Just six miles from the Old Town of Dubrovnik lies the Kupari Tourist Complex. In its 1960s heyday, it was a luxury holiday destination on the Adriatic Sea coast, capable of accommodating 1,600 holidaymakers.
Today, it is home to several large hotels and now stands completely abandoned after suffering severe damage during the Croatian Civil War.
It is now only frequented by thrillseekers wanting to wander the halls vandalised with graffiti and looted of anything of value. It is riddled with broken glass and even human faeces – so it is not the ideal holiday destination.
Despite this, locals and visitors still use the beautiful beaches nearby, including travel blogger sophiebeau.com.
Today, the resort presents a post-apocalyptic scene, like something out of The Last of Us, and has also been used as a film set for Game of Thrones, Star Wars, and Robin Hood.
The bombed-out holiday resort lies as an example of leftovers of the Croatian War of Independence after it was looted, shelled, and burned by Yugoslav forces when they retreated ahead of the advancing Croatian army in the 1990s. It has not hosted a single guest for over 30 years.
The 15-hectare site was built in communist Yugoslavia when state-owned companies and the government built holiday resorts along the coast for their workers. It began as a small pre-war hotel and was then nationalised.
The armed forces decided to continue expanding to provide a holiday playground for the military.
The crowning jewel was the Hotel Pelegrin, a modernist building built in 1963. It comprised over 400 bedrooms with stunning views of the beach and surroundings. The hotel’s car park is still used by visitors to the beach daily.
“Hotel Pelegrin appeared on the covers of architecture magazines when it was built,” said architectural historian Boris Vidakovic.
He added: “At the time, it surprised both experts and the general public. The building is one of the pioneers that ushered a new generation, a new type of coastal projects.”
In its current state of decay, every room has graffiti artwork, the roof has collapsed in multiple places, and there are hazards wherever you step.
The state of Hotel Goricina is not much better – from the outside, you can see the extent of the damage, with each balcony lined with graffiti and the walls blackened from fire damage. The hotel is lined with litter, with obvious signs of people living there. It is home to what would have been a glass conservatory with a stunning view of the sea, but it lies in a dangerous state with broken glass.
Hotel Kupari looks out across the beach and was likely quite pricey during its prime time. It has far-reaching views and private balconies. Its internal courtyard is now overgrown with various plants and vines that extend across the walls.
“It won’t be long before it gets snapped up by investors so if you want to explore this unique piece of history now is your chance,” Sophie wrote.
In fact, plans to restore the resort to its original glory are underway in a £114.8 million project. The redevelopment project has been in the works for decades, but until now, there has been no prospect of fulfilment.
In 2016, a Russian billionaire-backed the project, and in February 2020, Croatia’s state assets minister said that the urban development plan needed for the project’s launch was in the final stages of preparation.
In May 2022, it was taken over by a Singapore-based hotel company that operates dozens of luxury hotels worldwide. The new plan is to reconstruct and open the resort in the next few years.
