EN

The Kontinental hotel was built in 1888 and has remained faithful to its initial task until today. As soon as it was opened it became, a popular city spot, together with the area in front of it. At the turn of the 19th to the 20th century the opening of the hotel’s restaurant run by Achile Carlo La Guardia, caused a stir as well. He was the father of the American politician, and for a short period a citizen of Rijeka, Fiorello La Guardia. In more recent times, in 1966, the Kontinental Hotel and the square in front of it attracted visitors by its renovated pastry shop – particularly young people during the summer months. The reason for this is the shade of the chestnut trees, the Rječina River and the fresh air coming through its canyon pleasantly cooling the city asphalt. And wherever the young inhabitants of Rijeka gather, is where the counter-culture impulses blossom, so by the end of the 1960s the square in front of the hotel was occupied by hippie souls. Around ten years later, the place would become a new wave punk nest. The echoes of those times are evident during the evening hours in front of 'Kont' even today.