Built in 1844 and seen as a landmark in the town’s development as a high-society resort. Fittingly, the high and mighty figures of the populace would relish in the villa surroundings, attending lavish balls and receptions. High-ranking guests included the governor of Croatia Josip Jelačić (1851),Archduke Maximilian von Habsburg (1859), and Emperor Franz-Jozef’s mother, the Empress Maria-Ana (1860).
The villa now serves as the Museum of Croatian Tourism, tel. (+385-51) 60 36 36, www.hrmt.hr. Open 10:00 - 22:00. Admission 15/7kn – well worth visiting not least because it gives you the chance to peek inside the villa’s ornate entrance hall, complete with intricate mosaic floors, painted ceiling and Corinthian-style columns. Displaying old photographs, antique guide-books and resort posters, the museum itself provides a colourful and entertaining introduction to the history of the travel industry.