Opatija in May combines recreation, the sea and natural care through free wellness programmes
Opatija will once again be marked by movement, time outdoors and practical education about natural care on Saturday, 9 May, and Sunday, 10 May 2026. As part of the project
“Opatija – an oasis of health and wellness”, two free programmes have been announced that build on the city’s long health-resort and wellness tradition: Nordic walking and Thalasso Cardio Walk along the Lungomare coastal promenade, as well as a workshop for making clay masks. It is a weekend that connects physical activity, a professional approach to recreation and simple care methods that can also be applied at home.
The programme is part of a broader cycle running from 1 March to 5 December 2026, through which the Opatija Tourist Board, together with its partners, seeks to further highlight the city’s identity as a destination of health, wellness and active holidays. According to the published programme, this year’s edition includes Nordic walking, guided walks with a physiotherapist, mindfulness workshops, SUP programmes, home wellness workshops and other activities focused on healthier lifestyle habits. For visitors planning to spend the whole weekend in Opatija, a practical starting point may be
accommodation offers in Opatija, especially because of the morning activity times and seaside locations.
The Saturday route leads along the Lungomare towards Ičići
Saturday, 9 May 2026, is reserved for a programme combining Nordic walking, sea air and a professionally guided cardio walk. Participants are scheduled to gather at 10 a.m. in front of Villa Angiolina, one of Opatija’s most recognizable historical locations, from where the route follows the Lungomare coastal promenade in the direction of Ičići and back. The programme begins with Nordic walking led by the Gorovo Sports Recreation Club from Opatija, an activity that has for years fitted into Opatija’s outdoor sport and recreation programmes.
Nordic walking differs from an ordinary walk through the use of specially designed poles and the more active engagement of the upper body. Precisely for this reason, when carried out properly and in accordance with participants’ abilities, such an activity can be suitable for different age groups and different fitness levels. In the Opatija programme, added value comes from the fact that the movement takes place along the Lungomare, a promenade that connects the coastal landscape, proximity to the sea, historical villas and green parts of the riviera. Participants coming to the city for the programme can also find information about
accommodation near Opatija’s Lungomare promenade, because part of the activities takes place precisely along the coast.
Near Hotel Admiral, participants in Nordic walking are joined by participants in the
Thalasso Cardio Walk programme, which is carried out in cooperation with Thalassotherapia Opatija. According to official information from the Opatija Tourist Board, this is a guided walking programme accompanied by a physiotherapist, starting at the Thalasso Cardio Walk information board near Hotel Admiral. For 2026, the programme has been announced on several dates, including 9 May, and is designed as a combination of moderate walking, warm-up, simple exercises and professional monitoring of activity intensity.
Thalasso Cardio Walk relies on Opatija’s health-resort tradition
Thalasso Cardio Walk is particularly interesting because it is presented not only as a recreational walk, but as a programme that connects Opatija’s natural resources with a professional healthcare approach. The official description of the programme emphasizes the mild Mediterranean climate, sea aerosol, scents of Mediterranean herbs and the Lungomare coastal promenade as important elements of the experience. Information boards are placed along the route, providing participants with information about the promenades, estimated time required to complete individual sections, recommended walking speed and subjective assessment of exertion.
Such an approach fits into modern public-health recommendations, according to which regular physical activity is important for the prevention and control of a range of chronic non-communicable diseases. In its guidelines, the World Health Organization emphasizes that physical activity contributes to heart and blood-vessel health, better body-weight control, mental health and overall quality of life. The American Heart Association also lists walking as one of the simplest ways to increase daily activity, because it is accessible, does not require complex equipment and can be adapted to personal abilities.
In the Opatija case, the emphasis is not on competition, but on safe, pleasant and sustainable movement. This is important because the programme gathers participants of different fitness levels, and professional guidance can help with the proper dosing of effort. A moderate pace, warm-up exercises and the gradual involvement of the body in activity make it possible for the walk not to be experienced as a demanding sports challenge, but as an incentive for more regular movement. Precisely this combination of recreation and health education is one of the reasons why the project “Opatija – an oasis of health and wellness” has a broader significance than a one-off tourist event.
The clay-mask workshop brings a practical introduction to natural cosmetics
Sunday, 10 May 2026, brings a new programme item focused on natural skin care: a workshop for making clay masks. The workshop is designed as a combination of a theoretical introduction and practical work, and is intended for beginners, people already involved in making natural cosmetics, and employees in cosmetic and wellness centres. Participants will learn how clay can be used in skin care, what the differences are between individual skin types and how a mask can be adapted to individual needs.
According to the programme announcement, clay is presented as a natural ingredient rich in minerals and trace elements. In the educational part of the workshop, the emphasis will be on proper use, because the same preparation is not equally suitable for dry, dehydrated, oily or problematic skin. Such an approach is important because natural cosmetics are often perceived as simple and universal, although natural ingredients also require caution, knowledge of the skin and proper dosage. The workshop therefore has practical value for everyone who wants to understand the basic rules of home care, and not merely copy a ready-made recipe.
In the practical part, participants will make their own clay mask with the addition of active substances and hydrolates. Each preparation will be adapted to the needs of the skin, and participants will be able to take the masks they make home with them. In this way, the workshop continues even after the programme ends, because participants get the opportunity to try out what they have learned in their own care routine. Participation is free, but prior registration is mandatory no later than 24 hours before the workshop takes place.
Registration and practical information for participants
Registrations for the clay-mask workshop are accepted through the Tourist Information Centre. The available contact for registration is the telephone number
+385 51 271 310 and the email address
tic@visitopatija.com. Since this is a free programme with practical work and materials, prior registration is especially important for organizing the number of participants and preparing the necessary ingredients.
For Saturday’s Nordic walking, the starting point is Villa Angiolina at 10 a.m., while Thalasso Cardio Walk, according to official information, is linked to the location near Hotel Admiral, namely the programme’s information board along the Lungomare. Participants are advised to wear comfortable walking shoes, layered clothing suitable for the weather conditions, and to bring water. Although this is a recreational programme of moderate intensity, people who have health problems or have not been physically active for a longer period should adapt the intensity to their own condition and, if necessary, seek medical advice beforehand.
The programmes take place outdoors and in an area strongly linked to the city’s identity. Opatija’s Lungomare promenade is one of the main backbones of recreational activities, and its accessibility allows participants to combine the programme with a shorter or longer stay by the sea. For those coming to the city for more than a one-day visit, it is useful to check
weekend accommodation in Opatija in good time, especially if they want to take part in both programmes.
The project lasts until December and expands the idea of active holidays
“Opatija – an oasis of health and wellness” is not conceived as an isolated event, but as a multi-month programme extending through the pre-season and post-season. According to published information from the City of Opatija and the Opatija Tourist Board, this year’s cycle began on 1 March with the anti-age workshop “Motar – retinol from the sea” and ends on 5 December with Nordic walking. In the meantime, the programme develops through a series of activities connecting recreation, education, nature, the sea and wellness content.
Official announcements particularly emphasize that Opatija builds its health and wellness story on a tradition longer than 130 years. In 1889, the city was declared a climatic health resort, which is still used today as an important part of the destination’s identity. Its position between the Adriatic Sea and the slopes of Učka, its mild climate and recognizable architecture enabled the development of a tourism model in which holidays are not linked only to the bathing season, but also to time spent in fresh air, walking, health programmes, spa content and preventive care for health.
This year’s programme further expands that story. In addition to Nordic walking and Thalasso Cardio Walk, mindfulness workshops, programmes focused on breathing and relaxation, SUP Experience, natural cosmetics workshops and other activities have been announced. In September, the charity race “We Run for the Heart” has been announced, while the programme also mentions new routes such as the Opatija Camino, the Five Churches trail and the Dobreć route. Such a structure shows that the organizers want to connect health, movement, local trails and education into a programme that can be used during most of the year.
Opatija uses natural resources as part of its public-health and tourist offer
The growing interest in active holidays, preventive health and time spent in nature gives additional importance to programmes such as this one in Opatija. Instead of wellness being understood exclusively as a hotel treatment or luxury service, the project places it in a broader framework: as a combination of everyday movement, learning about the body, simple care habits and a more conscious stay in a place. In this way, wellness is brought closer to a wider audience, because many activities are free and do not require expensive equipment.
In that sense, the Saturday and Sunday programmes represent two complementary sides of the same idea. Nordic walking and Thalasso Cardio Walk encourage participants to move, spend time outdoors and develop a better awareness of their own physical capacity. The clay-mask workshop, on the other hand, is focused on care, education and practical skills that can be applied in everyday life. Together they create a weekend programme that does not depend only on sightseeing or passive rest, but encourages active participation.
For a destination like Opatija, such a model has both economic and social significance. Programmes held outside the peak of the summer season help strengthen the year-round offer, while at the same time building on existing infrastructure: promenades, parks, healthcare institutions, wellness centres and tourist-information services. Visitors planning to stay longer than one day can connect the activities with time spent in the city, walks, gastronomy and other content, with timely planning of
accommodation in Opatija for visitors to wellness programmes.
A weekend that connects recreation and education
The programme announced for 9 and 10 May 2026 confirms the direction in which the project “Opatija – an oasis of health and wellness” is developing: fewer one-off attractions, and more content that leaves participants with concrete experience and applicable knowledge. Saturday’s walk by the sea and Sunday’s natural-care workshop differ in format, but they have a shared message: healthier habits do not have to be complicated, expensive or reserved for a narrow circle of users. They can begin with walking, proper breathing, a moderate pace, learning about one’s own skin and a more careful relationship with the body.
In doing so, Opatija uses what it has historically been recognized for: the sea, climate, promenades, health tradition and wellness culture. At a time when travel is increasingly connected with experiences, learning and personal well-being, such programmes give the destination added value. The May weekend is therefore not only an announcement of two free activities, but also an example of how a tourist offer can be developed around health, nature and sustainable habits, without losing local identity.
Sources:- Opatija Tourist Board – programme of the project “Opatija – an oasis of health and wellness” (link)- Opatija Tourist Board – official information about the Thalasso Cardio Walk programme (link)- City of Opatija – announcement about the project “Opatija – an oasis of health and wellness” and the duration of the programme in 2026 (link)- Opatija Tourist Board – information about active walks and Nordic walking (link)- World Health Organization – guidelines and facts on the importance of physical activity (link)- American Heart Association – information about walking and heart health (link)
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