{"id":5397,"date":"2025-01-09T09:44:26","date_gmt":"2025-01-09T09:44:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eupolisgrupa.hr\/projects\/the-underground-city-in-the-heart-of-velebit\/"},"modified":"2025-01-13T11:22:41","modified_gmt":"2025-01-13T11:22:41","slug":"the-underground-city-in-the-heart-of-velebit","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/eupolisgrupa.hr\/en\/projects\/the-underground-city-in-the-heart-of-velebit\/","title":{"rendered":"The Underground City in the Heart of Velebit"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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The Underground City in the Heart of Velebit<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The underground city in the heart of Velebit has been transformed from military infrastructure into an educational and interpretation center of the Paklenica National Park, promoting sustainable tourism and the protection of natural and cultural heritage.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Secrets of the underground city in the heart of Paklenica<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIn 1950, an unidentified group of people was brought before a massive cliff rising high into the sky in the canyon of Velika Paklenica and given a simple command: “Dig a tunnel here!” No one knew why or what was expected, but the operation was shrouded in the utmost secrecy. Even today, more than seven decades later, no one has spoken about the construction of these underground shelters, leaving unanswered questions about who dug the tunnels and what technology was used to create this underground complex.
Moreover, the entire canyon was closed to residents and visitors during the operation. The order, allegedly issued by Josip Broz Tito himself, was carried out by the Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA). Still, it remains unclear whether the tunnels were carved by JNA conscripts, political prisoners, or construction workers.

<\/span>\n\nThis underground city was excavated in the solid rock of the Velebit mountain cliffs, in a location where there is nothing but limestone boulders, so fearsome that the entire canyon was fittingly named Paklenica (Hell\u2019s Gorge).<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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From secret hideout to symbol of historical heritage<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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In 1953, after most of the work was completed, the final steps included equipping the facility with independent electricity and water supplies and an advanced ventilation system. However, the project was abruptly halted, and the entrance to the underground city was sealed with thick iron doors resembling those of submarines. Nothing about ‘Tito\u2019s bunkers’ was known until the early 1990s. <\/span><\/p>\n

Following the dissolution of Yugoslavia, the Croatian Army reopened the ‘JNA underground city’ in 1991, storing ammunition and explosives there during the war. It later emerged that Tito’s bunkers in the cliffs of Paklenica were excavated out of fear. In the early 1950s, Tito had fallen out of favour with the Soviet leadership and Stalin himself. This fear of a Russian invasion of Yugoslavia, coupled with the testing of the first Russian atomic bomb in 1949, prompted the urgent construction of underground shelters. <\/span><\/p>\n

This particular shelter was of special interest as its entrance could not be targeted by aircraft due to the steep canyon. The rocky cliffs provided excellent protection, with the bunker reaching a depth of 80 meters. After Stalin’s death in 1953, the threat of a Soviet invasion diminished, the project was abandoned, and it was soon forgotten. <\/span><\/p>\n

This marked the end of one of the most significant anti-nuclear protection projects, a network of underground corridors, shelters, and chambers likely intended as an operational command centre for military leadership in case of an atomic attack. With Croatian independence and the end of the Homeland War, the underground city became accessible to the public. <\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The underground city, prior to renovation, consisted of a series of corridors and halls equipped with lighting, sewage, and ventilation, but it was never completed or fully equipped. <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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A New Chapter: Sustainable Tourism Development<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Eupolis Group, in collaboration with the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service (HGSS) and the Ministry of Tourism, initiated the development of strategic projects for sustainable active tourism across Croatia. The first pilot projects focused on parks in the Adriatic region, including four national parks and four nature parks in Zadar, Lika-Senj, and \u0160ibenik-Knin counties. <\/span><\/p>\n

The first pilot initiative launched was the project “Underground City in the Heart of Velebit: Developing Year-Round Sustainable and Safe Active Tourism in Paklenica National Park and the Broader Velebit Area.” <\/span><\/p>\n

This project included reconstructing and repurposing military cultural-historical heritage within one of the greatest natural heritage symbols of the Republic of Croatia\u2014the Velebit mountain range. The project transformed the underground military city into an interpretation and education centre for Paklenica National Park and the entire Velebit region. <\/span><\/p>\n

Velebit is Croatia’s most extended and biodiverse mountain range, rich in natural heritage and biological diversity. The area is home to two national parks (Paklenica and Northern Velebit) and one nature park (Velebit Nature Park).
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Eupolis Group prepared and submitted the project, turning the abandoned military infrastructure into a multifunctional visitor, information, educational, and interpretation center for natural and cultural heritage. The Cluster for Eco-Social Innovation and Development CEDRA Split provided technical implementation support. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Public Institution Paklenica National Park led the project, with partners including the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service (HGSS) and the Cluster for Eco-Social Innovation and Development CEDRA Split.
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After renovation, the facilities included presentation and educational halls, souvenir shops, hospitality services, and an HGSS (Croatian Mountain Rescue Service) station for rescuing injured hikers and climbers.<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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About the Project
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The project aims to improve the protection and valorization of natural heritage through the development of forms of special interest tourism suitable for this area. This project has built an attractive visitor and security infrastructure, the necessary human and institutional capacities of the Paklenica National Park, its staff, the tourism, civil, public and agricultural sectors, improved the existing ones, and designed and promoted new sustainable tourism products based on the natural and cultural heritage of the area. <\/span><\/p>\n

The total project value exceeded \u20ac4.5 million. The European Regional Development Fund co-financed it, and it was implemented between 2014 and 2021.
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You can find more about the project on the pages of<\/span> JU NP Paklenica<\/span><\/a> .<\/span> <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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See our other projects too:<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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