Pula is a city in Croatia best known for a scattering of ancient ruins from the Roman empire, including a large amphitheater built in the first century A.D. and the famous Gate of Hercules. But it also has at least one ruin of a different type—a massive abandoned hospital, hurriedly closed down in 2003 and still littered with rusting medical supplies, peeling wallpaper, and collapsed hospital beds that once held the sick and the dying.
Nobody seems to be sure why this particular hospital was abandoned, but one thing is certain: It’s not alone. Before 1991, Croatia was part of Yugoslavia. After the new government was set up, a lot of the old government-controlled facilities (hospitals, schools, military installations) were either phased out or abandoned completely. This hospital appears to be a throwback to earlier days, even though it was still apparently running for another decade. Interestingly, hotels and resorts in Croatia are now heading down the same path—there are over 100 abandoned hotels throughout Pula and other cities.
