For much of its recent past, the gritty port of Rijeka didn't belong to Croatia at all, but Italy and Hungary. It's now its third largest town after Zagreb and Split, and a vital transport hub. Excited visitors sit atop Rijeka's Kavana Ri, resting their cold beer on its terrace overlooking their sleek Jadrolinija liner soon bound for idyllic Adriatic islands. They must wonder what they're leaving behind, a town whose main building is called Big Skyscraper, where Socialist blocks are stuck...
[Rijeka guide]