Villa Angiolina now houses a small but fascinating museum of Croatian tourism. The real star, though, is the botanical park surrounding it — camellias, Japanese palms, sequoias, and other exotic plants that have no business thriving this far north but somehow do. Entry's about €4, and you can easily spend an hour wandering the gardens. The camellia festival in spring is when the park really shows off.