▲The Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary has its own leaning bell tower. The cause of the characteristic tilt is attributed to a subterranean groundwater stream undermining the 14th-century foundations. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY 2.0)

▲Rijeka harbor is the city's gateway to the Kvarner Gulf—known for its collection of captivating islands—and the Adriatic Sea. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 4.0)

▲Platak is located in northern Croatia, east of Rijeka. If you're visiting the city during the winter months, do what the locals do: stroll the beach in the morning then hit the slopes in the afternoon. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 4.0)

▲Rijeka has its very own beach, albeit a pocket-sized wedge of sand. Sablićevo Beach lies about 2.7 km (1.6 mi) southeast of the city center. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 4.0)

▲Familiarize yourself with Galway's history by spending time in the city's museum. Exhibits like the gold royal Claddagh Ring (pictured) number among pieces included in the various collections. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 3.0)

▲The festival of Cruinniú na mBád is held each year, when traditional fishing boats known as Galway hookers (pictured) race across Galway Bay from Connemara to Kinvara.

▲An excursion out of Galway will bring you to 16th-century Dunguaire Castle, which lies on the southeastern shore of Galway Bay. The grounds are open to tourists during the summer months.

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Make sure to pause in front of Lynch's Castle, a striking example of a medieval fortified house. Parts of the limestone building date back to the 14th century. The structure today serves as a bank. You can visit the ground floor during bank opening hours where panels explain the history and architecture of the building in detail.

▲Every visitor to Galway ends up in Eyre Square, the city's inner-city public park. This is where many of Galway's festival events take place.

▲Galway's pub culture is famed throughout the land. The King's Head is over 800 years old and was once the 17th-century home of the Mayor of Galway. These days it serves the community as a chic bar and bistro.

▲Galway docklands illuminated at dusk.

▲A landmark feature of Claddagh is the late 16th-century Spanish Arch built into the original city walls. Interestingly, in 1755, the arches were partially destroyed by the tsunami generated by the 1755 Lisbon earthquake.

▲Blackrock diving tower is an iconic structure of the Salthill promenade. It's set on Salthill beach, not far from Galway city center.

▲Tourists visiting the famous Quadrangle building of the National University of Ireland Galway. The university was founded in 1845.

▲The Browne Door in Eyre Square was the former entrance to the Browne house of 1627. It doesn't represent the original location of the premises, but remains a fine example of the great architecture in the days of Galway's civic opulence between the 16th and 18th centuries.

▲The Galway International Arts Festival takes place every year in July. The 2020 event sees national and international artists converging on the city to help celebrate the city's European Capital of Culture status.

▲Galway Cathedral illuminated at night, viewed from the Corrib River. Irish traditional music and Gregorian chant are included on the cathedral's program.

▲Dating back to the end of the 19th century, Rijeka's market was originally built as a fish market. Today you can go there to buy fruit, flowers, vegetables, and yes, plenty of fish.

▲Rijeka's medieval Ivan Kobler Square marks the center of the Old Town.

▲The Front Door is typical of Galway's party pubs. Expect live music or DJ sets on any given evening.

▲Galway's lively hub, High Street, bathed in fantastic mid-summer color.

▲Galway, a city in County Galway in the west of Ireland, can be dated back to 1124. In the Middle Ages it was ruled by 14 merchant families, the so-called Tribes of Galway, and was the principal Irish port for trade with Spain and France.

▲Revelers in their colorful costumes take part in the annual Rijeka Carnival parade. The ornate late 19th-century Palace Modella can be seen in the background.

▲Rijeka was heavily fortified during World War II. A network of underground tunnels was built under the city as bomb shelters, eerie subterranean passages that can be visited today.

▲Be sure to catch a show at the National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc during the city's tenure as European Capital of Culture. It serves as a theater, opera, and ballet venue.

▲The fountain in Ivan Kobler Square marks the location of an early 19th-century paper mill. The water feature is constructed from paper press equipment salvaged from the premises.

▲Saint Vitus' Cathedral is the only Baroque rotunda of monumental proportions built on Croatian soil. It dates back to the mid-17th century.

▲Claddagh, formally a fishing village set outside the old city walls, is Galway's most historic—and certainly most romantic—location.

▲Rijeka is Croatia's principal seaport and the third-largest city in the country. Traces of neolithic settlements can be found in the region as well as those of Celtic Tharsatica (modern Trsat, now part of Rijeka).

▲Rijeka's Roman heritage is exemplified by the city's Old Gateway (Roman Arch), which marks the main entrance to the center of the fortified compound of Tarsatica, an ancient town on whose ruins medieval Rijeka was built.

▲Gorgeous Rijeka viewed from Trsat Castle.

▲The city's landmark 13th-century Trsat Castle (reconstructed and renovated in the 19th century) stands on the site of a Roman fortress. A restaurant is found in the courtyard where visitors can relax and take in spectacular views while they sample traditional Croatian cuisine.

▲Housed in the former Governor's Palace, the Maritime and History Museum of the Croatian Littoral is where to go for your cultural fix.

▲Rijeka's clock tower stands over the original gateway to the city from the port in medieval times. This is a favorite gathering point for locals who say, "Pod uriloj"—"meet me under the clock."

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Rijeka in Croatia and Galway in Ireland are sharing the honor of European Capital of Culture 2020. The distinction allows both cities to host a series of events with a strong pan-European dimension, while at the same time promoting their own unique history and culture.

Browse the gallery and find out more about these two very different but paired destinations.