Rijeka Advent 2026: from 28 November, ice rink at Exportdrvo

Rijeka lights up first on 20 November, when Pavil1on switches on its festive lights eight days before the official start. After that Advent spreads across the city, from the market on the Korzo to the lights on Trsat Castle. Last season families came for the workshops and Santa's train, day visitors from Zagreb, Istria and Slovenia for the ice rink and concerts. The jury of the 2025 national vote put Rijeka among the three most beautiful Advents in Croatia. This page keeps what is confirmed for 2026 apart from what is only documented for last season.

Rijeka Advent 2026 at a glance

The Paviljon okusa is new on the list. The Riva doživljaja, one of last season's seven locations, no longer appears on the 2026 page.

Programme: what is already fixed

Last year the city presented the full programme on 14 November. So far only the Pavil1on calendar is out for 2026, and the organiser reserves the right to change it. We add the rest here when the city publishes it.

Last season New Year's Eve on the Korzo was the free open-air Big CroDance Party (Rijeka Tourist Board). The 2026 line-up is not out yet. When the city names it, it also goes on our page New Year in Croatia.

Ice rink at Exportdrvo: last season's prices and hours

Last season the rink stood in the Exportdrvo hall by the port, more than 500 square metres under a roof (Rijeka Tourist Board). Skating cost €5 and skate hire €3. It opened daily from 10:00 to 22:00, on Fridays and Saturdays until 23:00. The 2026 price list is not out yet. The roof counts in a city with about 156 mm of rain in an average December.

Trsat: the lights on the Gradina

From late November to early January thousands of lights hang on Trsat Castle. Last season the focus was Santa's Post Office, where children handed in their letters at December weekends. There was also the Fritulijada, a Family Day and a children's New Year party at noon, with food and drinks at three Advent booths (Rijeka Tourist Board). The Trsat steps lead up from the centre, step by step in our route from the Korzo to Trsat. The info point at the castle answers on +385 51 217 714.

With children: the train and the workshops

Last season Santa's train ran through the city centre from 5 December to 11 January, daily from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 16:00 to 19:00, from 19 to 23 December until 20:00. Rides were free. Mornings were for nurseries and schools, booked through the tourist information centre at Korzo 14 (+385 51 335 882), afternoons for everyone. It stayed in the depot on 24, 25 and 31 December and on 1 January (Rijeka Tourist Board). In the Benčić arts quarter there were 50 free workshops and meetings, more than 30 of them at the Children's House (Rijeka Tourist Board).

Winter Pass: castle and museums free from 2 nights

Anyone booking at least two nights in Rijeka gets the tourist board's Winter Pass, valid from 1 October to 30 March. The QR code arrives by email and is shown at the entrance. It gives free entry to Trsat Castle, the Sugar Palace and the Cube of the City Museum, the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, the Natural History Museum, the Rijeka Tunnel and the Kantrida pools, among others. An Advent weekend with an overnight stay therefore saves several tickets that day visitors pay for.

Getting there: A6, A7 and the Matulji junction

From Zagreb it is about 160 km on the A6, roughly two hours. From 15 November the winter equipment rules apply, above all in Gorski kotar. Ramps 3 and 4 at the Matulji junction are closed until 12 December as planned, which hits the road to Opatija; the detours for each direction are in our report. In the next phase traffic on the Živice South viaduct runs only from Istria towards Rijeka for a planned 30 days, and Rijeka's traffic centre expects more cars at the Diračje junction and on city streets (Novi list). Trips between Istria and Rijeka need extra time in those weeks.

Opatija is 15 km away, linked by Autotrolej bus 32. Advent in Opatija also ends on 10 January, so both fit into one weekend. Rijeka Airport on Krk has very little winter traffic, and most air travellers land in Zagreb.