April 16, 2023 – Croatian tourism may be centred on the coast, but for some truly extraordinary things, head inland – how about a $6 BILLION airbase built inside a mountain? Meet Zeljava.
One of the things I love most about living in Croatia is that there is so much to learn and experience, and there are so many things to see and do at a more local level that rarely make it out of the region. I am a naturally curious person, and I soon realised that if I started to scratch the surface of firstly my adopted island of Hvar and then later on Croatia as a whole, there was simply lots of fantastic content to discover and write about.
Over the years, I had heard mention of some airbase called Zeljava which was mostly in Croatia but also partly in Bosnia and Hercegovina, which Tito had built between 1948 and 1968 at an estimated cost of $6 billion in today’s money. It had always been on my list to check it out, and that became a reality over a drink with tour guide par excellence Iva Perokovic from Swanky Travel in Zagreb last year.
Not only did Iva know ALL about this incredible part of Croatian history, but she also did an urban explorer tour to Zeljava. It didn’t take much persuading for us to find a date to learn more.
Located mostly inside a mountain, but also partly in neighbouring Bosnia and Hercegovina, close to Bihac, Zeljevo is an incredible complex which at its height, allowed MiG fighters to shoot out of the mountain onto the awaiting runways and be airborne within seconds. There are several entrances, and space enough inside for some 80 MiGs to park, from memory. At its height, Zeljava was a thriving community, with a mess capable of feeding 1000 people at a time, as well as multiple facilities to enable those inside to last 30 days with supplies. THe huge metal doors were designed to withstand a nuclear attack the strength of Nagasaki.
Here is a rare video of Zeljava back in the last 1980s, to give you an idea.
Zeljava’s fate changed considerably when the Homeland War started in 1991. As the Serbs retreated, they detonated tons of explosives inside the mountain to render the airbase useless. Locals in Bihac said that smoke could be seen rising from the mountain six months later.
These days, Zeljava is guarded by police for a very different reason – with the open tunnels between the two countries, it is a possible migrant route. If you want to visit as a tourist, the police will not hinder you, but you are advised to take an organised tour. Check out our CROMADS experience in the video below, and don’t forget the selfie on the Douglas C47 Dakota close by (see lead photo).
Zeljava has recently undergone another change in fortunes, as a local enthusiast has managed to get a concession on the airbase and surrounding runways. Last year he held a very successful speed race there, something that will happen again in 2023.
****
You can subscribe to the Paul Bradbury Croatia Expert YouTube channel here.
What is it like to live in Croatia? An expat for 20 years, you can follow my series, 20 Ways Croatia Changed Me in 20 Years, starting at the beginning – Business and Dalmatia.
Follow Paul Bradbury on LinkedIn.
Croatia, a Survival Kit for Foreigners is now available on Amazon in paperback and on Kindle.
