Description
VILLA PANCIERA - Austro-Hungarian villa - Opatija, Croatia
A unique offer of sale of an Austro-Hungarian villa right by the sea, next to the famous 100-year old Lungo Mare promenade in beautiful Opatija.
• This magnificent villa, with a beautiful view of the sea, was built in 1890.
• The property is in the centre of Opatija right next to the historic and beautiful Lungo Mare promenade, which stretches for 12 km.
• There are a number of high-quality restaurants and bars near the villa.
• There is a paved beach below the villa.
• There is a large hotel swimming pool next to the villa.
• The villa is near a luxury yacht marina. The owner will be able to see his yacht from the window.
• Opportunity to create a garage for 4 vehicles.
• The villa requires renovation – estimate of costs for luxury renovation - EUR 1,000,000.
History of the villa
The villa was built in 1890 by the Austrian South Railway Company.
The property was briefly occupied by well-known Viennese physician Julius Glax, who was the founder of spa tourism in the town. However, the history of the villa is then linked to the secret scandal concerning Archduke Otto Franz Josef Karl Ludwig Maria of Austria, who was the younger brother of heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne Franz Ferdinand d’Este, who was murdered in 1914 in Sarajevo.
Otto Franz was known for his wild lifestyle and he was unfaithful to his wife Maria of Saxony extensively. He also had two illegitimate children from his affair with ballerina Maria Schleinzer and this villa was allocated to Dr. von Hortenau, who married the ballerina and declared the children his own, so that the affair was kept hidden from the public. This villa was consequently home to the niece and the nephew of the crown prince of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy.
The security of many formerly popular tourist destinations such as Egypt, Tunisia, Turkey or France, has deteriorated.
On the contrary, Croatia is still considered a safe area from the aspect of criminality and from the aspect of the safety of investments, a status it reinforced by becoming a member of the EU. The Adriatic Sea in Croatia, containing over 1,200 islands, and crystal clear water, is one of the most beautiful seas in the world and the very healthy climate and sunny weather contribute to the uniqueness and popularity of this destination.
This is also why this country has become a very attractive region for investment, with stable growth of property prices. Private investments in the value of 2 billion Euro, which were recently invested into tourism, are also proof of this.
The popularity of this unique destination is also demonstrated by the sales of luxury and prestigious villages in this area. Opatija in particular has become very popular due to its exclusiveness, beauty, healthy climate and good accessibility, and the most expensive residential villa was recently purchased here for EUR 40,000,000.
