Ćukovica Artillery Battery on Kamenjak Reveals Austro-Hungarian Military Past
The Ćukovica artillery battery, part of the Austro-Hungarian defense system, becomes a new tourist attraction with controlled entry and authentic preservation.
The Ćukovica artillery battery, part of the Austro-Hungarian defense system, becomes a new tourist attraction with controlled entry and authentic preservation.
At Cape Kamenjak, one of the most popular summer destinations in southern Istria, a valuable military heritage site over a century old has been uncovered. Just a few minutes from Donji Kamenjak and the Medulin archipelago lies the Ćukovica artillery battery, part of the former defense system of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, designed in 1917.
According to Andrej Bader, historian and exhibition author, this artillery position was never used for habitation. "This artillery position was never lived in. It was exclusively and solely used for storing ammunition and for the massive L50 cannons, so everything was subordinated to the military," Bader told HRT Magazine.
The battery was a key defensive point, and its purpose was purely military, which is still evident today in the preserved structures.
From 1813 to 1918, Premantura, along with Pula, underwent significant demographic changes that left behind valuable century-old heritage. It was precisely the stories of the local population that helped fill in the historical gaps.
"People in Premantura had underwear made of coarse linen and hemp, and when a paratrooper would come down, they would take his parachute and then the underwear would become 'silk from the sky'," Bader recounted, illustrating how war remnants influenced the daily lives of the locals.
Architect Breda Bizjak explained the approach to preserving the battery. "We took the stance that this battery should be preserved exactly as it is, without reconstructions, without worn-out parts, and without missing parts," Bizjak stated.
This approach emphasizes the importance of the site's authenticity, which now gains new tourist value as part of a unique landscape that attracts more visitors year after year.
Slobodan Belević, director of the Kamenjak Public Institution, announced visitor management measures. "For this year, we will only have entry control, given that the space is not large, to avoid overcrowding," Belević said.
Ćukovica will thus offer guests the opportunity to enjoy a sea view while delving into over a century of history, combining the natural beauty of southern Istria with its rich military past.
