Lauriana means ‘laurel’. This fragrant herb gives the Lovran air a special atmosphere, which didn’t go unnoticed by the many historians, travel writers and cartographers who wrote about the town. It is therefore not surprising that laurel was the inspiration for its name.
The name Lauriana, referring to a fortified harbour on the northern coast of the Adriatic Sea, was first recorded in the 7th century in the work Cosmographia by an anonymous of Ravenna. However, the town existed even before then: this coast was once inhabited by members of the Illyrian tribe of the Liburnians. Centuries before our time, they went fishing in Kvarner Bay and cultivated vineyards and olive groves at the foot of Mount Učka.
In the 1st century BC, the area came under Roman rule. The beautiful Lovran landscape attracted rich patricians who built their summer houses, known as villa rustica, here. One of these belonged to Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, lieutenant to one of the most famous Roman rulers, Augustus Octavian, a celebrated military leader and the first Roman emperor.
Among the Roman villas, a fishing village and later a fortified harbour emerged. Lovran developed quickly:
the 12th-century Arab geographer al-Idrisi wrote that it was “a large and prosperous town with always ready ships and busy shipbuilders.”

The turbulent history of Lovran is responsible for its appearance. The Mediterranean town was surrounded by a defensive wall and three gates that were firmly closed at night. However, over time, Lovran opened up more and more due to changes in technology. The emergence of steamships brought Lovran’s shipbuilding and maritime tradition to an end, which had been based on fast sailing ships that transported fruit, olive oil and wine cultivated on the slopes of Mount Učka to Senj, Rijeka, Pula, Trieste and more distant ports. The famous travel writer Valvasor wrote at the end of the 17th century that “the inhabitants run an extensive trade in linen which they export to distant lands by sea”.
Lovran reached the peak of its maritime and trade status at the beginning of the 19th century, after which the situation abruptly changed. Steamers surpassed sailing ships at sea, and Lovran returned to its initial role as a beautiful place by the sea that leaves a lasting impression on every visitor.
Everything that attracted Roman patricians, combined with the events over the course of the following two millennia, made Lovran one of the most interesting destinations in the early years of tourism on the riviera.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the expansion of tourism and intensive construction activity continued.
Lovran was connected to Opatija, Rijeka, Pula and Trieste by steamboat lines. Guests arriving at the Matulji railway station from all parts of Europe reached Lovran by electric tram. The culmination of this investment was the completion of the Lungomare coastal promenade in
1911, which connected Lovran with Opatija and Volosko. As a result of the great interest of visitors, a cinema, pharmacy and bank were opened in the town.

Famous visitors from Europe who were enchanted by Lovran included the Mayor of Vienna Karl Lueger, the Polish artist Stanislaw Witkiewicz, the Hungarian painter Feszty Árpád, and many others.

After World War One, the town came under the rule of the Kingdom of Italy, which led to stagnation in the interwar period. The gradual rebuilding of Lovran as part of Yugoslavia in the second half of the 20th century revived tourism: this was a time when hotels and restaurants were renovated, and locals began renting apartments and rooms to the many tourists.