Rijeka and surrounding

Part of the historically important pilgrimage path to the Church of Our Lady of Trsat (Gospa Trsatske), climbing the Petar Druzic Stairway (Stube Petra Kružića) is a must-do when walking the old city's many pleasant lanes and alleys. Part of the lower portion of the stairway leading from Krizaniceva ulica was built by Captain Petar Kružic of Klis in the 16th century, with the remainder of the stairs added later. Today, the stairway consists of a total of 538 steps in total and leads up through the Rjecina Gorge. Yes, it's a steep and sometimes difficult climb, but it's one that's well worth it

This important Croatian shrine is believed to date all the way back to 1291, when angels supposedly placed the home of Jesus' Mother, Mary, here. The church you see today was built on this sacred spot soon after by Franciscan monks, although the adjoining monastery wasn't added until later in the 17th century. Highlights of a visit include the richly decorated chapel with its collections of religious treasures, including rare objects made from gold and silver. Tours can also be booked to view the church's impressive art collection, too.

Perched high above the charming medieval town after which it's named, Trsat Castle (Gradina Trsat) — along with the neighboring Our Lady of Trsat church — offers some of the best views in Croatia. Built on the site of an old Roman fort and much altered since, this 13th-century castle is notable for its fine courtyard (konak), which now hosts a café, as well as its superb views over the town, the the Rječina River, and the Kvarner Gulf on the Adriatic Sea. The castle also serves as a backdrop for a regular schedule of events and concerts.

Visiting this one-of-a-kind museum has become one of the most popular things to do in Rijeka. Covering two stories, it is filled with more than 2,000 old computers, hand-held games, printers, gaming consoles, and other relics of technology's great leap forward in the last three decades. This fun attraction is a particularly popular choice for families – the poke aspect is literal and you can play on the working machines. Parents will get a kick out of explaining (and reminiscing about) the old technology to their kids. Address: Ivana Grohovca 2, Rijeka, Croatia

Built into and alongside the surrounding buildings, the City Tower (Gradski Toranj) was originally part of one of the main gates leading into Rijeka that was famous for having survived the great earthquake of 1750 relatively intact. The tower was erected on top of the old gate soon after, with the clock added during the late 18th century, and the final flourish, its dome, added in 1890, when the tower underwent reconstruction. Adorned with numerous old coats of arms, it's well worth visiting as part of a city walking tour, which should also include the lovely 19th-century Town Hall.

Rijeka Cathedral – also known as Saint Vitus Cathedral (Katedrala Sv Vida) and formerly the Church of St. Vitus – is a Baroque structure based on a unique round floor plan in the heart of old Rijeka. The original structure, started by Giacomo Briano, a well-known Jesuit architect in 1638, was built on top of an even older structure and took more than 100 years to finish, finally reaching completion in 1744. Highlights include a large 13th-century crucifix, which, according to legend, started to bleed after a disgruntled local threw a rock at it, along with a number of fine Baroque altars.

Kastav dates back to the Middle Ages and is famous for its old castle that once housed nobility and other public figures during the 16th and 17th centuries. Kastav's main square, Lokvine Square, contains many of the town's most interesting architectural treasures. Here, you'll find the Church of St. Helen (Sv Jelena Krizarica) from the 17th century, the 15th-century Church of St. Anthony of the Desert, and the 16th-century Loggia. Kastav also hosts a popular annual summer festival. The Kastav Cultural Summer Festival (Kastafsko kulturno leto) is devoted to musical and theatrical performances

Built in the early 1900s to mark the 50th anniversary of the miracle of Lourdes, the Capuchin Church of Our Lady of Lourdes (Kapucinska Crkva) is one of Rijeka's most recognizable attractions and is so picture-perfect that it's frequently used on postcards and promotional material. Designed by Budinic, this splendid old church was almost never completed after the project ran into financial problems and was stalled for years. Thanks to generous townsfolk and parishioners, however, donations poured in to complete it, the result being a beautiful neo-Gothic structure with a splendidly ornate faç

Once the residence of the Hungarian governor, the Governor's Palace (Guvernerova Palaca) now houses the Maritime and Historical Museum of Coastal Croatia (Povijesni I Pomorski Muzej). This splendid old neo-Renaissance building, designed by Alajos Hauszmann, an architect from Budapest, was built in the late 1800s and is itself worthy of a visit for its well-preserved grandeur. Highlights of this historic museum include an interesting display of model ships along with a range of nautical equipment.Also of interest is a selection of archaeological finds from prehistoric times to the Middle Ages.

Housed in a lovely old 19th-century villa, the Natural History Museum of Rijeka (Prirodoslovni muzej Rijeka) contains a wide range of displays and some 90,000 artifacts related to the city and the surrounding area. The diverse collection includes rocks and minerals, a paleontology collection, and numerous fossils found in nearby caves. Other highlights include an exhibit entitled The Evolution of Man with displays of bones showing the various stages of human evolution, a 100-year-old collection of marine invertebrates, and a large butterfly collection. Address: Lorenzov prolaz 1, Rijeka, Kva