A road in Goli Otok: the abandoned prison in the Croatian sea

Located in the northern Adriatic Sea between the mainland and the island of Rab and Krk, Goli Otok is a rocky outcrop that was the site of the only gulag in Europe when Croatia was part of Yugoslavia.

Exposed to strong winds off the northern Croatian coastline the barren, uninhabited island was the site of a prison that was in operation between 1949 and 1989. Initially set up for political prisoners in the former Yugoslavia, it later also had regular criminal inmates. The prison was completely abandoned in 1989.

A minor and narrow paved road runs from the western side of the island to the eastern side. It’s 5.22 km (3.25 mi) long and a bit steep, with 5 hairpin turns. The island hosts a visitor’s reception, an administration building and a restaurant (Konoba) open from late May to end September.
Pic: Alex Bogataj