A holiday destination beloved by Brits has launched a tourist crackdown with over 3,000 inspections.
Authorities in Croatia are continuing a crackdown on illegal construction in the Istrian peninsula in the north west, including holiday homes built by foreign nationals.
Some structures have had demolition orders for over a year, with owners failing to remove them voluntarily.
This week, 38 buildings in the coastal town of Umag are set to be demolished.
Despite the long-standing warnings about the illegal nature of their structures, some owners are surprised and say the action taken against their property is unfair.
Chief state inspector Andrija Mikulić confirmed that Croatian inspectors have been highly active in recent years.
He said: “We have carried out around 3,000 inspections in Istria alone, and only 32% of cases were legal. This means that nearly 70% involved illegal buildings.”
There are currently 15 inspectors on the ground in Umag and 200 construction sites have been shut down.
Some owners have already demolished their illegal structures voluntarily.
Mikulić continued: “So far, we have launched about 1,500 administrative proceedings, and more than 450 illegal structures have already been removed in Istria. Across Croatia, the number is around 2,100.”
Authorities are reportedly focused in particular on removing illegal buildings from agricultural and forest land, saying that such practices will no longer be tolerated.
Mikulić said many illegal builders in Istria are foreign nationals.
He added: “The same laws apply in Croatia as in the rest of the EU. You cannot build illegally here when you wouldn’t do the same elsewhere.”
Owners of illegal buildings served with demolition orders must remove the structures within 15 days.
If they fail to do this, they face fines followed by forced demolition at their own expense. Around one third of owners do not take action until this final stage.
The demolition campaign is set to continue in other parts of Istria, including the villages of Šišan and Ližnjan, before moving to the islands off the coast. Authorities have labelled illegal construction “the most expensive type of building” and urged owners “don’t do it”.
Umag is a popular tourist destination in Croatia, boasting a 20km riviera along the Istrian peninsula lined with bays. It is well known for its marina and international tennis centre, home of the Croatian Open every July.
The town is also home to the 2024 Eurovision runner-up Baby Lasagna, who finished 44 points behind winners Sweden at last year’s competition.