In the canyon of Velika Paklenica, there are underground tunnels popularly called "Bunkers", which were built in the period from 1950 to 1953. The tunnels were built by the Yugoslav army during the political crisis between Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union (USSR). What was hidden behind the walled shafts in the Velika Paklenica canyon was a closely guarded secret until the beginning of the Homeland War in 1991, when the Croatian Army began to use the space of over 1,500 square meters as a warehouse. After the end of the Homeland War, the public institution "Paklenica National Park" gets this space for permanent use. Seeing the great potential in the mentioned space as early as 2000, the Park administration began to transform it into a presentation center. In August 2016, visitors finally got the chance to see the product of many years of work, as the "Underground City of Paklenica" presentation center was officially opened.
Visitors can currently enjoy the "Small Climbing Center", which is located in a multifunctional hall, which includes an artificial rock where they can make their first climbing moves. In the hall, there are several screens on the walls with which they can learn about climbing in an interactive and fun way with the "Little Climbing Dictionary", "A Brief History of Climbing" and "Knot Tying School".
In the second part of the center, visitors can find out information about the first climbers in Paklenica, and find out details from the life of Dragutin Brahm, who is known as the first climber in Paklenica. Visitors can learn about the work of the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service and hear interesting stories from the rescuers about their experiences, and their premises are also located nearby because they take care of the safety of visitors during the season. In the final part of the center, in addition to the "Backpack" exhibit, visitors can once again read advice on good preparation for hiking and check whether they have all the necessary equipment before going on a hike.
As part of the Visitor Center, there is a souvenir shop and the "Bunker" coffee bar.
Translated by Google •
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