Free guided tours of Rijeka, Opatija and Kastav for International Tourist Guides Day: Kvarner opens to residents on 21 and 22 February 2026 through stories, heritage and walks with licensed guides
International Tourist Guides Day is marked every year on 21 February, and in a number of countries it is accompanied by free guided tours and programs intended primarily for local residents. The idea is simple: ahead of the start of the stronger tourist season, residents are offered the opportunity to experience their own place from a different perspective, with expert interpretation of history, urban layers and the “small” details that often slip under the radar in everyday life. The Kvarner Tourist Guides Association has announced that in 2026 it will continue this practice in the area of Rijeka, Opatija and Kastav, with three tours of different character – a city tour with personal stories, a thematic walk dedicated to women who shaped the development of the destination, and a combination of the old core and nature through the Kastav forest. According to the organizers’ announcement, all tours are intended for residents and are free of charge, with mandatory registration by e-mail due to group organization. This simultaneously celebrates the profession of the tourist guide and emphasizes the role of professional guiding in interpreting cultural heritage, but also in creating a sense of belonging to the space in which we live.
Why 21 February stands out in the world of tourist guiding
In international practice, this date is linked to activities of professional associations that seek to bring the public closer to guides’ knowledge and skills, but also to remind that quality guiding is not mere listing of facts. According to the global professional federation, the celebration is conceived as an opportunity to show in local communities how guides interpret heritage, explain context and connect historical layers with the present day, while respecting professional standards. In Croatia, alongside similar initiatives, programs of free tours have for years also been carried out for various occasions, so residents are increasingly familiar with formats in which guides volunteer or work symbolically to increase the visibility of the profession. In practice, this often means that the tour turns into a conversation about the identity of a place: about who we were, what we preserved and how the urban and social landscape is changing. Such programs are especially important in environments with strong tourism, but also in cities where history is read in layers of architecture, industry, migration and cultural encounters. That is precisely the starting point of this Kvarner announcement: to offer residents a story that is both professional and personal, while remaining rooted in specific locations.
The Kvarner Tourist Guides Association and the concept of “tours for our own”
According to publicly available information from the Association, it is a professional gathering of licensed guides that has been active for many years in the Kvarner area and beyond, with members licensed for several counties. Such associations generally have a dual role: on the one hand they protect professional standards and encourage professional development, and on the other they participate in public education and heritage promotion in a way that is not commercially oriented. In the announced tours for 2026, the emphasis is precisely on a “civic” approach: the walks are open to everyone, free of charge, and the programs are designed to meet different interests – from an urban tour of the city center, through a thematic narrative about women in the history of the destination, to a combination of cultural and nature route in the Kastav area. The organizers invite residents to register in advance, which is standard practice when a larger turnout is expected and when it is necessary to ensure group flow and the quality of guiding. It is especially important that participants follow the guides’ instructions on site, because part of the program takes place in a natural setting where safety and appropriate equipment are crucial. For visitors coming from outside the place of the event, it is practical to plan logistics in advance, including
accommodation for visitors in Rijeka if they want to combine the tour with a weekend stay and additional visits.
Rijeka: “Rijeka Through Our Eyes” and guides whose mother tongue is not Croatian
In Rijeka, a tour titled “Rijeka Through Our Eyes” has been announced, and according to the program, it will be led by Association members whose mother tongue is not Croatian. Such a concept usually opens an interesting angle: the city is presented not only through an “official” chronology, but also through the experience of moving in, learning the language, creating a new home and professional development in an environment with pronounced historical layering. According to the announcement, the tour is in Croatian, and participants will, alongside the story of the city, also hear personal insights about the profession of a tourist guide and life in a new homeland. A special feature is also the composition of the guiding team: the city will be presented by two Hungarians, a Polish woman, a Czech woman, a Russian woman and a Peruvian woman, which is also a reminder that cultural interpretation is often built on the meeting of perspectives. The tour is scheduled for Saturday, 21 February 2026 at 11 a.m., and the departure is from Jadranski trg, which is a practical meeting point in the urban center and a good place for an “entry” into the story of Rijeka’s squares, streets and layers of identity. For those who want to come from other cities and stay the whole weekend, it makes sense to check in advance
accommodation near the center of Rijeka, especially if they plan to follow other cultural events or day trips around Kvarner.
What such a tour brings to residents: the city as a story, not as a list of facts
Tours intended for local residents are often different from classic tourist tours, because the guide can assume participants’ basic orientation and devote more time to explaining “why” and “how”, and less to elementary information. When people who came to the city from outside are included in the guiding, themes that have marked Rijeka and the wider Kvarner for decades are further emphasized: migration, work and industry, transport position, changes in social habits and the rhythm of everyday life that differs from stereotypical images of the coast. According to available information on international practice of marking this day, that is precisely one of the goals – to show the “skill of storytelling” as the core of the profession, alongside facts that are verifiable and grounded, but which without context remain dry. In practice, this means that the urban space is read through examples: how the function of certain locations has changed, why some streets got certain names, how public spaces were formed and how the city coped with historical turning points. Participants of such walks often leave with the feeling that they have “re-met” the streets they pass every day, because their attention is directed to details that were previously invisible. That is precisely why the “Rijeka Through Our Eyes” tour was announced as a combination of a story about the city and a story about the people who interpret it today.
Opatija: the thematic walk “Women Who Shaped Opatija Throughout History”
The second part of the program is focused on Opatija, where a thematic walk titled “Women Who Shaped Opatija Throughout History” is being prepared. According to the announcement, the tour is led by licensed guide Đurđica Kovačić, and the tour brings stories about notable women who left a mark on Opatija’s development, whether through social life, philanthropy, culture, entrepreneurship or influence in a time when women’s public visibility was not self-evident. Opatija is a destination whose identity is often linked to the history of health-resort and elite tourism, urban development and specific architecture, so a thematic walk can open space for a different reading of the city: through biographies and roles, through networks of power and patronage, through social norms and changes that shaped everyday life. The tour is planned for Sunday, 22 February 2026 at 11 a.m., and the departure is at Slatina, by the fountain, which is a recognizable meeting place and a logical starting point for a story about Opatija’s public space. For visitors coming to Opatija specifically because of this walk, it is practical to check in time
accommodation in Opatija for a weekend trip, especially if they want to connect the walk with visits to nearby places in Liburnia.
Why thematic tours matter: heritage through people, not only through facades
Thematic walks generally build on the classic tour because instead of a broad “overview of everything” they offer a focus on one idea and thus provide greater depth. In Opatija’s case, the focus is on women who, according to the tour concept, participated in shaping the city’s identity through different historical phases. Such an approach often changes perspective even for local residents, because it reminds that a destination’s development does not happen only through major political decisions or infrastructure, but also through social work, cultural initiatives, education and the influence of individuals. It is also important that such tours open space for critical reflection on history: who got a place in the official story, and who remained in the shadows, and how today’s values change the way we look at the past. According to international explanations of the purpose of marking Tourist Guides Day, interpretation – the ability to connect facts into an understandable narrative – is what distinguishes professional guiding from a casual “passing by” of sights. In that sense, the Opatija tour is not just a walk, but also a public lecture on the move, adapted to the space and the audience. If someone plans a stay longer than one day, it is useful to consider
accommodation near the event location in Opatija so that they can arrive at the departure without rushing and still have time for additional exploration of the city.
Kastav: a blend of the old core and nature – a route through Lokvina, Žudika, St. Jelena and Crekvina, then along the Puž trail
The third program includes Kastav and emphasizes a “double” experience: a short tour of the old city core and then a continuation with a walk through the Kastav forest. According to the announcement, the city part includes Lokvina, Žudika, St. Jelena and Crekvina, which are points often recognized as key in the Kastav story of urban development, public life and cultural heritage. After that follows walking the Puž trail with a length of 5.5 kilometers, with an estimated duration of about two hours, which shifts the program from a classic “city tour” toward a lighter outdoor format. The guide for this walk is Danilo Harbić, and the departure is on Saturday, 21 February 2026 at 10 a.m. at Fortica. The organizers note that adequate footwear for walking in nature is required for this walk, which is important information because the pace and surface differ from urban sidewalks and require basic preparation. For visitors who want to combine Kastav with visiting Rijeka or Opatija during the same weekend, it is useful to consider in advance
accommodation on the Rijeka–Opatija–Kastav route to reduce travel time and simplify organization.
How to prepare and what to expect: registration, gathering and practical tips
According to the Association’s announcement, all tours are free and open to residents, with a clear recommendation to announce participation in advance. Registrations are received via the e-mail address kvarner.guides@gmail.com, which allows the organizers to plan group sizes and, if necessary, adjust the guiding dynamics. It is customary that in the registration the participant states which tour they are registering for, especially when multiple tours are held in the same weekend at different locations. Participants are advised to arrive a few minutes early at the departure point to avoid delays and so that guides can briefly explain the course of the tour. In Rijeka and Opatija, the walks are urban and logistically simpler, while for the Kastav route it is important to bring appropriate footwear and, if necessary, water, especially if a longer stay outdoors is expected. Since the dates 21 and 22 February are in a period when weather can vary, it is reasonable to check the forecast immediately before arrival and adjust clothing, regardless of whether it is a coastal or forest part of the program. Those coming from other places and wanting to make the most of the weekend often combine the tour with a stay, so it is useful to check in time
accommodation offers for visitors in Rijeka or
accommodation in Opatija near the walk, depending on the travel plan.
Kvarner as an “outdoor classroom”: what residents gain from such a program
Such free guided tours, when well organized and professionally led, have an effect that goes beyond a single walk. Residents get the opportunity to refresh their knowledge of their own region, but also to hear interpretations that connect local stories with broader historical and social processes. In Rijeka, the personal dimension and an “outside” view are emphasized, which often helps to notice values that local residents take for granted. In Opatija, the thematic focus on women opens space to supplement and correct usual narratives, because the destination’s history becomes visible through individuals and their roles. In Kastav, the urban core and the natural framework are experienced at the same time, reminding us that heritage is not only architecture, but also landscape, trails, forest and the way the community has for centuries lived in contact with its environment. For the tourist guiding profession, such programs represent a public demonstration of knowledge, but also a reminder that quality guiding requires preparation, verified facts, clear communication and a sense for the audience. According to international explanations of the Tourist Guides Day concept, it is precisely at such events that the difference between “information” and “interpretation” is best seen – between a data point and an understandable, meaningful story that holds the audience and encourages reflection. Ultimately, the Kvarner Tourist Guides Association’s announcement for 21 and 22 February 2026 fits into a broader pattern of public guiding: it opens cities and places to their own residents, encourages curiosity and teaches us that the identity of a space is built and preserved through carefully told stories.
Sources:- World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (WFTGA) – explanation of International Tourist Guides Day and the practice of free guided tours ( link )- Kvarner Tourist Guides Association – official information about the association and its activities ( link )- City of Krk – post about marking International Tourist Guides Day and registrations via the Association’s e-mail ( link )- Novi list – an example of the Association’s practice of free tours on the occasion of International Tourist Guides Day ( link )
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