Exactly 140 years ago, Dr. Conrad Clar arrived in Mali Lošinj with his son Walter, who was recovering from a serious illness. It was the first tourist in Mali Lošinj, and with his arrival, tourism begins!
On occasion 140th anniversary of tourism on island, The Tourist Board of the City of Mali Lošinj, in cooperation with numerous destination partners, is organizing various events that will take place throughout 2025!
140 years ago...
At the time of arrival Dr. Clar He studied the climate of certain parts of the eastern Adriatic, which was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy.
He looked for warmer air temperatures than the neighboring coast, with little fluctuation in humidity and temperature, and found an island suitable for a climatic health resort and winter rehabilitation center. After three weeks, his son recovered enough to return home with a healthy child.
While staying on Lošinj, he often met with Ambroz Haračić who showed him the results of his meteorological observations started in 1880.
At the same time, Haračić and the locals are taking action to establishment of a tourist association in Mali Lošinj. It was through their efforts that the society was founded on February 9, 1886, and is among the oldest tourist organizations in Croatia.
Three months later, at the initiative of prof. Ph.D. Schrotter was founded i Association for beautification and afforestation of Mali Lošinj which already that same autumn planted over 80 thousand pine seedlings and landscaped the Čikat park along the coast.
First commercial accommodation
The first hotel in 1887 in Mali Lošinj was called Vienna. It had 13 modernly decorated spacious rooms, and it was located on the coast - Lošinj Captains' Quay.
By 1887, another hotel (A. Hoffmann), three boarding houses, three cafes, two inns and a Viennese pastry shop had been opened in Mali Lošinj.
When the Vindobona Hotel was built in 1887, the first hotel "To Archduchess Renata" was built in Veli Lošinj, named after Archduke Karl Stephan's daughter.
Both hotels were open year-round! In addition to hotels and guesthouses, guests in Mali and Veli Lošinj also had a considerable number of private rooms available.
Intensive hotel construction continued in the following years, so that in 1903 Mali Lošinj had 93 buildings with 338 rooms and 36 offices, and Veli Lošinj had 28 buildings with 138 rooms and 8 offices. In total, there were 476 rooms and 44 offices in hotels, guesthouses and private homes.
The highest frequency of tourists was in the winter months, just like on the French and Italian Rivieras. It was the “tourist fashion” of the aristocratic and wealthy circles in Europe at the time.