Željava, a military airport and former JNA base, has been abandoned, neglected and quite dangerous for years, but it still attracts many adventurers who want to see this mystical facility in person.
Desire lies at the foot of Plješivica, on the border between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, near the Plitvice Lakes on one side and Bihać on the other. Also known by the codename Facility 505 or Klek, as the underground part of the airport was called, this military complex is the most expensive project of the former Yugoslavia and was built for 13 years. Construction began in 1955 and ended in 1968.
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Five runways for aircraft and total three kilometer long tunnels they are just part of this impressive military fortress built to withstand an atomic bomb. Željava could accommodate 120 aircraft with a crew, they also had their own sources of electricity and water, fuel supplies, food, medicine and everything else that would serve the soldiers for a month of living in isolation in the event of a disaster.
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Željava was also used during the Croatian Homeland War, until 1992, when it JNA mined and heavily damaged. Since then, the airport is no longer in use, the outer buildings were completely destroyed, and the remains are overgrown with bushes. Although detonation sites can be seen in many places, the Klek underground facility was not destroyed by blasting, but some parts of the tunnel are in a very bad condition, so they are in danger of a complete collapse. In addition, the tunnels were proven to be contaminated with radioactive and other toxic substances.
Despite everything, today more and more tourists want to discover this city. The biggest attraction is the old man Douglas C-47, which you will easily recognize thanks to Instagram, as this very plane has become an inevitable spot for the perfect Insta photo.
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If you decide to visit Željava, keep in mind that the area around the base mined, so do not leave the concrete and paved surfaces around the building. If you enter the tunnels, be careful as there are large chunks of concrete hanging from the ceiling in certain places, and in some places there is even a risk of them collapsing. But don't be surprised if you encounter police guarding the border, as the area of the base is an established migrant route.
