Hidden along the coast of Istria, remnants of a former cable car hide in the dark forest. Despite its inadequate use now, the Teleferika was a former bauxite mine in its prime, the remains of which can be seen from the seaside town of Rabac.
Although bauxite mining was essential for aluminum production, it became exclusive in the Istria and Trieste regions. Realizing the region’s economic potential, four companies established their operations there after the World War I. Trucks exported the excavated material to prominent towns like Rovinj, Novigrad, Rabac, and Plomin. Markets like Germany, Norway, and the United States, as well as domestic aluminum industries like Porto Marghera in Italy, would receive the mined bauxite.
As bauxite mining became more prevalent, Croatia faced competition from France, Yugoslavia, and Hungary during the 1920s to 1930s. Croatia, in need of innovation, made exporting easier, more cost-efficient, and faster by building the cable car in 1925. The cable car made its home in the village of Cere and spanned over five miles, carrying up to 10,000 tons of bauxite from Labin to Rabac. To compete, Italy made an economic policy to favor domestic mining of raw materials in 1934, which boosted the local industry. Croatia employed those with unskilled labour, which accounted for nearly five percent of Istria’s industrial employment in 1929 and 1930.
After the World War II, the transport routes for bauxite changed, sadly eliminating the need for industrial use of cable cars. German prisoners from the war dismantled the cable car and transferred the remains to the south of Serbia. It’s just the concrete skeletal remains of the Teleferika that stand today. The 1980s became the last era for bauxite mining.
As of July 2024, the concrete walls of the former cable cars still stand, but the forest conceals its main body. Though there is no widely known path to the cable cars, this has not deterred urbex explorers from venturing.
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