Visiting Rijeka, Croatia: Top Sights on Foot

Rijeka, Croatia’s third‑largest city and a major port on the Adriatic, blends maritime history, Austro‑Hungarian architecture and a lively urban scene. Visitors come for its layered past—from medieval forts to Baroque churches and modern museums—and for the authentic everyday rhythm that sets it apart from more polished coastal resorts. Neywo offers a free audio guide for Rijeka with 31 narrated places, letting you explore at your own pace.

Explore Rijeka’s highlights

Governor’s Palace

The Governor’s Palace, perched on a hill north of the Old Town, was built between 1893 and 1896 in the High Renaissance style to designs by Hungarian architect Alajos Hauszmann. It once housed the governor representing the Crown of Saint Stephen and now accommodates the Maritime and History Museum of the Croatian Littoral, which traces the region’s story from prehistoric times to the modern era with a focus on its maritime heritage.

Rijeka Cathedral

Rijeka Cathedral, dedicated to Saint Vitus, began as a Jesuit monastery church and was rebuilt between 1638 and 1744 in the Baroque style, retaining an original Jesuit rotunda plan. It became the cathedral when Rijeka gained bishop and later archbishop status.

Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art

In the Brajda district, the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMSU) showcases visual art from the late nineteenth century to the present day. Founded in 1948, it has become a key venue for modern and contemporary art in Rijeka.

Rijeka City Museum

The Rijeka City Museum, located in the Sugar Palace since 2020, follows the city’s economic, political, cultural, educational, scientific and sporting life from the eighteenth to the twenty‑first century. Additional sites include a 1976 building in the Governor’s Palace courtyard and the motor ship Galeb, together broadening the museum’s perspective on Rijeka’s past.

Peek & Poke Computer Museum

Peek & Poke, opened in 2007, is Croatia’s first museum devoted to old computers and information technology. Housed in a 300‑square‑metre space near the Cathedral of Saint Vitus, it displays over 2,000 items ranging from early home computers like the Minivac and the AMIGA 1000 (used by Andy Warhol) to Apple II, IBM PC and many other milestones. A 1971 calculator, claimed to be the first produced in Europe and linked to the Digitron factory in Buje, highlights Croatia’s role in early computing. The museum calls itself the largest exhibition of its kind in southeastern Europe and one of the first five worldwide.

Rijeka Natural History Museum

Set in Nikola Hosta Park beside the Governor’s Palace, the Rijeka Natural History Museum dates its origins to 16 May 1876, making it the first regional museum in the area. It opened to the public on 1 May 1946 and occupies the former family residence of Count Negroni, offering a view of the region’s natural heritage.

Riječki arhiv

The State Archives in Rijeka (Riječki arhiv) preserve written records from the Kvarner region, Gorski Kotar and part of Istria, reflecting the areas’ rich and turbulent history.

Zavičajni muzej Drenove

In the Drenova neighbourhood, the Zavičajni muzej Drenove works to preserve local cultural heritage and to create a foundation for future projects.

Saint Nicholas Church

Saint Nicholas Church on Ignazija Henckea Street is an Orthodox place of worship dedicated to the city’s Serbian Orthodox community and its patron saint, Saint Nicholas.

Palace Modello

Palace Modello, erected in 1885 in Neo‑Baroque style by the Viennese firm Fellner and Helmer when Rijeka was known as Fiume, faces Korzo and Theatre Square. It originally housed the Rijeka Bank; today the ground floor holds the Rijeka City Library while the upper floors contain an auditorium for the local Italian cultural association and offices for the nearby National Theatre.

Free State of Fiume

From 1920 to 1924 Rijeka was the centre of the Free State of Fiume, an independent state created under the Treaty of Rapallo between Italy and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Though it existed in practice for about a year, it remained legally in force until 1924, when it was annexed by the Kingdom of Italy—a move disputed under international law and recognised only by Italy and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.

Trsat Castle

Trsat Castle, perched on Trsat Hill northeast of the Old Town, contains parts that date back to the medieval period and is protected as a cultural monument.

Capuchin Church of Our Lady of Lourdes

The Capuchin Church of Our Lady of Lourdes on Žabica Square, built between 1904 and 1929, displays a Neo‑Gothic façade rich in colourful mosaics and detailed stonework. A Capuchin monastery stands beside the church, adding to the square’s character.

Municipal Palace

The Municipal Palace at Trg Riječke rezolucije, rebuilt in 1873 from a former monastery, presents three façades that face the square and extend toward Three Names Square. It has served as Rijeka’s town hall and the seat of the city council.

Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc in Rijeka

The Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc in Rijeka combines drama, opera and ballet in one venue. It hosts Croatian and Italian drama troupes, an opera with symphony orchestra, and a ballet company.

Explore Rijeka with Neywo

Neywo provides three walking tours and one bus route in Rijeka. The “Fiume’s Old Town: From Žabica to the Leaning Tower” walk covers 1.78 km in about 88 minutes with 12 stops. The “Museum Quarter: Sugar Palace, Governor’s Palace and the Synagogue” walk is 1.4 km, 53 minutes, 6 stops. The “Up to Trsat: Pilgrims, Frankopans and a Medieval Castle” walk runs 1.61 km, 43 minutes, 4 stops. The bus line “Bus 2: From the Museum of Modern Art to the Shrine of Trsat” spans 5.5 km, 24 minutes, 7 stops. As you approach each stop, the app plays a narrated story, letting you learn about the place without a fixed group or timetable. Narration is available in 11 languages.

For more ideas on what to see in the wider area, you can take a ferry to Rab or Mali Lošinj. Rijeka lies in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County and is part of Croatia.