The Best Place to Shop in Rijeka, Kvarner

Appearance is of great importance to Croatians, and the local ladies will invariably be exhibiting style and glamour even as they sip coffee or shop for vegetables on any given weekday morning. To serve this fashion-conscious crowd, many hip little boutiques offer the latest styles in imported clothing and shoes (mostly from Italy and Germany). Prices are generally higher than what you'd pay in Italy, so unless you're caught short needing some posh clothes, it's better for your wallet to do your high-fashion shopping elsewhere. The Korzo, a pedestrian shopping street that snakes through the center of Rijeka, is the best place to go, should you be unable to contain your shopping urges. Modern, multilevel shopping malls are also available at both ends of the city center.

Fresh local produce, fish, cheeses, olive oils, wines, and rakijas are the items that should be on your Kvarner shopping list. The best place to buy these is the City Market on Verdijeva. Although there are "professional" traders present, many of the stallholders are still locals who bring their home-produced wares to sell. Noisy and colorful, Rijeka's central market is the place to haggle over fresh produce, swap gossip, and, of course, drink coffee. Pick up a picnic lunch of cheeses, salads, fruit, and nuts here, then pop into one of the multitude of bakeries for freshly baked burek (cheese and meat pies) to complete the feast. Although a little tricky to transport, homemade olive oil, apple-cider vinegar, and rakija—usually sold in recycled bottles—are good buys as well. Smaller containers of dried herbal tea leaves and seasonings like rosemary and oregano are a good alternative if your luggage is already tightly packed.