We woke in the tiny coastal town of Karlobag, Croatia after a quiet night in their public lot which happened to be free this time of year.
Well, it’s never quiet quiet in a town with church bells but quiet enough.
We drank coffee to the sounds of fishermen in their boats taking off for the day.
And started to make our way up the beautiful wild northern coast of Croatia.
We made a last minute call to cross a bridge to the island of Krk. Last year in Greece, we met a fellow traveler that spoke of an abandoned hotel on the island so we decided today was the day we should go see it.
We found a spot he Park4Night app that placed us directly across the street from where we wanted to be.
In 1971, the Haludovo Palace Hotel opened its doors as the most luxurious resort in the former Yugoslavia. Within a year, it filed for bankruptcy, toned down its exuberance but continued hosting until the civil war in the early 90s when it became home to refugees. It’s been abandoned ever since, stripped of everything imaginable and crumbling ever so slowly.
We snuck into the hotel, careful to not touch anything, watching our feet to avoid the broken glass as we admired the mid century space age design which mingles with the typical Communist-influenced architecture of the time.
Former bar and dining room.
Cool graffiti artwork.
Light rays shining through the former kitchen area.
Seventies tiles on the way to the pool area.
I’ve been wondering lately why I’m so drawn to forgotten places like these. I guess it’s easy to see the beauty in a preserved castle but to see a beauty where others see only sadness makes a place like this even more special to me.
Indoor pool above and outdoor pool below.
Do not enter.
Walking back to our camp spot for the night.
A peek at the new cabinet we built for our new Dometic CFX3 fridge.
It’s the 75 dual zone model. Here’s a link to an unboxing video if you are interested in the specs and our thoughts.
A quick hello to a vistor they named Raccoon.
Time to settle in for the night.
And here’s a tour of the hotel that Dan put together on YouTube. Enjoy!
Thanks for following along,
Marlene
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