"Drunk railway" in Istria
The Drunk Railway in Istria is fun and photogenic, but hides a dark history from the time it was built. Istria truly has a lot to offer and attractions. Picturesque inland towns, famous coastal tourist towns, breathtaking natural phenomena, waterfalls, rolling hills and well-maintained hiking and cycling routes – there really is something for everyone. And one of the lesser-known attractions that is increasingly being visited when visiting Croatia’s largest peninsula is the Drunken Railway in Istria. It is part of the stretch between Lupoglav and Štalia, uneven, crooked, winding and, since it is no longer in use, the source of many funny photos on social media. It was built from 1948 to 1951 with the purpose of facilitating the transport of coal from the Istrian mines to the port of Rijeka.
During the golden age of Istrian mining, in the late fifties and early sixties, up to a hundred wagons with coal passed along the railway every day. As the Istrian coal mines closed, traffic decreased, and the last train passed along these tracks in 1999. The railway fell into disrepair, it was not maintained, and heavy rains caused landslides. Thus, one part of the railway collapsed, the rails remained attached to wooden sleepers, but were twisted and literally hung in some places. They acquired an interesting and photogenic appearance and were soon called the "drunken strip". The most interesting section of the railway is located at the foot of Učka, near the village of Kožljak. You can park in the town of Zagrad, near the Church of the Holy Cross, where you can also see the Kožljan Castle nearby.
It was first mentioned in 1102 and was built on the site of a prehistoric Istrian fortress. It will take you about 15 minutes to get from the church to the "drunk" part of the former road towards Shushnjevitsa. If you do not visit the entire closed part, but only the "drunk" part, the walk will be quite short.
To walk and take photos, you will need a maximum of half an hour to an hour, so it is ideal to plan a visit to the railway as part of a larger trip to these places. If you decide to walk most of the railway, you will be accompanied by the aroma of sage and a beautiful view of the slopes of the Učka and Čepičko Pole Nature Park. Despite the fact that this landmark has a happy and cheerful name, the history of its construction is not at all rosy. It was built on labor actions, which were then called "volunteering", although most of the workers did not want to participate there.
Due to the strong wind that blew, it was also called the "Siberian Railway" during construction. There was a shortage of labor on the construction site, so workers were brought to Istria from all over Yugoslavia, and many Istrians fled abroad to escape forced labor. Apparently, there are no plans to restore the line for rail traffic, so local authorities are leaving things as they are. With the drunken railway no longer serving its primary purpose, it has become a popular and entertaining tourist attraction.
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