Just off the coast of Rab lies the historically significant Goli Otok (Barren Island), a remote and bleak island with a dark past as a political prison. Known as “Tito’s Gulag” or “Croatia’s Alcatraz,” this prison operated from 1949 to 1989 during Yugoslavia’s rule over Croatia. It was a place where alleged Stalinists, Communist party members, and individuals accused of sympathizing with the Soviet Union were subjected to “re-education” through harsh labor and mistreatment.

Embark on a kayaking expedition from Rab in the morning for an insightful tour of Goli Otok. Upon arrival, you can opt to explore the island on foot or hop on a tourist train at the harbor to delve deeper into Tito’s regime. Witness the abandoned workshops where prisoners toiled, the basic living quarters and solitary confinement cells where they resided, and the impressive stone structures constructed by the inmates themselves, including the administration building mockingly referred to as the “hotel,” factories producing wood, stone, and metal goods, and even a bowling alley.

Immerse yourself in more captivating historical experiences in Croatia.

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