The Croatia You Never See 🇭🇷 Massive Abandoned Military Airbase of Yugoslavia
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- Опубліковано 2 січ 2025
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More Information about this Croatia Travel Vlog👇
If you're looking for the best things to do in Croatia, I highly recommend watching this video!
Although we’re scheduled to be in Split later today, this morning, we’re going off the beaten path from Plitvice National Park to make three incredible stops...
1. Željava Airbase
It’s true, the airplane (kind of plane) is just the tip of the iceberg here. Željava Airbase was Yugoslavia’s largest underground military airbase, and one of the most expensive military projects Europe had ever seen.
Yugoslavia spent the equivalent of $6 to 8 Billion dollars in the 50s and 60s on the Željava airbase over the course of its 20-year construction, finally completing in 1968.
The incredibly designed complex stretched 3.5km underground.
Protected by the surrounding mountains, It had 4 different entrances, secured with 110 pressurized doors, and 5 different runways in case of attack. It had its own water source, power generators, fuel supply, air conditioning, food quarters, and a mess hall that could feed 1,000 people at once.
However, because of its incredible power, During the Homeland War or Croatian War of Independence, the JNA (Yugoslav People’s Army) or Yugoslav National Army, set out on a year-long mission to destroy the Željava Air base, and in 1992 56 tons of missiles were used to bomb it until consumed with internal fires. They also mined the surrounding area.
It hasn’t been in operation since the war, and Today, it’s still monitored by police and border patrol. You are able to go in and explore at your own risk.
A HUGE Thank You to these incredible videos about Željava Airbase for allowing me to use some of their amazing footage. If you want more information about Željava Airbase, watch these:
Croatia Infiltration - • Napušteni Vojni Aerodr...
Way into Adventure - • Željava Air Base - Aba...
Schornography - • Abandoned Željava Airb...
Culturiosity - • Željava UNDERGROUND Ai...
2. Knin Fortress
Knin Fortress, positioned on top of the steep Spas Mountain, along the main transport corridor between Croatia and Bosnia, is the second largest fortress in the country, and the most significant defensive strongholds.
It was one of the most important locations during the the Croatian War of Independence, and has been a pivotal position of power for all those who came before it.
The fortress was conquered by the Ottomans in the 1500s, the Venetians in the 1600s, and today, the Croatian flag flys high, raised during Operation Storm, the last major battle of the Croatian War of Independence.
3. Cetina
Back on the backroads, straddling the Bosnia and Herzegovina border in 90* heat and no air conditioning, our last stop was a necessary one - we just had no idea how refreshing it was going to be!
Split, Croatia.
After a full-on day exploring some lesser-known Croatian sites and experiences, we finally make it to the popular coastal city of Split.
Where we make the obligatory stop for gelato. And this one - woof - featured homemade waffle cones and each one got a drizzle of warm chocolate at the bottom from their never-ending chocolate fountain.
Yeah, I know.
Check out videos from the other members of our Croatia Road Trip:
Goran's Channel - • 10 Questions with Gare...
Tyler's Channel - • CROATIA
I hope you enjoyed this Croatia Travel Vlog episode of the best things to do in Croatia! ❤️ If so, please hit that "👍" button, and leave a comment!
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WHO AM I?
Hi! My name is Gareth Leonard, an American Travel UA-camr with a passion for slow, meaningful Travel. I have spent the past 13+ years traveling around the world while creating travel vlogs to help inspire and educate people to “Travel Deeper.”
If you enjoy my work, please subscribe to this channel and turn on the notifications bell to stay up-to-date with my travel deeper adventures.
Daily updates can also be found on my Instagram Stories (@traveldeeper), so if you’ve read this far, send me a DM with the “🦊” emoji so I know you’re a real one!
Thanks for following along! 🙏
#TravelDeeper #GarethLeonard #Croatia #RoadTrip #CroatiaTravelVlog #Plitvice #PlitvičkaJezera #TravelVlog #Travel #Split #Željava #Cetina
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A summary of the war is very simple:
Croatia wanted independence, the Serbian minority in Croatia did not want to allow it and with the help of Serbia (Yugoslavian army held by the Serbs) they occupied one third of Croatia in 1991.
We managed to free our country through the military operation "Storm", taking back the occupied territories in August 1995. This day, August 5th, is celebrated as the most important national holiday in Croatia.
One of the key moments was raising the Croatian flag in the previously occupied city of Knin, which is where they were in the video. This was a moment of great historical significance after four years of occupation of a city that was the home city of medevial Croatian kings and of lands that have always been Croatian.
@@JaJa-qt5sf
Što bi trebalo bit zabranjeno? Komentar iznosi činjenice o Domovinskom ratu, sve što sam rekao su apsolutne činjenice.
Čak i nisam ulazio u detalje o opravdanosti ili neopravdanosti okupacije. Naravno da se tu ne slažemo, ali na kraju krajeva ste vi spušili, mi pobijedili i boli nas k.
👏🏻👏🏻 🇭🇷 ❤🤍💙
@@JaJa-qt5sf to je POVIJEST. Pomiri se sa tim. ✌️
Antonio, that's bullshit and you know it.
@antonio serdar
very good sir
I ❤ CROATIA,!!!!
Same 😉
I am so glad that you are enjoying exploring the beauties of my country, and sharing them with others. Greetings from Croatia.
po meni nije ok taj masovni turizam i kupanje u izvoru cetine itd al ok neki valjda misle da se sve treba strancima prodati
Ma šta ja znam, masovnog turizma ima svugdje, pa tko voli nek izvoli, neka si bira kad i gdje će ići. A što se naplaćivanja tiče, pa kaj, i drugdje se naplaćuju tipa jahanja na devama, slonovima i sl.gluposti, vožnje gondolama,rijekama i slične stvari,pa i tamo moramo platiti, ako želimo 🤗
12:23 "It's in a shape of one of the most most beautiful things in the world!" I couldn't agree more 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Just got back from Dubrovnik. So in love with this country can’t wait to make it inland next time.
Amazing locations, great shootings. Enjoy Croatia Gareth! Truly a unique country...
Hello my friend am from Kenya where are you from?
Thank you Goran!! 🙏
Samo je jedna istina! Ako se rat vodi na prostoru države koja se zove HRVATSKA, a napada je država koja se zove SRBIJA kako mogu biti dvije strane istine? Ne mogu, povijest je zapisala pobjednike i gubitnike.Hvala svim herojima Domovinskog rata, hvala im za našu domovinu Hrvatsku. OLUJA 95.🇭🇷🇭🇷🇭🇷🙏🙏🙏
I believe that continental Croatia is severley overlooked. So many castles, beautiful nature, coties and villages...
Enjoy Croatia Gareth, but do go inland 😉
Hello my friend am a fan of Gareth from Kenya where are you from.
I agree, it is such a beautiful country and most people only go to Split and Dubrovnik!
@@LiegeEdward I am Mexican, living in USA
@@ismaelcastro7956 do you have a UA-cam channel my friend?
Kronos, please see what you can do to restore the frankopan castle in Bosiljevo
Watching from the Philippines. 🇵🇭
Hello my friend how is Philippines
Thank you for watching, Michelle! 🙏
Come to Croatia to visit our beautiful country 🥰
I’ve ALWAYS wanted to visit that castle! Croatia has AMAZING castles, fortresses and beautiful scenery.
It truly does!! I hope you have the opportunity to visit! 🇭🇷
Gareth I love you video!! Good job 👏
Watching from Sydney beautiful video 🇦🇺
I miss Sydney, cheers Milka! 🙏
Beautiful country Croatia🥰🥰🥰,, great video 🇵🇭😻👍🏼
It truly is! The nature often reminds me of Philippines 😀
Thank you for sharing your adventures. I am a senior and very Grateful for your kindness
Thank you Mary 🙏
"The shape of one of the most beautiful things in the world" That was brilliant, young man.
I had to rewind that and think...did he just reference what I think??
@@jesses151 Yep! He did 👍
Great video Gareth. Can’t wait to visit Croatia!
Thanks for watching, and hope you get the chance to visit soon!
Really liked the inclusion of some Croatian history and historical sites, but also loved the light hearted fun adventures, too 😊 The outtakes, haha, perfect 👌Caught on camera with the gelato mess and had a mess of gelato on your camera, nice clean up 😋
this was a seat of Croatian kings, Knin used to be a royal city and to these days it's called Zvonimirov grad (Zvonimir's city)...around the city are some important pieces of Croatian history...unfortunately, during the history we were always under the attack of various invaders. It was soooooo important to us to see Croatian flag on top of that fortress in 1995.
Glory to Croatia.
Great video.
Thank you very much!
What a treat and an eye candy! Shirtless Gareth makes for a great Vlog 😂
Haha, let's see who actually watches the full video 😂
9:44 My uncle lost his leg in the war in Knin, man half that city lost someone or something. Respect you for covering this
I'm sorry to hear that. I couldn't believe how many stories like this we heard on our Croatia road trip. I was embarrassingly unaware of the full details.
@@GarethLeonard That''s why we don't like to talk about is as for alot of people it brings back a lot of traumas
@@LilFivio im from Bosnia now reason of rs I have personally lost a lot and I was in concentration camp as a 16 years old for 1 year I also don't like to talk a lot about things what happend,I have lost a lot it will never be the same again..
And I and whole of my family where expected that survived where expeled from region called republika srpska in 1992-92 never to return again for generations we lived there now we cannot any more..
@@orahovavucichitlerdacicgoe7223 damn, I’m sorry to hear that bro to realize that a few people fucked it up for a whole country
Beautiful as always makes me want to be there with you but it’s great that you made this video for everyone to see - many thanks Gareth 👍😘
Super cool, as usual!
Hello my friend am from Kenya where are you from.
Thank you very much Ed! 👊
And another great video Garreth !
Glad you enjoyed it Mike, thank you! 👊
Awesome video!
It is unfortunate that he jumps at the source of the Cetina River, which is located in the nature park, plus it is used for drinking. It should be protected!
Great video as always!
Thank you 👊
Croatia looks gorgeous! Your thumbnail for the video says, "Hidden Hot Spring." Was that referencing the very chilly swimming hole (reservoir?)??
Yeah, "Chilly Reservoir Swimming Hole" just doesn't have the same ring to it 😂
@@GarethLeonard You were swimming in a natural source of drinking water. It is prohibited.
Great video. Like a lot!👍
Big thanks!! 👊
Incredible video!
Great video
You have the best job in the world!!! Nice vids too, super!! Keep them coming! Happy travels!!! :)))
Thank you! 😃
Eres fantástico 👍😊😘 amo verte en tu canal de UA-cam 🤗😘😘😘
Gracias Abraham! 🙏
I really enjoyed the Yugoslavian history portion of the video.
Thank you. Just the very surface of the information that I tried to provide! Still so much more for me to learn.
Travel opens a mind better than anything
I couldn't agree more! 🙌
Jebes Tudzmana. Zivjela Hrvatska.
Great Explore, Gareth.
👌
Please inform yourself this spring Cetina water is use as drink not for swimming.
I just am learning that now... I wish there was a sign there telling people not to swim.
I must say that you've impressed me with your approach to the war issue in this video, Gareth. You were really respectful and your comments were on points (especially the comments and views on the war in general). Great job!
Another one for the bucket list!
Absolutely!! 👊
Wow! I would like to visit Split :)!!😋😎
Next episode! 😀
Oh my beloved croatia i lived in dubrovnik
Dubrovnik episode coming in few weeks! 😀 I hope I do it justice!
Made my day!
Yay, another great video from my favorite yt personality. 😉🤍🙏🏽
Aw, thank you Hanna! 😊🙏
All that beefcake in the thumbnail - the views are going to go through the roof! ;) Great video!
haha, let's see who stays around and actually watches the video 😂
I appreciate the extra work and research you put into this video. Great stuff as always!
Thank you! It was worth the extra work for me because I find this history so incredibly interesting!! There is still so much for me to learn about this region! 🙏
The underground airbase is amazing. I/we never knew it existed.
Thanks for stopping at the fortress of Knin. Not only is it important in the history or Croatia, but the site itself with it walls and towers is impressive.
I bet the ice plunge cooled everyone down really well. LOL
Of course, no Gareth adventure would be complete with a wonderful food component. The gelato looks delicious.
Thanks for showing us more of this little known country.
Love your epic adventures Big G 😎✌🏼
Thank you again for taking me VaCa for a solid 16mins… I would have never known how Beautiful this place is without your videos. I wish I was there with y’all eating that amazing food and swimming in the VaJaJa shaped lagoon… Just Stunning… Soooo Beautiful!!!!
Hello my brother already followed much love for the inspiration.
Thanks for tuning my friend, I appreciate it! 👊
I just joined your u tube page I have to say on thing you have to be enjoying your life doing all the stuff you love ❤️ 😍 great video
Thank you so much for tuning in Katrina 🙏
So good
Another entertaining video.
Thank you!! 🙏
I like your foody and jumping into water... be happy keep inform and entertain to all us.🐟
Thanks for watching my friend 🙏
amazing
The pool looks like a big eye from the air shot wow stunning colour ❤️🦘🐨🐨🦘❤️
Is that wild!? Thanks for watching Louise!! 🙏
in the shape of one of the most beautiful things on the planet.....jajaja love it !
Jaja, I was waiting for people to catch that! 👀
5:44 Damn I was in Knin that day
No way!
@@GarethLeonard I'''m from Croatia, always there for that day
@@GarethLeonard Did you see the massive show with planes they hosted?
swimming in river spring, in water system for drinking water in this drought year is the real picture of our spectacural future
I wish I would have known...
@@GarethLeonard Its our goverment fault not protecting it like they should
Ignorance is no excuse!!!
The river Cetina / the name comes from Sanskrit Cetana which means mind / soul.Probably got its name from the source that looks like the name :) FYI most rivers in Croatia have Sanskrit names.Its kinda an unknown history of the land.Most likely history of Slavic and Illirians ancestors that lived there are connected to religion in India today and Sanskrit probably started as an old Slavic / Illirian language that migrated to India via Slavic Skythian tribes.Good video.Keep it up.Love my Croatia.
Imas neke izvore za ovu tvrdnju o korjenima imena na sanskritu?
@@mranonymous8815 Sva imena rijeka u Hrvatskoj su Sanskrit imena.Krka znaci grkljan, Mura znaci nesto sta obuhvaca,Drava znaci teče,preliva se, Sava ima 10 ak znacenja u Sanskritu, Zrmanja je malo izmjenjena ric koja znaci rad,cak i jedno od najstarijih nasih imena tipa Ante ,koje je ilirsko ime,znaci u Sanskritu na kraju ili kraj.Sva povijesna imena kod nas su imena koja su Iliri dali,i koja su prezivjela do danas.A sve rici u jeziku koje su malo cudne i nemaju veze sa knjizevnim izrazom su Sanskrit rici i veza je ocita.Samo sta se to ne istrazuje.Skiti su prvo slavensko pleme koje je imalo konje u centralnoj Euroaziji i oni su putovali sve do Indije,Irana…biti su nomadi (Skit-nica).Oni su poceli ratovanje sa lukom sa konja koje su kasnije preuzeli Mongoli.
@@tonytony3255 Wow! Thank you for that!
@@tonytony3255 meni je ostalo u sjecanju da geneolozi koji istrazuju DNA, da su otkrili da atrjevska kasta ima nase gene. I da deff sam procitala da Sanskrt i nas jezik ima preko 2000 zajednickih rijeci.
That's pure pseudo-science. There's no such thing as Sanskrit language influences on Croatian toponyms. I mean if you force it you can connect any word with any language in the world considering humans can pronounce just a certain set of sounds. Some roots can be reconstructed to the Proto Indo-european (which is the mother tongue of both Slavic and Indian languages) but definitely not from Sanskrit. That's just bull*.
Love it
YES YES YES MORE SKI N ♥️
so fun..
Cheers Tim!
My village is near Knin next hill to fortress...I had Christening in Church in Knin last one before war ..
And Split is where I born ❤️
That is amazing! You are from such an amazingly beautiful area of the world! 🙌
Split episode coming next week!
When will the next video drop?
Cool
Cheers!
Have you tried the Yuneec Typhoon yet?
Did you stick a Travel Deeper sticker on that plane? And did you say there was new merch in the video?
Why is the water so cold? 8 celsius when so warm outside?
Wish I would have seen this earlier.
Have you tried the new DJI Mini Pro?
I spy an eye 👁 shaped swim hole. So beautiful!
It was so mysterious looking with the dark blue in the middle and so deep!
"It's in the shape of one of the most beautiful things in the world." 😂
I was waiting for someone to catch that 😂
He’s good looking!.!.
Bliss!
I hope you will go on a Hajduk Split football game
I wish! It was not the season when I was there 🤦🏻♂️
Such a gorgeous country with a rich history. I loved seeing you explore that side of Croatia! Hahaha "I'm a disaster" at the end had me crying. How does chocolate always manage to get EVERYWHERE? 😂
Looks healthy fun
This was such a great part of the trip! Travel deeper indeed!🔥🤩
I made an interview about the journey of Tyler (Gareths videographer) and published it today - might be interesting to check out🙌🏻🤩
Can you make more videos please
What's with the Chetniks (Serb royalist soliders) in the thumbnail ?
I like how Goran handled the war question. It would be so easy to pick a side and just blame it on the people. Good job 👍🏻
Personally I think it was cowardice.
He could have just said his opinion, which is probably the opinion of 99.9% of Croats.
If he wants the Serbian version he can go read a fantasy book or visit Belgrade.
@@Antonio_Serdar I have a clear opinion on many things around the war topic and some
parts I said are not in the video. But also we both agreed that the war shouldn‘t be a bigger topic in this video/series. My biggest opinion is that the war has stopped almost 30 years ago and I hate to see that both countries are still stuck in the war. That‘s one of the reasons why young people leave both countries next to corruption. It‘s time to move forward and not ask around where you have been in 91. That‘s where my opinion is different than of a big part of Croatia or Serbia.
@@escape2nomad688
I understand that but if someone asks you what happened and you are at a place literally because of the war and the memories of it, then you can explain it.
You can explain what happened and still think that people should move on. Sweeping problems under the carpet is never a solution.
We have had problems with other nations in the past and we are ok with them now because they are not pathological liars and they are not claiming Croatian territory anymore. The problem with the Serbs is not the war, the problem is they have the same aggressive politics towards Croatia today as they had then.
it can be said based on facts only
Show us more of Yugoslavia
Is this taken on an iPhone 13?
The Željava Air Base cost about $6 billion USD. This project along with other crazy military projects helped to bankrupt Yugoslavia.
BTW unknown fact is that Balkan people are often refferred as Natives/Indians od Europe. Bc it was discovered that we have the oldest genes in Europe.
I had no idea, that is very interesting. Thank you.
Very interesting!It is American airplanes!How it was being?
Hello my friend am from Kenya where are you from.
Hi,...I'm from RUSSIA
@@osh3000 can we connect my friend in my youtube channel please if possible.
It's a DC-3, a remnant from WWII
Retired somewhere in the late 1950s
Correct, it was a DC-3 - popular passenger plane turned military version.
Börek is belongs to turkeya and also I injoyed 😍
Borek belongs to so many countries in the region! I need to try them all!😅
that is one thing Ottomans have left behind
@@vordag and they left serbs too don't forget that
Always love to see you travel and topless again! LOL!
Haha, thanks Lee! 😅
The arial view of the swim hole looked like an eye.
Isn't that wild looking!?👀
It is not a swim hole,it is a Cetina river source!Instead of promoting ecological awareness and protection of water wealth(btw more than 500 000 people plus the tourists,get the water supply from Cetina),devastation of nature's gem is being promoted!It is really outrageous,but then,our government has failed to take steps to
protect it adequatly,so irresponsible visitors are not to blame.In normal and functional countries,water sources are protected and guarded!
I hope you gonna go to Bosnia too
“Happy as pigs in mud” I love that! lol
Haha, I felt like a pig after all that gelato! 😂
Why is no one swimming in this thing?
Maybe because that is Cetina River Source...and people get fresh and clean water from it.
The big problem with this video is that you are promoting swimming in Source of the River Cetina, and that is not recommended.
As you have said in the video of Plitvice Lakes National Park, if people were swimming, in the five years Plitvice Lakes would be totally ruined.
You are absolutely right. We had no idea about this going there. No signs or anything. I wish I would have known this before...
@@GarethLeonard Thanks for your answer. We can all learn and grow together. Hope you have a wonderful time in Croatia and wish you many more great adventures.
This is forbidden, how did you get idea to swim in the river Cetina spring? this is drinkable water well, get informed before you du such a disrespectful things.
I wish I would have known this beforehand - there were no signs or information about not swimming here... that sucks
@@GarethLeonard now you do know and still you are literally advertising swimming there in your video. You could do something about it.
Very chilly swiming in the hole is going to be forbidden,it is part of protected nature area,drinking water and our treasure
In the shape of one of the most beautiful things in the world?
An eye of course 😂
I thought so too🥸
Gareth, please change a thumbnail 😢.. put something Croatian.. it such an insult and brings bad memories of a war.. plz do 😢
What about UFO sighting on Pag island. Go visit it if you have time.
Whoa, is there evidence there?
Izvor vode, sa kojeg pije pola Dalmacije, nije za kupanje.😤
Volio bih da smo ovo znali prije... 🤦🏻♂️
I was in the former Yugoslavia just before the war started and watching this has made me see that a lot has changed and for the better I hope. The atmosphere of the country at the time was something that I never wish to experience ever again and I had been to the border regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan only a few months earlier at the time when the Russians were leaving Afghanistan and it was a different vibe completely.
Believe me when I say that what I felt in Yugoslavia was something very hard to describe that even watching this only brings it back it affected me that much.
I have to go back to see for myself the countries at peace , maybe even find the hotel in the mountains that slammed the door in our faces when we asked if they had a room .
The swimming pool was stunning and I bet it was very cold indeed, it would be even colder if one went swimming into the dark deep water of the swimming hole.👍
please do visit Croatia, you'll find that atmosphere is much different now
Did you know ? 1 burek has around 650 calories.
Haha, yes! You can feel it every time you eat one... I had to limit myself 🐷
Hidden Gem#4: Gareth
Haha, I appreciate it 😅