“Kupari, you are truly a relic of the past.” Here, overlooking the shimmering Adriatic Sea, you find the Autocamp Kupari, a place that whispers stories of both grandeur and destruction. This was once a vibrant holiday paradise for Yugoslav military elites, with gleaming hotels and a bustling campsite nestled among the olive groves. It was built in the 1960s, on a long sandy bay and had a capacity for about 4,500 guests. But the echoes of war have carved their scars here, a tragic chapter that unfolded in 1991 as the Yugoslav Army left their former holiday spot in ruins. Imagine this place being bustling with life one day, full of families and laughter, only to be left behind in a silent, windswept abandonment. The place became the target of phosphorus bombs, and the entire complex was eventually left stripped bare, a shell of its former self.
The Autocamp Kupari, standing as a stark, poignant reminder of a bygone era that the locals have tried to make sense of or even forget. Just a short distance from the lively tourist crowds of Dubrovnik, these ruins offer a unique glimpse into both the beauty and the brutality of Croatia’s past. Today, overgrown with ivy and weeds, the Autocamp Kupari is a haunting testament to the fragility of peace and the enduring power of nature to reclaiming what was lost. Yet, a project to revive the Autocamp Kupari is underway. Will it be allowed to fade completely? Or will it be reclaimed, once again, as a haven for vacationers? The answer remains to be seen.
Sv. Martin
“A church tucked away in a guardhouse?” you might ask. Yes, right here, before the grand Golden Gate of Diocletian’s