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Karlobag 1971 – 1989

The Tourist Zenith and the Yugoslav Standard

Coat of arms of Karlobag
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Click a postcard or photograph for a detailed view, or start the presentation.

Presentation

The seventies and eighties were the period of Karlobag’s full maturity as a tourist center. The infrastructure built in the previous decade was now working at full capacity. Guests arrived to enjoy the clear waters of the Adriatic Sea and the unique contrast of stone and blue. Summer holidays became accessible to everyone, and Karlobag was a destination that offered everything: from hotel pools and organized beaches to boat excursions.

Tourist demand was so high that the town decided to prepare for the arrival of an even greater number of guests. This led to new, large-scale construction: Motel Karlobag was demolished, yielding its place to the larger and more modern Hotel Zagreb, significantly increasing accommodation capacity. Places like Hotel Jadran, the new Hotel Zagreb, and expanded campsites became synonymous with summer vacations for the working class and tourists from all over Europe. More private guesthouses and summer terraces were also developed.

The atmosphere of carefree days dominates the pictures from this period: family photos on the waterfront (riva), tourists enjoying hotel amenities, and long evenings with music and dancing. The Adriatic Highway (Jadranska magistrala) became a vital artery, full of cars bearing Czech, German, and Polish license plates.

However, the late eighties brought a slight sense of economic stagnation and the first signs of unrest in the country. Although the season was still full, the end of an era was slowly becoming apparent.

These photographs and postcards perfectly capture that last, peaceful era. They testify to a time of a high standard of tourism, stability, and carefree enjoyment of the Adriatic sun, just before major historical events changed both Karlobag and the entire region forever.

Postcard 1

Postcard sent in 1979.

Stamp: SFR Yugoslavia

Publisher: Vjesnik.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1401

Postcard 2

Period around the 1970s.

Publisher: Agefoto, Zagreb.

Photographed by D. Rendulić.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1402

Postcard 44

Period around the 1970s.

Publisher: Agefoto, Zagreb.

Photograph by D. Rendulić.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1444

Postcard 3

Postcard sent in 1969.

Stamp: SFR Yugoslavia

Publisher: Photo Documentation Agency, Zagreb.

Photographed by D. Rendulić.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1403

Postcard 4

Postcard sent in 1975.

Stamp: SFR Yugoslavia

Tourist Society, Karlobag.

Photographs: Photo Studio "Beograd", Trg maršala Tita 7, Belgrade.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1404

Postcard 5

Period around the 1980s.

Stamp: SFR Yugoslavia

Fotolik, Celje.

Photo by M. Gorjanc.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1405

Postcard 6

Period around the 1980s.

Stamp: SFR Yugoslavia

Fotolik, Celje.

Photo by I. Prekalj.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1406

Postcard 15

Postcard sent in 1986.

Stamp: SFR Yugoslavia

Fotolik, Celje.

Photo by I. Prekalj.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1415

Postcard 7

Postcard sent in 1986.

Stamp: SFR Yugoslavia

Fotolik, Celje.

Photo by M. Gorjanc.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1407

Postcard 8

Postcard sent in 1995.

Stamp: Republic of Croatia

Info & Design "Technoart", Zabok.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1408

Postcard 9

Period around the 1980s.

Info & Design "Technoart", Zabok.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1409

Postcard 10

Period around the 1980s.

Zrinski.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1410

Postcard 11

Period around the 1980s.

Interpublic.

Hotel Zagreb Industrogradnja, Karlobag.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1411

Postcard 12

Postcard sent in 1986.

Stamp: SFR Yugoslavia

Interpublic.

Hotel Zagreb Industrogradnja, Karlobag.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1412

Postcard 13

Postcard sent in 1973.

Stamp: SFR Yugoslavia

Publisher and print: NIP "Vjesnik", Zagreb.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1413

Postcard 14

Postcard sent in 1971.

Stamp: SFR Yugoslavia

Publisher and print: NIP "Vjesnik", Zagreb.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1414

Postcard 16

Postcard sent in 1993.

Stamp: Republic of Croatia

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1416

Postcard 17

Postcard sent in 1970.

Stamp: SFR Yugoslavia

Fotolik, Celje.

Photo by F. Mauer.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1417

Postcard 18

Postcard sent in 1977.

Stamp: SFR Yugoslavia

Fotolik, Celje.

Photo by F. Mauer.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1418

Postcard 19

Period around the 1970s.

Vuk Karađić, Belgrade.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1419

Postcard 20

Period around the 1970s.

Publisher and print: NIP "Vjesnik", Zagreb.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1420

Postcard 21

Postcard sent in 1979.

Stamp: SFR Yugoslavia

Publisher and print: NIP "Vjesnik", Zagreb.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1421

Postcard 22

Period around the 1970s.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1422

Postcard 23

Postcard sent in 1984.

Stamp: SFR Yugoslavia

Fotolik, Celje.

Photo by M. Gorjanc.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1423

Postcard 36

Period around 1975.

In the photo: Marinko and Ruža Potočnjak.

Publisher and print: NIP "Vjesnik", Zagreb.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1436

Postcard 43

Postcard mailed in 1988.

Stamp of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFR Yugoslavia).

Fotolik, Celje.

Photo: M. Gorjanc.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1443

Postcard 24

Period around the 1970s.

Vuk Karadžić, Belgrade.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1424

Postcard 25

Postcard sent in 1975.

Stamp: SFR Yugoslavia

Publisher: Photo Documentation Agency, Zagreb

Photo by Ivan Bratuša.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1425

Postcard 26

Postcard sent in the 1980s.

Stamp: SFR Yugoslavia

Fotolik, Celje.

Photo by M. Gorjanc & F. Mauer.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1426

Postcard 27

Period around the 1970s.

Stamp: SFR Yugoslavia

Agefoto, Zagreb.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1427

Postcard 28

Period around the 1970s.

Stamp: SFR Yugoslavia

Publisher: Cooperative Press, Ilica 35, Zagreb.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1428

Postcard 29

Postcard sent in 1972.

Stamp: SFR Yugoslavia

Publisher and print: NIP "Vjesnik", Zagreb.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1429

Postcard 30

Period around the 1980s.

Stamp: SFR Yugoslavia

Fotolik, Celje.

Photo by M. Gorjanc.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1430

Postcard 31

Postcard sent in 1973.

Stamp: SFR Yugoslavia

Publisher and print: NIP "Vjesnik", Zagreb.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1431

Postcard 32

Postcard sent in 1975.

Stamp: SFR Yugoslavia

Publisher and print: NIP "Vjesnik", Zagreb.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1432

Postcard 33

Postcard sent in 1983.

Stamp: SFR Yugoslavia

Fotolik, Celje.

Photo by M. Gorjanc.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1433

Postcard 34

Period around the 1980s.

Fotolik, Celje.

Photo by M. Gorjanc.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1434

Postcard 35

Postcard sent in 1975.

Stamp: SFR Yugoslavia

In the photo: Marinko and Ruža Potočnjak.

Publisher and print: NIP "Vjesnik", Zagreb.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1435

Postcard 37

Postcard sent around the 1980s.

In the photo: Ivan Brčić.

Fotolik, Celje.

Photo by M. Gorjanc.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1437

Postcard 41

Period around the 1980s.

Fotolik, Celje.

Photo by: M. Gorjanc.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1441

Postcard 42

Postcard sent in 1984.

Fotolik, Celje.

Photo by: M. Gorjanc.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1442

Postcard 38

Postcard sent around 1987.

Fotolik, Celje.

Photo by M. Gorjanc.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1438

Postcard 39

Postcard sent in the 1970s.

Stamp: SFR Yugoslavia

Publisher: Hospitality Company "Jadran".

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1439

Postcard 40

Postcard sent in 1988.

SFR Yugoslavia Stamp

Fotolik, Celje.

Photo by I. Prekalj.

T. Potočnjak Collection
Inv. no. ZTP-KB-1440

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