The Making of Dubrovnik Three Sisters

LAND ACQUISITION

Between 2007 and 2022, an exceptionally complex process was undertaken to acquire land from approximately 1,200 private co-owners from the village of Doli in the Municipality of Dubrovačko Primorje, near the Dubrovnik Three Sisters site.

At the outset, more than 85% of the registered landowners were deceased. Their heirs—many of whom lived across the world—therefore had to be identified and located. Three law firms worked to trace the heirs and resolve the complex ownership issues, making the process a demanding legal and administrative undertaking that took 15 years to complete.

SPATIAL PLANNING

The Dubrovnik Three Sisters site was first designated for tourism development in 1969. Covering 1,050,000 m², it was the largest planned tourism zone in the former Yugoslavia at the time.

Under the 2010 county spatial plan, the previously designated tourism zone was significantly reduced from 1,050,000 m² to 400,000 m². The plan also provided for a 210-hectare golf course and a nautical tourism marina with 400 berths.

The municipal spatial plan, adopted in 2012 and aligned with the county spatial plan, confirmed and further defined the planning conditions for the project’s continued development at the local level.

The Urban Development Plan (UPU), adopted in 2013, established detailed development conditions and regulations, ensuring an exceptionally low building density across the project from the outset.

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PERMITS AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE ROAD AND INFRASTRUCTURE

Location permits for the access roads and infrastructure were obtained in 2017, and building permits followed at the end of 2023. Construction began right after they were issued, at the start of 2024. 

CHARETTE — INTERNATIONAL ARCHITECTURAL WORKSHOP

Profectus Group organized an international architectural workshop in Dubrovnik, bringing together some of the world’s most influential architectural studios.

Participants were invited to plan and design individual elements of the Croatian Dream project, including the airport, marina, sports arena, golf courses, villas and hotels.

The workshop aimed to identify the strongest concepts—including physical models and computer-generated visualizations—which would subsequently be presented to the public alongside the master plan and a series of project brochures.