Rijeka Tunnel (TunnelRi)
Rijeka Tunnel (also known as TunnelRi) runs between St. Vitus Cathedral and Dolac Primary School in Rijeka city center.
The tunnel was built by the Italian Military between 1939 and 1942. It’s 350 meters long. If it’s a hot day, you’ll love this tunnel, as it’s very cool inside.
The purpose of the tunnel was to protect the civilian population from bombings during World War II.
The tunnel differs a lot along the route, with some areas being wide, some narrow and some just exposed rock.
For most of the tunnel length, the floor is a little uneven, so make sure you wear appropriate footwear.
As you can see above, the floor is gravel on this section but changes to concrete a little further ahead.
After the war, the tunnel remained closed for 75 years. The tunnel was opened to the public in 2017.
As you can see above, parts of the tunnel as just exposed rock.
In the above image you can see the tunnel change from exposed rock to a narrower concrete tunnel.
Along parts of the tunnel, you can see signs saying “Riservato all U.N.P.A.” which means “Reserved for Anti-aircraft Corps”.
Just inside the St Vitus Cathedral entrance, someone has painted a red heart, so I re-christened the tunnel Rijeka Love Tunnel.
Tunnel Entrances
St. Vitus Cathedral Entrance
The main entrance to the tunnel is to the left of St. Vitus Cathedral, shown above. There is usually a member of staff sitting at the entrance and they have CCTV of the whole tunnel.
Above you can see the main entrance to Rijeka Tunnel.
Dolac Primary School Entrance
On Dolac Street, you’ll see this sign for the tunnel. Follow the path and you’ll see the tunnel entrance.
If there wasn’t a sign pointing the way, you’d never guess that this was the entrance to a tunnel.
This is what you’ll see when you enter. It feels like you might be in the wrong place, but just keep walking and you’ll come to the tunnel.
Rijeka Tunnel Opening Times and Entry Fee
Rijeka Tunnel is open from 09:00 to 17:00 every day. If you visit Rijeka in winter, it could be closed because it’s mainly a tourist attraction.
Entry to the tunnel is free.
There’s a similar tunnel in Zagreb that we also visited. It’s also 350 meters long. See A Week in Beautiful Zagreb.
Book your hotel in Rijeka
When not staying at Airbnb apartments, our favorite booking website is agoda.com.
