Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Nagi Gumba
Top floor of castle.
Kifune Castle
 The front of Asian Garden Mall.
Asian Garden Mall
The cable car is one of two in Europe that crosses open ocean.
Dursey Island Cable Car
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
A slice of cake is the perfect coda to a meal at Piatto Romano.
Piatto Romano
Crunchy and supremely satisfying, suppli might be the ultimate street food snack.
Supplizio
The pedigreed pistachios here are from Bronte.
Gelateria dei Gracchi
This tiny hole-in-the-wall serves one of the world’s most magnificent sandwiches.
Er Buchetto
Seafood features prominently on the menu.
Dakar NOLA
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
View of Santa Monica Beach and Los Angeles in afternoon sun. Aerial view from above the pacific ocean water.
Why Did Celebrity Preacher Aimee Semple McPherson Mysteriously Disappear?
about 11 hours ago
The glass-ceilinged atrium of the Bradbury Building was inspired by Edward Bellamy’s utopian literature.
The Bradbury Building Featured in ‘Blade Runner’ Was Inspired by a 19th-Century Utopian Novel
1 day ago
Berza gitana is one of the exemplary dishes of Gitano cuisine.
How Gitano Cuisine Found a Home in Andalusia
1 day ago
Greenland dogs—crucial to the sledge patrol’s transport and defense—pull a patrolman’s sled.
How Greenland’s Dog-Sled Patrol Became Unsung Heroes of World War II
2 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Croatia Rijeka Torpedo Launch Station

Torpedo Launch Station

Now abandoned, the world's first torpedo factory is crumbling into the sea.

Rijeka, Croatia

Added By
ahvenas
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The abandoned torpedo launch station.   Panther Media GmbH / Alamy
The abandoned torpedo launch station.   Panther Media GmbH / Alamy
It looks like it’s about to fall apart.   Matej Šimičević
  SixPac / Atlas Obscura User
  SixPac / Atlas Obscura User
  SixPac / Atlas Obscura User
  SixPac / Atlas Obscura User
  Auxburg / Atlas Obscura User
  Auxburg / Atlas Obscura User
  Auxburg / Atlas Obscura User
  Auxburg / Atlas Obscura User
The launching station is in serious decay.   Kornelije Sajler
The abandoned launch site.   Rijeka u slikama
  Silkywilkso / Atlas Obscura User
  SixPac / Atlas Obscura User
  Silkywilkso / Atlas Obscura User
  SixPac / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

It may look like this abandoned structure could buckle and tumble into the water at any moment, but don't be fooled by its drab appearance. This decaying launch station was once an absolute powerhouse for the advancement of maritime weaponry. 

Rijeka, Croatia was where the first torpedoes were assembled and tested. The original launch station that stood atop the site was built in the 1860s. It allowed the city to become a key spot for manufacturing and testing the self-propelled underwater missiles.

It was here that Robert Whitehead, working off Giovanni Luppis’ prototypes, created and launched the first successful torpedo. His fish-like machine revolutionized maritime military defenses.

For 100 years, the factory churned out more than 30 different models. The launch station that stands today was constructed in the 1930s and was only in use for just over 30 years. The factory closed in 1966, putting an end to the site’s weaponry glory days.

Now, the great launch station is basically falling apart; a shell of its former self.No longer a testing hub, its only visitors are the occasional urban explorer or fisherman. It looks like the type of feature you'd expect to stumble across in an apocalyptic wasteland. The rotting structure bears little hints of its great historical importance and looks like it could crumble into the sea. 

Related Tags

Weapons Military History Abandoned Factories Missiles World's First Military

Know Before You Go

The site is hidden away in an industrial area and not easy to find.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina

Traverse the beauty and history of the Balkans through locals' stories.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

ahvenas

Edited By

Kerry Wolfe, Auxburg, Silkywilkso, SixPac

  • Kerry Wolfe
  • Auxburg
  • Silkywilkso
  • SixPac

Published

March 30, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.visitrijeka.eu/what_to_see/attractions/torpedo_launch_station
Torpedo Launch Station
58 Ul. Milutina Barača
Rijeka
Croatia
45.33407, 14.403647
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Rijeka Tunnel

Rijeka, Croatia

miles away

PEEK&POKE Computer Museum

Rijeka, Croatia

miles away

Abandoned Haludovo Palace Hotel

Malinska, Croatia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Rijeka

Rijeka

Croatia

Places 3

Nearby Places

Rijeka Tunnel

Rijeka, Croatia

miles away

PEEK&POKE Computer Museum

Rijeka, Croatia

miles away

Abandoned Haludovo Palace Hotel

Malinska, Croatia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Rijeka

Rijeka

Croatia

Places 3

Related Places

  • Concrete debris found in the woods of Popes Head Park.

    Fairfax, Virginia

    Fairfax Nike Missile Site

    A lone historical marker off the highway and scattered debris are all that remain of this Cold War-era missile site.

  • Richmond, California

    Nike Missile Radar Site

    An abandoned Cold War missile radar site.

  • The ruins.

    Washington, D.C.

    Ruins of the Columbian Cannon Foundry

    These recently uncovered walls are all that's left of Washington, D.C's first defense contractor.

  • Fort Washington, Maryland

    Fort Foote Rodman Guns

    A mammoth pair of Civil War artillery guns abandoned out in the forest.

  • Sandy Hook Nike Launch Site

    Highlands, New Jersey

    Sandy Hook Nike Launch Site

    Rusting away on the edge of New Jersey are the remains of a Cold War missile launch site.

  • Nike Missile Site SF-51

    Pacifica, California

    Nike Missile Site SF-51

    Another of California's unused Cold War missile defense complexes has become a graffiti gallery.

  • Children play among the old missile equipment.

    Addison, Illinois

    Nike Park

    Cold War missile launch site which has been converted to a public park.

  • These fighter jets are a relic of a darker time.

    Bitola, North Macedonia

    Abandoned Yugoslavian F-86E Fighter Jets

    These dilapidated planes are now a canvas for graffiti artists.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.