Rijeka, Croatia's third largest city and is located in the Kvarner region, is will become the European Capital of Culture in 2020.

The city will be using this status to highlight itself as an area of cultural diversity on the Adriatic coast.

Rijeka's historical must-sees include a bustling central market, a 17th century city tower painted in a brilliant pastel yellow and 'The Leaning Tower' which leans 40cm and has existed since the Middle Ages.

Rijeka's main street, Korzo, lies at the heart of the city and is pedestrianised to allow visitors to explore the shops, restaurants and cafes.

Korzo lies parallel to the seafront, and provides the chance to see the City Clock Tower and visit the city's museums.

These include the Peek & Poole Museum, which has over 1,000 displays that chart the course of computing history with everything from the earliest calculators to games consoles and rare computers.

The Natural History Museum, which is devoted to the geology, botany and sea life of the Adriatic area, has a botanical garden with more than 2,000 native plant species.

The Maritime and History Museum of the Croatian Littoral houses exhibits that reflect the history of Rijeka and the Kvarner region from prehistoric times to the modern age.

This hill fortress just outside of Rijeka is a 13th century historical monument.

The Croatian National Theatre, which was built in the 1880s, stages theatre performances, opera and the ballet.

The historic port of Rijeka has the Galeb, which was originally built in Genoa and used as transportation for the Banana trade.

Sunk in 1944, it was reconstructed in 1952 and used as Tito's personal mobile home and as a space for political meetings and significant leaders in history to gather.

It is one of Rijeka's most popular attractions as a museum to Croatia's international role in its former Yugoslavian days.

The ship will be the venue for a number of exciting scheduled events during 2020.

Useful links

www.visitrijeka.eu/