Fort Lovrijenac

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Fort Lovrijenac or St. Lawrence Fortress is located outside the western wall of the city of Dubrovnik. Famous for its plays and importance in resisting Venetian rule, it overshadows the two entrances to the city, from the sea and by land. Early in the 11th century the Venetians attempted to build a fort on the same spot where Fort Lovrijenac currently stands. If they had succeeded, they would have kept Dubrovnik under their power, but the people of the city beat them to it. The 'Chronicles of Ragusa' reveal how the fort was built within just three months time and from then on constantly reconstructed. When the Venetian ships arrived, full of materials for the construction of the fort, they were told to return to Venice.

Lovrijenac has a triangular shape with three terraces. The thickness of the walls facing the outside reach 12 metres whereas the section of the walls facing the inside, the actual city, are only 60 centimetres thick. Two drawbridges lead to the fort and above the gate there is an inscription Non Bene Pro Toto Libertas Venditur Auro ('Freedom is not to be sold for all the treasures in the world'). Lovrijenac's use as a stage was a recent addition to the history of the fort, and the performance of Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' has become the symbol of Dubrovnik Summer Festival.

 

 

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Address

Ulica Skalini doktor Marka Foteza 2, Dubrovnik, Croatia
See all sites in Dubrovnik

Details

Founded: 11th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Croatia

More Information

en.wikipedia.org
www.dubrovnikcity.com
www.wallsofdubrovnik.com

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


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Sponza Palace (0,5 km)
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Dubrovnik Cathedral (0,5 km)
Franciscan Monastery (0,2 km)
Dominican Monastery (0,6 km)
Fort Bokar (0,2 km)


Herceg Novi Old Town (41,3 km)
Racic Family Mausoleum (10,9 km)
Walls of Ston (40,1 km)
Arapovo Castle (9,6 km)
Savina Monastery (42,4 km)
Sokol Castle (27,3 km)

User Reviews

Van Nguyen (17 months ago)
Game of thrones was filmed here. The place is not crowded as the wall. The ticket for the wall is also valid here (within 72 hours)
Harry Saville (18 months ago)
Beautiful place. Very quiet and well maintained, clean. The ticket for city walls includes this fort. Lovely views from the top!
Rakesh Desai (18 months ago)
Beautiful Scenery and if you have a good guide. It only enhances the experience. Dubrovnik Walking tours and get Josip for a guide. He's a local and very knowledgeable. We just did one with him and worth every penny! Take comfy shoes, it called a walking tour for a reason. The fort has a lot of steps, but he knows a few shortcuts.
Les Wojnarowicz (18 months ago)
Steep climb up to the fort. Pay on entry (or retain your city walls tour ticket for free entry). Lots of visitors (Game of Thrones filmed here and at the foot of fort in the bay). Fantastic views across to the city walls. Not much else to see. Toilets available. Worth a quick look around if you have the energy. Avoid on busy cruise ship days as many doorways are narrow.
Sadia Ricky (19 months ago)
It's a real fort fortified from surroundings. There are many stairs so be prepared to climb a lot. The entry is little hidden inside the neighborhood. We followed the Google map to get to the entry. There are also a stair towards the sea level piers from there. The fort doesn't have anything to display but the view from the roof is fantastic. The adriatic ocean seems very nice. It is better to visit early morning when the sun is on the east side. So the sun rays fall on the roofs looks amazing.
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