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NEWS |
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IMC/ÖMV-Sailing Camp 2016
Opatija/Lovran
From 13. to 22. July 2016 ÖMV again performed in Opatija (Croatia) the annual IMC Sailing Camp and so the Youth, which is excited in maritime activities have been brought again to the former Austrian Riviera at Adriatic Sea.
37 Youngsters and adult supervisors and teamleaders from 7 Associations of IMC (A, B, BG, D, F, I and UK) followed the invitation submitted by ÖMV. I understand, that the most important issue of our IMC-Sailing Camps is, to bring Youth from many countries together so that they can develop friendship and understanding among them - according to our -ÖMV- old
Motto: VIRIBUS UNITIS. |
The Maiden with the seagull - symbol of Opatija and the Kvarner Bay. |
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Opatija-The former Austrian Riviera
Opatija is situated in the Gulf of Kvarner in a sheltered position at the foot of Učka mountain, with Vojak peak at 1401 m. Opatija is located 90 km from Trieste by rail and 82 km from Pula by road. The city is geographically on the Istrian peninsula, though it is not in Istria County, but Primorje-Gorski Kotar County. It is a popular summer and winter resort, with average temperatures of 10 °C in winter, and 25 °C in summer. Opatija is surrounded by beautiful woods of bay laurel. The whole sea-coast to the north and south of Opatija is rocky and picturesque, and contains several smaller winter resorts.
Opatija was included in the territory of the Liburni, a pre-Roman Illyrian people. In Roman times, the area was home to several patrician villas connected to the nearby town of Castrum Laureana, the modern Lovran.
In the Middle Ages the current town's territory was divided between Veprinac (now a locality of Opatija, perhaps home to a small fishing port) and Kastav, where the fisherman village of Veprinac. The Benedictine Abbey of St. Jacob was mentioned for the first time in 1453, and around it a small hamlet developed during the centuries. The town's modern history began in 1844, when Iginio Scarpa, a rich merchant from Rijeka, founded Villa Angiolina. In 1872 Railways came to Matulji and thus opened the path for the development of tourism in Opatija and Lovran. In 1882 Friedrich Julius Schüler, the Managing Director of Southern Railways started the construction of villas and hotels in Opatija and Lovran, and was responsible for the unique lungomare and parks (the Company engaged Carl Schubert, director of the Viennese Emperial-Royal Society for the construction of parks). In 1882, Cesar-royal Society of the Southern railway from Vienna, led by Julius Schuler, purchased the first land with Villa Angiolina in Opatija. There, in the park Angiolina today stands FJ Schüler's bust, the work of the sculptor Hans Rathausky.
In 1887, Heinrich von Littrow established the "Union Yacht Club Quarnero" in Opatija (founded in June/July 1886) - the first sailing club on the Adriatic. In 1889 The Austrian government officially declared Abbazia (Opatija) as the first climatic seaside resort on the Adriatic. After the hotels, the building of villas started, for the needs of more demanding guests. The first villa was the "Amalia", in the immediate vicinity of the hotel "Quarnero" in 1890 as hotel's annex. Opatija's first guide was published in 1883 in Vienna with the title Abbazia, Idylle von der Adria. The Austrian emperor Franz Joseph I used to spend several months here during the winter. Many of these late 19th-century luxury hotels and villas have survived to present times. During World War I the Hotel Icicii was converted to a military hospital. The accompanying pictures show the nursing staff and wounded at lunch, on the grounds, and receiving care.
The old 14th-century Benedictine abbey, Opatija Sv. Jakova ("Abbey of Saint Jacob"), from which the town derives its name (opatija means "abbey" in Croatian) is located in Park Svetog Jakova or Saint James's Park. Saint Jacob's church, built in 1506 and enlarged in 1937, now stands on the same spot. The neo-Romanesque Church of the Annunciation with its pronounced green cupola, was designed in 1906 by architect Karl Seidl. Another sight is the Villa Angiolina, built in 1844 by Iginio Scarpa. This villa, transformed into a museum. Since 1844. Villa Angiolina had many prominent guests.
Opatija is known for the Maiden with the seagull, a statue by Zvonko Car (1956), which is positioned on a promontory by the Juraj Šporer art pavilion. It has turned into one of symbols of Opatija. A gilded variant of the statue Madonna, that once stood here but was demolished by communists after the end of World War II, now stands in front of Saint Jacob's Church.
The town park Angiolina contains many species of plants from all over the world. It has been protected since 1968. Close-by, vis-a-vis Hotel Imperial, stands the statue The Fountain - Helios and Selena, a work of the Austrian sculptor Hans Rathautsky from 1889. There is a 12 km-long promenade along the entire riviera, the Lungomare from Volosko, via Opatija, to Lovran - today again named after Austro –Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph 1. |
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The bay of Rijeka. |
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LOVRAN
Our Youth stayed in the Youth Hostel in Lovran about eight kilometres distant from center of Opatija.
Lovran is situated on the western coast of the Kvarner Bay. It is one of the oldest coastal settlements on the eastern shore of Istrian peninsula. By the early Middle Ages it was an important urban and shipbuilding center of northern Adriatic. Following the sudden development of port towns in the vicinity (Trieste, Pula, and Rijeka) which became the new and dominant urban centers in the region, Lovran lost its significance.
However, by the mid 19th century, the area gains prominence as it becomes a fashionable resort of Austro-Hungarian nobility. The long tradition of tourism is still strongly felt in the Lovran region, and it forms the backbone of the economy. The region is rich with cultural-historical heritage. A parish church with medieval frescoes and Glagolitic inscriptions, and the 14th century tower of St George's Square within the old urban core, as well as rural ambiances and architectural edifices - namely turn-of-the-century villas with surrounding parks, are general points of interest.
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Imperial night in Opatija. |
Program oft the Camp
The common language in the Camp was English.
Even when our Youth spoke many different native languages there was never a problem in understanding and of course our Croatian Partner - Associatiation GOROVO who was responsible for the management of all
events which I controlled every day - ten days - the performance oft he activities, status of health oft the participants etc. I arrrived in Opatija 12.07. - before the Youth arrived and leaved 22.07.
You shall know that I stayed all the time oft the camp in Opatija/Lovran and participated in most of the events, supported by our offical ÖMV-supervisers Andreas Steiner, Florian Steiner, Melanie Steiner - for the girls - and Jörg Habsburg-Lothringen, who also did a good job. I also checked the behaviour of the national teamleaders and ensured,that they did their job in compliance
with their responsibility.
I was also supported by the councsellor of Opatija Mrs Ana Brumnjak-Ilicic, M.Sc. and also by the Lord Mayor of Opatija Ing. Ivo Dujmic. We became already in the camp 2015 good friends. I personally was supported also by Ulrike Habsburg-Lothringen, who also stayed with me all the ten days there.
Furhermore my native Croatian friend Baroness Nathalie von Kostial, who speaks beside of Croatian also Italian, English and German was very.
Also my friend Markus Habsburg-Lothringen joined us and at Admirals Day I could welcome and host:
IMC-Präsident Admiral Jean-Marc Schindler, FAMMAC,
Präsidentin Maryse van Bussel mit Begleiter, Belgien,
Admiral Roberto Semi, ANMI,
Cdr.Paul Quinn, RNA-UK
Cdr.Mitko Metodiev, Bulgaria
Mag. Markus Salvator Habsburg-Lothringen, VP-ÖMV
Ulrike Habsburg-Lothringen, ÖMV
Nathalie von Kostial, ÖMV/ Stadt Opatija und Silvia Giradoni,
our Croatian ÖMV-Partners Karlo Godina and his Comrades.
and the Austrian Defense Attache in Croatia, Brigade General
MMag Roman Fischer, who came from Zagreb and presented an excellent speech.
Especially I thank the VIP’s from IMC-Assiociations, as already mentioned.
Very important, that IMC-President Admiral Jean Marc Schindler visited the Camp. Thank you Jean Marc.
The daily program was discussed with the participants so we never had problems. Now I give you an excample for some daily program and I ask you to
see also the German brochure, where you can see many pictures and the
program of some days. I guess that the pictures are self-explanatory. |
The youth is sailing. |
13/07/2016 WEDNESDAY-ARRIVAL
- Arrival of participants
- Dinner at Dom Lovran
14/07/2016 THURSDAY
- 9:10 Departure from Lovran (in vans) group 1
- 9:30 Departure from Lovran (in vans) group 2
- 10:00 Tomaševac Beach
- Swimming test
- Code of conduct at sea (Red Cross)
- Sports and recreational activities (beach volleyball, badminton,
beach handball…)
- 13:30 Lunch
- 15:00-16:30 Sports and recreational activities and swimming
- 16:30 Walk along Opatija's 10 km historic trail (Nordic walking Opatija)
- Carmen Sylva Promenade - Poljane - Ičići)
- 18:00-19:00 Ičići Beach - swimming
- 19:20 Return from Ičići to Dom Lovran – group 1
- 19:40 Return from Ičići to Dom Lovran – group 2
- Dinner at Dom Lovran
15/07/2016 FRIDAY
- Sailing school (keelboats)
- Group 1: sailing from 9:30-11:00 / group 2: rowing, knot tying lessons and swimming
- Group 2 from 11:00-12:30 / group 1: rowing, knot tying lessons and swimming
- 13:30 Lunch
- 15:00 Voloskotournament in table tennis, waterpolo+swimming
- 15:30 Mošćenička Draga - swimming
16/07/2016 SATURDAY
- Ičići Beach
- Sports and recreational activities
- Crossminton tournament - sports and recreational programme
- 15:00 Ičići Beach - sports and recreational activities
- 16:00-19:00 Aerobic Beach Party
Imperial Night in Opatija „Carski Grad-Imperial City“
17/07/2016 SUNDAY
- EXCURSION: UČKA- MALA UČKA- MOŠĆENIČKA DRAGA
- 14:00 Lunch
- Visit to Mošćenice
18/07/2016 MONDAY
- Sailing school (keelboats)
- Group 1: sailing from 9:30-11:00 / group 2: knot tying lessons and swimming
- Group 2 from 11:00-12:30 / group 1: knot tying lessons and swimming
- 14:30-16:00 - swimming
- 16:30-19:00 NK Opatija football stadium - sports and recreational
games (darts, football, tug of war, various games)
- Friendly football game
- Barbecue
19/07/2016 TUESDAY
- 9:30 Walking from the hostel to Lovran harbour (all participants)
- 10:00 Departure by boat from Lovran
- Boat trip with DJ around the islands (Paragvaj Tours) 'Sea Party' + lunch
- Return for dinner in the hostel
20/07/2016 WEDNESDAY - Admirals Day
All Youth stayed of course with VIP’s on Admirals Day events
IMC-President Admiral Schindler- FAMMAC,
President Maryse van Bussel, Belgium,
Admiral Roberto Semi, ANMI
Cdr.Paul Quinn, RNA-UK
Cdr.Mitko Metodiev, Bulgaria
…have been there and definitely can inform you, what happened.
21/07/2016 THURSDAY
- Sailing school (keelboats)
- Group 1: sailing from 9:30-11:00 / group 2: knot tying lessons and
Swimming
- Group 2 from 11:00-12:30 / group 1: knot tying lessons and swimming
- 13:30 Lunch (Marino Cvetković Sports Hall)
- 14:30-16:30 - swimming
- visit to Rijeka - visit of Rijeka
22/07/2016 FRIDAY
DEPARTURE - Farewell
Text: Prof. Col. Karl Skrivanek,
President ÖMV |
Die participans of the sailing camp – youth and the VIPs in the Angiolina-Park in front of the Villa. |
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