Croatia offers one of the most concentrated and varied urban exploration landscapes in Europe — a country whose particular history delivered Cold War underground airbases, Yugoslav military resort hotels abandoned after the 1991 war, Venetian-era island fortresses and a century of Dalmatian rural depopulation in a territory smaller than Scotland. The Kupari "Bay of Abandoned Hotels" near Dubrovnik, Željava Air Base (Europe's largest underground military complex) near Plitvice and the Haludovo Palace Hotel on Krk island together make Croatia one of the top five urbex destinations on the continent. Our Croatia Urbex Map covers 400+ verified GPS locations across all regions.
Why Croatia Is One of Europe's Best Urbex Destinations
The specific mechanism of Croatian abandonment — the 1991 Yugoslav war that emptied military resorts and hotels overnight, followed by three decades of institutional inertia — produced a quality of dereliction unavailable elsewhere. Buildings were not gradually declining; they were functioning in June 1991 and abandoned by autumn. The Dalmatian coast's extraordinary natural beauty adds a visual dimension absent from most European industrial dereliction.
1. Kupari – Župa Bay, Near Dubrovnik — Bay of Abandoned Hotels, 7 Structures, Yugoslav Military Resort, Abandoned Since 1991 Siege of Dubrovnik (Known Location)
The "bay of abandoned hotels" is the complex of former hotels in Kupari that has been abandoned for some thirty years. There are seven hotels in the complex — Grand, Goričina I, Goričina II, Kupari, Pelegrin, Mladost and Galeb — all in disrepair. The Grand Hotel was built in 1923 by Czech architect Jiří Stibral. Post-war, the Yugoslav People's Army converted the complex into a military resort accommodating up to 4,500 guests. The site was severely damaged during the Siege of Dubrovnik in 1991 and abandoned since. Reconstruction works began in 2025. 10km from Dubrovnik; bus 11 from Pile Gate to Kupari stop.
🔗 Sources: My Wanderlust – Kupari Abandoned Hotels | Wikipedia – Kupari
2. Željava Air Base (Objekat 505) – Croatia-Bosnia Border, Near Plitvice — Europe's Largest Underground Airport, Built 1957–1968, $6 Billion Cost, Destroyed 1992 (Known Location)
Željava Air Base was the largest military air base and underground hangar in Yugoslavia and one of the largest in Europe. Construction started in 1948 and was completed in 1968 at a cost of approximately $6 billion — three times the combined annual military budgets of Serbia and Croatia today. The complex was deliberately destroyed in 1992 by the Serbian Army of Krajina using 56 tonnes of explosives; the explosion shook the city of Bihać and smoke rose from the tunnels for six months. 20 minutes from Plitvice Lakes. Stay on paved areas — active landmine risk in surrounding terrain.
🔗 Also read: Top 5 Abandoned Places in Croatia →
3. Haludovo Palace Hotel – Krk Island, Kvarner — Built 1971, Penthouse Casino by Bob Guccione ($45M), Closed 2002, Brutalist Adriatic Architecture
The Haludovo Palace Hotel was built in 1971 by Croatian architect Boris Magaš with $45 million invested by Penthouse founder Bob Guccione, who added the Penthouse Adriatic Club Casino in 1972. Yugoslavian law forbade nationals from gambling, leaving insufficient international clientele; the casino went bankrupt in 1973. The hotel continued attracting international guests until the Yugoslav Wars; during the wars it sheltered refugees. It hosted its last guests in 2001 and today stands abandoned with the interior effectively destroyed while the buildings remain structurally intact. All GPS coordinates in our Croatia Urbex Map.
4. Derelict Dalmatian Coast Villa – Split-Dalmatia County — Pre-War Adriatic Holiday Residence, Stone Construction, Overgrown Gardens, Sea Views (Hidden on Our Map)
The Split-Dalmatia hinterland and coastal promontories hold dozens of pre-war Adriatic holiday villas in various states of dereliction — stone-built 1930s–60s residences whose owners left during the 1991 war or in the Yugoslav-era depopulation wave and have not returned. The specific combination of Dalmatian stone construction, the Adriatic light and the overgrown garden archaeology of the Yugoslav-era leisure class creates a villa dereliction experience of unusual quality. Find it on our Croatia Urbex Map. All GPS in our Croatia Urbex Map.
5. Depopulated Island Settlement – Dalmatian Islands, Central Croatia — Post-WWII Rural Exodus, Stone Village, Adriatic Island Setting, No Remaining Inhabitants (On Our Map Only)
The smaller Dalmatian islands — Vis, Lastovo, Korčula, Mljet and dozens of uninhabited islets — experienced dramatic post-WWII depopulation as fishing and agricultural communities migrated to the mainland. Several island villages exist in states of complete or near-complete dereliction: dry-stone terracing returning to maquis, the stone houses with their roof tiles collapsed, the church bell tower still standing. The Adriatic island setting — azure water, pine forest, the specific quality of Dalmatian island light — creates a ghost village experience of extraordinary visual beauty. Mapped exclusively in our Croatia Urbex Map. Mapped exclusively in our Croatia Urbex Map.
❓ FAQ
What is the best place to do urbex in Croatia?
Kupari near Dubrovnik — seven abandoned Yugoslav military hotels in a single bay, freely accessible from the beach, with war damage, Soviet-era modernist architecture and Adriatic views. The Hotel Goričina II rooftop gives the finest panoramic view in Croatian urbex.
Is Željava Air Base worth visiting?
Absolutely — Europe's largest underground airport, built 1957–1968 at a cost equivalent to $42 billion today, destroyed by 56 tonnes of explosives in 1992. 20 minutes from Plitvice Lakes. Stay strictly on paved areas due to active landmine risk and consider a guided tour for safe tunnel access.
When is the best time to do urbex in Croatia?
Spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October) offer the best balance of light, temperature and reduced tourist numbers near Dubrovnik and the coast. Summer access to Kupari is shared with beach visitors; winter offers dramatic light but potential storm risk on island ferry routes.
Safety Tips
- Željava landmines: never leave paved areas at the air base — the surrounding terrain contains active anti-personnel mines; always stay on roads
- Kupari structural risk: war damage and 30 years of dereliction have created unpredictable structural conditions — avoid upper floors of heavily shelled buildings
- Island ferries: Jadrolinija schedules change seasonally; always check the current timetable before planning an island visit
- Never explore alone — always bring at least one other person and share your location
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