Hangar Za Avione Mostar


Useful Information

Location: Gnojnice.
(43.2935412, 17.8472364)
Open:
Fee:
Classification:
Light:
Dimension: L=300 m, W=14 m, H=7 m.
Guided tours:
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address: Hangar Za Avione Mostar, Tel: +387-.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1969 begin of construction.
1971 completed.

Description

Hangar Za Avione Mostar (Mostar Aircraft Hangar) is a huge underground airplane hangar which is shaped like a U with two huge portals facing the airport of Mostar. While the airport is today still in use as a civilian airport, the underground installations were from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). They were more or less abandoned when Yugoslavia collapsed. As far as we know the site was not used during the following war years, mostly because the parties had no airplanes. However, it was never officially abandoned and dismantled, the airplanes were removed then the site abandoned. The result is a huge tunnel with a vaulted ceiling which is full of rubbish and scrap metal.

The site is located in the village of Gnojnice south of Mostar, there is a limestone hill between the village and the airport, which was used to dig the tunnels. As airplanes are somewhat difficult to move on the ground there were two wide tarmac roads leading from both entrances to the runway. They are level and thus suitable for airplanes. Today the M-6.1 runs between the airfield and the hill, and it is possible to park along the road and hike the 250 m to the tunnel in 5 minutes. The tunnel itself is not gated in any way and thus freely accessible. It is not only popular with Urban Explorers, many tourists actually visit the site. It’s not dangerous if you follow the basic rules, do not go alone, bring two lamps per person, wear hiking shoes. But a last word, do not climb around in the hillside around the hangar. This was a military site and its possible the surroundings were mined during the Balkan War, and not all mines later found and removed.

The underground bunkers for airplanes were a result of the six day war in Israel, where the army had first destroyed all the airplanes and airports. Actually, taking out the Yugoslav Air Force would be any invader’s priority. So they protected some of their aircraft in underground tunnels. They contained not only the planes but also equipment and men.

It seems this site has numerous names. Mostar Aircraft Hangar is obviously the easiest to understand name, but it’s actually the modern tourist site name. It was originally known either as Vojni Objekat Buna (Buna Military Installation) or short Objekt Buna, named after the village Buna in the south. Or probably the short river of the same name. Another name was Aerodrom Gnojnice (Gnojnice airfield) after the village on the other side of the hill. We used the name after which it is known by tourists today.