Air Base Zeljava

THE BEST-KEPT SECRET OF THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA

Air Base Željava is a former underground military airport straddling the border of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, just a short drive from Bihać and Plitvice Lakes. Today it stands as one of the most compelling abandoned military sites in the region, famous for its tunnels carved into Mount Plješevica, its vast runways, a Douglas C-47 aircraft and a story rooted deep in the Cold War.

Željava is one of the most remarkable places to explore in the entire territory of the former Yugoslavia — built in secret, designed to survive a nuclear strike, and now open for you to discover.

Zeljava Airbase was built during the Cold War as a military base for the Yugoslav Air Force and Air Defence.

This site is your guide to everything Željava: its history, its construction, how it worked, and how to visit.

We also organise guided tours — so if you want to uncover the secrets of Yugoslavia's most expensive project and feel the atmosphere of this extraordinary place for yourself, you're in the right place.

Interested in a guided tour? Leave your details and we'll get back to you.

"One of the most popular tourist attractions in the Lika region — right alongside the unmissable Plitvice Lakes."

Željava was one of the most important military airports in the former Yugoslavia — and its most closely guarded secret. Built to withstand direct attack, it still fascinates to this day. The complex consisted of a network of tunnels and underground hangars, buried deep into the mountain to allow for the safe storage, protection and maintenance of MiG-21 fighter jets.

Considered one of the largest and most expensive projects ever undertaken in the former Yugoslavia, the area surrounding the airbase was strictly off-limits to the public for decades. Today, though, the site has been reclaimed by curiosity — drawing in visitors from across Croatia and around the world, and earning its place as one of the standout attractions in the Lika region alongside the breathtaking Plitvice Lakes.

You might know this place as Zeljava, Zeljava Air Base, Željava Airbase or the Željava Military Base. All roads lead to the same place — the former underground military airbase officially known as Objekt Klek 505.

An Underground Airbase Unlike Any Other

Željava is one of the rarest things in the world — a fully underground airport. Running through the heart of Mount Plješevica is a labyrinth of tunnels stretching roughly 3.5 kilometres in total. If you're looking for something genuinely unlike anything else and want to experience first-hand what life inside a Cold War military base actually looked like, you've found it. Come with us on a journey back in time and discover the secrets Željava has been keeping for decades.