Part Two in the ‘abandoned hotels tema’ - you remember of course my talking about the beautiful track that I was running when I first came to live in Makarska (tend to walk it these days, too hot to run) – down to the main beach and then along the stari put, kroz sume (with a ‘sh’ - through the forest) along the coast track to Krvavica (it’s ok, I have pictures to jog your memory...)
Hidden in the pine trees is an old building (well, not old in European terms, but recimo, dilapidated) that I have only noticed recently. The other day I was walking with a friend and I played the twenty question game until I understood the history of the place. (It took twenty questions because neither of us are very bilingual).
Once upon a time in former Jugoslavia in the time of Tito, it was quite a thing to be in the military, and the government coffers were supporting a fair swag of them. The officers scored all of the best of apartments in Zagreb and Split, working hard, etc, so hard in fact that they needed big vacations by the sea, place of choice being the Makarska Riviera.
Tito, who had a few holiday homes of his own, had (quite) a few luxurious hotels built for the sole use of the military – complete with ramps for those who had donated parts of themselves to the then recent war (WW2).
There is one at Krvavica, and one at Baska Polje which is only a beach or two away – but there are various others dotted around the place. I’m talking about the one at Krvavica.
There are similarities to Hotel Jadran in that every window has been broken, the walls are covered with graffiti and all of the fittings and fixtures have been broken. There is an amazing ramp that leads to the second and third floors.
The beach is divine (photo taken at 7.30 in the morning, sun just coming over the Biokovo).
Unlike Jadran, this hotel has not been sold, despite the privatization theme – it just sits there on its path to self-destruction. Actually, I think that even the vandals have got bored with it.
The local rumour machine would have it that various people have shown interest in buying the place, but like any nervous vendor, the minute someone seems to show some interest, it is presumed that it is too cheap, and the price suddenly goes up.
Location, location, location - if anyone you know is interested… The beach and the setting is divine – how about school camps, motivational weekends for staff…..? anyone??
(oh, just trying to contain myself, just had a text – another day as a sobarica tomorrow -yus!)
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