The town of Opatija was the seaside resort of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and its architecture and well-satisfied air reflect its Mitteleuropa past.

BBC: Living in: Croatia

In his opening remarks, the Director-General recalled that from the origins in a ministerial meeting at UNESCO in 2002, the Heads of State level Summit Forums, co convened by UNESCO in Ohrid (2003), Tirana (2004), Varna (2005), Opatija (2006), Bucharest and Sibiu (2007), and Athens (2008) have been significant for the entire region.

UNESCO: CULTURE