![Trakoscan Castle, Croatia [Image by Miroslav Vajdic/Flickr]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2019/5/21/660x290/b_502x220x82/trakoscan-castle-croatia-image-by-miroslav-vajdicflickr_2267319.jpg "Trakoscan Castle, Croatia [Image by Miroslav Vajdic/Flickr]")
Croatia is famous for its beautiful beaches, islands and scenery. The country is also well-known for the many historic cities with monuments to the country's varied past.
However, Croatia also has a stranger side, with unusual and fascinating attractions to visit. Below you can learn about a museum dedicated to broken relationships, a sunken military ferry, an abandoned hotel, a neglected fairy tale castle and a ruined fascist villa with tunnels.
Some places in Croatia have also starred as filming location for the popular HBO series "Game of Thrones," one of which is included here.
The Museum of Broken Relationships - Zagreb
We can probably all relate to break-ups when a romance goes awry. A couple in Croatia separated and decided to start a museum, dedicated to the keepsakes people no longer wish to hang on to after a divorce or break-up. There are wondrous things like a tiny bottle, filled with a woman’s tears, a prosthetic leg and even a taser gun! While it might sound strange, the museum is popular and gets around 1,000 visitors every week.
Jablanac Shipwreck - Zavratnica Bay, Croatia
The world holds many reminders of World War II, and Croatia is no exception. There is one such reminder in Zavratnica Bay, a remote cove on the Adriatic Sea, approximately an hour’s walk away from the city of Jablanac. The remains of the military ferry can be clearly seen in the clear, turquoise water of the bay and measures between 50–150m in width and around 900m long. There is a small fee to pay to visit the sunken ship, as this is part of the Velebit National Park and is protected.
Hotel Belvedere - Dubrovnik, Croatia
Hotel Belvedere was a luxury hotel for only six years. The hotel was opened in 1985 but now stands abandoned. There were 200 guest rooms, a helipad and private boat dock, but everything is now gradually crumbling away. The abandoned hotel offers stunning views over the bay to Dubrovnik Old Town (where scenes for King’s Landing were filmed). On the lower level is an amphitheatre which briefly appeared in “Game of Thrones” where the crest of House Baratheon was once emblazoned on the floor.
Trakoscan Castle - Trakoscan, Croatia
Trakoscan Castle dates from the 13th century as a defensive fortification. However, due to its location and appearance it looks more like a fairy tale castle. The castle was opened to the public in 1953 as a museum about the castle, the area and general Croatian history and a man-made lake added below. However, the grounds are now looking a little neglected, as is the building itself.
Villa Rebar - Zagreb, Croatia
Villa Rebar is on the outskirts of Zagreb and was built in 1932. It was home to a Croatian fascist dictator, Ante Pavelic, known for genocide against Jews, Serbians and Romani. While he lived there, the dictator added a tunnel system leading to military bunkers nearby, which were also used as escape tunnels. When the war was over, Pavelic fled his home, which eventually became a mountain resort. However, in 1979 a fire wiped out the resort and it now stands in graffiti-strewn ruins.
