Opatija's most recognisable image is this bronze statue of a young woman holding a seagull aloft, standing on a rock in the sea just off the main beach. The sculptor Zvonko Car created it in 1956 and it quickly became the symbol of the town. The original statue was stolen in 1990 during the turmoil preceding the Croatian War of Independence; a replacement was installed in 1991 and has stood there since. It is photographed constantly, at all hours. At sunset the light behind it is particularly good.
Maiden with the Seagull
Bronze statue stolen in 1990, Opatija's enduring symbol