Crikvenica Riviera

Crikvenica Riviera - "the nearest sea" and favourite weekend destination

The Kvarner Bay, which is located on the north-eastern part of the Adriatic Sea, apart from boasting many islands, lies at the heart of the true beauty of the land - the Crikvenica Riviera. On the 28 km2 of the coastline long about 15 kilometres, the Crikvenica Riviera stretches for one of the favorite tourist destinations of the northern Adriatic.

In addition to the mild Mediterranean climate characterized by hot summers, the Crikvenica Riviera is attracting many tourists primarily because of its position of the "nearest sea" to the most land-based towns. One of the main advantages of this area is obviously in the excellent road connection with the interior of Croatia and near the Rijeka airport on the nearby island of Krk.

If you add the general well-known beauty of this area and the lack of industry in relation to the big cities, Crikvenica has for years been one of the main tourist destinations in the northern Adriatic, along the island of Krk.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Crikvenica was recognized as a natural climate resort by the sea and the coast. This has been extremely positive for the development of tourism in this area.

The growing interest of tourists and the growth of the number of inhabitants are setting many new challenges in infrastructure and ecology for years that the local municipality should take into account. Therefore, the City of Crikvenica annually deals more intensively on the arrangement of squares, carriageways, walks and beaches and care for the general arrangement and purity of this area. The general interest in immigration and real estate demand in this area is increasing significantly, so the Crikvenica area is rapidly urbanizing, expanding and growing.

Significant places with the surroundings that are commonly classified under the area of the Crikvenica Riviera are Jadranovo, Dramalj, Crikvenica, Selce and Novi Vinodolski. Due to the increased interest and general demand for real estate, Crikvenica is attractive to investors, so from the current perspective it seems that the prices of existing and new real estate will grow in the coming years.

Considering the growth of tourism in the entire Kvarner region, which is particularly the case on the island of Krk and the Crikvenica Riviera, real estate investment in Crikvenica seems a wise move. You can read more about Crikvenica Riviera as a potential destination for your investment below.


Geographical position of the Crikvenica Riviera

Crikvenica Riviera is located in the southern part of the European continent, on the shores of the Kvarner Bay, on the northern part of the Adriatic coast of Croatia. Crikvenica is located about 35 kilometres away from the second biggest Croatian town and the largest Croatian seaport Rijeka. The wider area of Crikvenica is administratively belonging to the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County.

The area of the town of Crikvenica is characterized by relatively developed relief structures, along the coastline and by the plateau hinterlands that exceed 300 m above sea level and canyon of Dubračine river. The key advantage of the Crikvenica area in relation to numerous other tourist destinations in Croatia is its proximity to Croatian and Slovenian land centres. It is extremely important to emphasize that you can reach Crikvenica Riviera in less than half a day from any part of Central Europe. If you come to Croatia by air, Crikvenica is only 20 kilometres from the nearby Rijeka Airport on the island of Krk.

In addition, there are numerous harbours and marinas across the riviera where you can also arrive by using maritime transport. From the aforementioned and considering its "nearest sea" status, it is no surprise that the Crikvenica Riviera is one of the most desirable weekend destinations for Croatian and Slovenian citizens.


Climate and vegetation of the Crikvenica Riviera

The geographical position of the Crikvenica Riviera in the centre of the Kvarner Bay region offers a mild Mediterranean climate. The most famous features of the Mediterranean climate are hot and dry summers and mild winters with a healthy, locally-conditioned wind system. The average winter temperature of the Crikvenica area, measured in January, is approximately 5 °C, while during July the average temperature is 32 °C. In summer, the temperature of the sea goes up to a very pleasant 27 °C and is maintained until the beginning of September. The annual average relative humidity of the Crikvenica area is about 70%, and the highest rainfall falls in the fall months. Coastal air in the Crikvenica Riviera is characterized by the purity and scattering of healthy oligominerals and the absence of harmful pollen allergens and waste gases.

The Mediterranean climate contributed to the development and growth of vegetation throughout the Kvarner Bay, and thus to the Crikvenica Riviera. This area is geologically constructed of sediment type deposits, and according to geological age belong credit, quartar and paleogene. The most significant vegetative community in the area of Crikvenica consists of white crab shrubs and oak whiskers.


History and cultural heritage of the Crikvenica Riviera

Due to its favourable geographic position and geomorphological features, in the area of today's Crikvenica, the Romans built the road station and observation tower "Ad Turres", which over time built a settlement. The first written evidence of this place are considered to be cartographic records dated from the 4th century, and other historical sources confirm the settlement of the Crikvenica area back in three millennia.

In the Middle Ages, these areas were ruled by the Frankopan princes of Krk and Prince Nikola IV. Frankopan is considered as the founder of today's Crikvenica. At the mouth of the Dubravica brook in 1412, he built a monastery, and his gift was a more ancient written mention of the name "Crikvenica". The monastery has become the centre of the social and cultural life of the present population. It is believed that in this monastery, Julius Klovic, a Croatian painter and miniature, from a mile called "Michelangelo Miniature", began his education.

From the time of Frankopan rule, the Vinodol Code of 1288, which is the oldest wholly preserved legal document, should be mentioned. It was formed by a commission whose representatives were from nine Vinodol city-municipalities. The law reflects the development of criminal justice and the organization of society and is the earliest Croatian record that mentions the rights of women and their personal and moral protection. Very well mirrors the social structure of the Vinodol area and enables, within the limits at the time and equality of population.


Settlement and Tourism in the Riviera of Crikvenica

Thanks to the many positive features of this area, the Crikvenica Riviera has all the necessary prerequisites for a pleasant and quality life of the inhabitants, as well as the stay of tourists. According to the latest official census of 2011, Crikvenica with the surrounding Jadranovo, Dramalj, Selce and other smaller places has 11,122 inhabitants, and the town of Crikvenica has 6,860 inhabitants.

Crikvenica is known as one of the most ancient Mediterranean resorts and as a natural spas of mild climatic conditions and lush evergreen vegetation. The beginnings of organized tourism in the area of Crikvenica dates to the end of the 19th century and are linked to the construction of the first ancient bathing resort "Banje poli vrutka" in 1888 and the construction of the first hotel "Therapia" in 1894. The wind in the back of tourism in Crikvenica came to an end in 1906 when this area by official state policy was recognized and declared as a climate health resort, with significant developments taking place after the end of the First World War.

Numerous beautiful sandy and pebble beaches provide a true enjoyment of swimming in crystal clear sea and sunbathing or sleeping in the shade of lush Mediterranean vegetation. The main beach in Crikvenica, as well as the Kačjak beach in Dramalj are awarded with the blue flag. The blue flag is considered as an international recognition of quality and care for the coastal belt and the sea.

Over time, the Riviera of Crikvenica built a tradition of tourism and acquired the status of one of the favourite tourist destinations in Croatia. Following the trend of rising tourist results in almost all places of Kvarner Bay, Crikvenica, Dramalj, Selce predominate by several dozen percentage points in the growth of the number of overnight stays in the season.

In addition to natural beauty, green landscapes and clean sea and air, many visitors recognize this area as a significant destination for an active tourist stay. This particularly motivates the domicile population and city leaders to continuously improve the quality of apartment and hotel accommodation facilities and to develop and build communal infrastructure and general city planning. Particular emphasis has been put on expansion and decoration of the beach area and the construction, decoration and connection of the promenades and cycling trails. In the near future, Crikvenica and Selce should be linked to the renovated popular "health resort" and new quality beach areas.

In addition to this, it should be noted that the inhabitants of Crikvenica stand out and preserve their traditional culture, values and traditions, and strive to include them in their tourist offer and to increase the quality of stay to numerous guests. The cultural and historical heritage of olive groves, grapevines and fisheries is revived through a variety of gastronomic offerings and social manifestations such as Fisherman's Week, Sr(etno) Selca, Blue Fish Road, „Maškara“ and many others. The new, central Crikvenica Square offers a remarkably large number of social events from early spring to early fall.

The increase in the tourist offer and the number of tourists also accompanies the parallel rise in prices of services and real estate, which makes investment in real estate in this area a reasonable business venture of low risk. Crikvenica has proved that it has been a favourite tourist destination for the last few years, and according to all these, this trend will continue. Spatial planning and ecological care are certainly important factors for further development of the Crikvenica Riviera tourism.


Spatial planning and waste disposal in the Crikvenica Riviera

Excellent connections between cities and the excellent position of the Crikvenica Riviera are listing it among the top summer destinations of the Northern Adriatic. Places belonging to the Crikvenica Riviera cooperate very well in the area of planning and landscaping and take care of the preservation of the purity of nature and the environment.

Recently, residents of Crikvenica got their new central city square, which is right next to the sea. A very modern and unique square paved with a white Istrian stone brought a whole new vision to the city. A safe road leads to a slower ride through the passageway allowing safe walking for pedestrians. The extra dose of the luxurious square is provided by the led lighting, which in the early evening begins with the brightening of the tree trellis around the square, and then the centre of the square.

The city administration of Crikvenica is particularly proud of its cleanliness and ecological care. The city company of EKO Murvica d.o.o. has been taking care of waste disposal and cleanliness of the city, and recently Crikvenica is also a proud owner of the Elen electric vehicle filling station. Over the next few years, it is planned to improve the public sewerage system, improve the efficiency and quality of wastewater disposal services, and respect the principles of sustainable development and protection of the natural environment.

It is also interesting to mention the project of the agro-zone whereby the town of Crikvenica became the owner of 27 hectares of land between Jadranovo and Dramalj for the next 50 years with the aim of reviving and developing the agricultural cultures of this area. Plants are planned for olive groves, vineyards and autochthonous Mediterranean plants, and the project will be implemented by EKO Murvica d.o.o ..


Real estate in the Crikvenica Riviera

Due to the range of benefits offers this area to its residents and the sensational growth of tourism, real estate demand is growing year by year. The fact that there is good demand for all types of real estate, and especially new real estate, is accompanied by unusually efficient administrative support in the context of the speed of dealing with the properties and issuing the required construction documentation. In this atmosphere, in the area of Crikvenica-Vinodol Riviera a stimulating development and investment climate was created in the construction sector. Therefore, in this attractive region, several stable investors have been successfully operating for residential and tourist purposes for years.

The mentioning factor is the unprecedented rise in the price of square meters of older and newly built real estates in the most important places such as Crikvenica, Dramalj, Jadranovo, Selce, Novi Vinodolski but as well as in smaller places in the hinterland of the mentioned seaside locations.

In Crikvenica, the property offer is very broad and colourful. Sold real estate range from small, medium and large flats to family houses and villas or real estate for economic and tourist purposes, such as villas with pools, smaller and larger hotels. The range of real estate standards is also wide, from real estate for adaptation at locations far from the sea to luxurious buildings along the coast.

Of course, depending on the standard of real estate, prices are also moving. Taking a comparison with the island of Krk, the general standard, so the real estate price is on average lower in number than on the island of Krk. This is a general claim based on everyday practice, but it implies that the property price varies with regard to the location features and the quality of building a particular property.

This area abounds in immovable property of exceptional quality, and also real estate of a more modest type. However, it should be noted that real estate prices in some areas of Crikvenica are still more accessible to the so-called middle range population that decides to buy real estate through a bank loan, opposite to the island of Krk or the Opatija riviera. This is certainly one of the reasons why a significant number of people are gravitating to buy real estate in this area while at the same time favouring the development of the construction and housing sector and the standard of living.

Given the general rise in real estate prices and the increase in tourist traffic in this area, buying a property in Crikvenica or one of its surrounding locations can be seen as a sensible business move. An increasing number of customers decide to buy real estate as a form of passive savings but also actively placing real estate in a tourist function and making additional income. Real estate are operating because of the volume of traffic through them are easier to sell, so it is not surprising the trend of increase in real estate traffic in this area.

If you have been thinking about potential acquisition of land, apartment or house in Crikvenica, here you can get an insight into the rich offer of real estate that our agency offers in this area. If some property from our offer is attracting your attention, please feel free to contact us. Our small but efficient team of experts will be at your disposal and we believe that you will not regret it.