City of Rijeka

The city of Rijeka is third by size in Croatia, situated in the Kvarner bay, sorrounded by hills and mountains in the hinterland, islands on the horizon and small picturesque towns nearby. Rijeka, with all its rich history, is not a well known artistic city,  but it is recognized by many experts and true connoisseurs. It has been declared the European Capital of Culture in 2020, chosen among many other bigger and more famous cities.

Once, well known by its famous port and industry, today it is a modern student town with a rich industrial inheritance, a new port and modern campus at Trsat.
Eastern geographic longitude: 14°26’  
Northern geographic latitude: 45°21’
Number of inhabitants: 128.624
Size: 43,343 km2
Average annual temperature: 14,2°C (January 5,7°C, July 24°C)
Sea temperature in the summer: 20,3-23,3
Number of sunny hours(annual average): Average annual humidity: 62%
Total annual rainfall: 1.548,6 mm
Total rainy days annually: 128,4
STORIES OF RIJEKA

TORPEDO

In the 19th century, a man from Rijeka and an Englishman put Rijeka in the center of an industrially developed world – thanks to the invention of torpedo. In 1866 in Rijeka, the inventor Ivan Luppis and the engineering developer Robert Whitehead created the torpedo, a weapon that changed the view on
seafront warfare. Advanced technical inventions, high profit and great releases, turned Rijeka into a cosmopolitan city and a recognizable spot on the world map.

BALTAZAR TOWN

The urban outline of Rijeka, its wide central street, port at the city center, magnificent Austro Hungarian buildings and industrial facilities were an inspiration to the set designer of the famous cartoon Baltazar, while making the Baltazar town. This type of surroundings were perfect for professor Baltazars unique solving of everyday problems of the "little” man. Although it was made from 1967-1971, this cartoon is a timeless classic, leading his lead actress – animated Rijeka, into immortality.

THE FIRST CHOCOLATE FACTORY

Rijeka factory of cocoa and chocolate is the first facility for industrial production of this type of product in Croatia. The factory filled store shelves with chocolate bars, bonbons, powdered cocoa, cakes etc. To make sure that the costumers will remember their products, the marketing experts of the Factory came up with two name brands. Brand Slon (elephant) and Jadran (Adratic).

MORČIĆ

Morčić is one of the most recognizable symbols of the city, many events and happenings, especially the International carnival of Rijeka, whose mascot and trademark it has been since 1991. Morčić is a type of original jewelery from Rijeka, Kvarner and the Croatian seaside, most commonly earings. Apart from having an estetic and decorative purpose it also marks devotion to our hometown.

TITANIC

Eighteen year old Giuseppe (Josip) Car from Rijeka, a crew member on the ship Carpathia, partook in the rescue mission for surviving passengers of the Titanic, on April 11th 1912. At that moment, he had only been working on Carpathia for a month. As a memory for that dramatic day, he kept and later gifted to the city, a life jacket from the Titanic. It is the only jacket in Europe of that kind, and it is stored in the Maritime and History museum of the Croatian Littoral.