Fort Lovrijenac

Tvrđava Lovrijenac

Standing on a 37-meter sea cliff on the west side of the Old Town, this is the “Gibraltar of Dubrovnik.” It is the filming location of the Red Keep in Game of Thrones and the best side angle for photographing the whole Old Town.

Built between the 11th and 16th centuries, Fort Lovrijenac guards a 37-meter-high rock on the west side of the Old Town, across from the Pile Bay. According to legend, Venice planned to build a fortress here to control the city, but the people of Dubrovnik finished their own in three months. The fort is triangular, and its sea-facing walls are 12 meters thick, while the city-facing walls are only 60 centimeters thick, so that if the garrison ever rebelled, the city could easily breach the fort. Above the doorway is inscribed the motto of the Republic: “Non bene pro toto libertas venditur auro” (Liberty is not sold for all the gold in the world). Inside are an open courtyard and a three-level platform. From the top, you can look level across the city walls, the Minceta Tower, and the rooftops of the Old Town. It is the classic camera position for photographing the Old Town from the west, especially in the morning light. Several courtyard scenes of the Red Keep in Game of Thrones were filmed here, and each summer the Dubrovnik Summer Festival stages Hamlet outdoors in the fort. Admission is included in the city walls ticket (€40) and the Dubrovnik Pass. A separate ticket costs about €15. To reach the top, climb about 150 steps along the seaside path outside the Pile Gate. The small bay of Šulić below the fort is good for swimming, and nearby Kolorina Bay was used as the Blackwater Bay filming location in Game of Thrones. A visit takes about 45 minutes. It is best to visit on the same day as walking the city walls, since the ticket is valid for one day.

Fort Lovrijenac

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