Surroundings, Rijeka

Kastav is located just a short drive northeast of Rijeka. This small town dates back to the Middle Ages and is best known for the castle which was the home of nobility and political figures during the 16th and 17th Centuries. Kastav's main square, Lokvine Square, contains many of the town's architectural treasures. The Church of St Helen (Sv Jelena Krizarica) from the 17th Century, the 15th Century Church of St Anthony of the Desert, and the 16th Century Loggia, all stand on Lokvine Square.Kastav also hosts an annual summer festival known as the Kastav Cultural Summer Festival (Kastafsko kulturno leto). The festival has three sections devoted to musical performance, theatrical performance, and visual arts. It takes place over the course of the summer between June and August. During the winter months the town puts on the Kastav Winter Carnival, which runs from January 17th to Ash Wednesday. The carnival is marked with parades and costumes with elaborate masks, and various forms of entertainment.

The town of Novi Vindoloski used to be a popular tourist destination in the late 1800s but today it holds little appeal with characterless buildings and hotels with concrete bathing areas. For sun seekers looking to enjoy the coast there are many other much nicer resort towns along this section of the coast.From a historical viewpoint though, Novi Vinodolski is an important place. This is where the famous Vinodol Codex was created. This was a document in Glagolitic script, which established a form of law regarding land ownership. The actual document is held at the National Library in Zagreb.Of cultural interest in Novi Vindolski are the restored 13th Century Frankopan Castle and museum, the 15th Century Church of St Philip and St James (Sveti Filip i Jakov), and a fountain in the central square commemorating the 700th anniversary of the signing of the Vinodol Codex.

The coastal village of Moscenice is approximately 50km / 30mi from Rijeka. Moscenice is perched on a hilltop and offers views over the Kvarner Gulf. Narrow streets and alleys leading to piazzas are typical in this medieval town. The Baroque style church of St Andrew (Sv Andrije) was rebuilt in the 17th Century and is easy to locate by the bell tower which rises above the church. Outside of the Moscenice town walls are the 16th Century Church of St Sebastian and the 17th Century church of St Bartholomew. If time allows, there is also an Ethnographic Museum (Etnografski Muzej) in Moscenice which explore the history of the town.Below the town is Moscenice Draga with a pebble beach, which can be reached by a set of stairs leading down from Moscenice.

The small town of Bakar, just east of Rijeka, fell out of favor with tourists when a number of industrial plants opened in the area. Since those industries have left, the town has once again been attracting visitors. There are a number of small attractions in Bakar, which are worth seeing.Bakar is divided into two sections, Grad and Primorje. Grad is the old town and Primorje is the new town located along the coast. In Grad is the triangular shaped Frankopan Castle, which dates to the 15th Century and is still in good condition. Also of interest, the Bakar Civic Museum contains stonework from the Roman era and Middle Ages. The local church has some notable religious art and a 14th Century Crucifix.