Croatia beach reservation dispute leads to clash with Slovenian visitors

On Varoš beach on the island of Pašman, a Croatian woman who was sunbathing with a small child moved chairs that Slovenian tourists had left to reserve a shady spot. A Slovenian woman then confronted and drove her away, prompting the incident to be reported to the municipal police. The complainant says the practice of reserving beach space with chairs and towels by groups of Slovenian visitors occurs daily, and local authorities have not responded to her complaints.

Croatian law defines the sea and beaches as public maritime property that must be accessible to everyone under equal conditions. While the law does not expressly forbid reserving a spot with a towel or chair, it prohibits exclusive occupation of public space without legal basis. Municipalities may set specific rules and enforce removal of objects, but signage such as “Private Beach” does not legally restrict access. Similar disputes have been reported along other parts of the Adriatic coast.