Knin

Knin is a town in the Dalmatian hinterland, at the point where the Krka river begins to form, and it is dominated by one of the largest medieval fortresses in Europe, the Tvrđava Knin, which caps the hill of Spas above the town. The town was a key seat of the medieval Croatian kingdom, and in the 11th century King Dmitar Zvonimir held court near here.

The fortress, with its walls, towers and gates built up over centuries by Croatian kings, Ottomans and Venetians, is the main sight, and its size, the whole top of the hill, is the surprise. The view from the walls takes in the headwaters of the Krka and the mountains of the hinterland. Below the fortress, the town is a working place rather than a tourist one.

Knin sits at a railway junction and on the road between the coast at Šibenik and the interior of Lika, and it has a complicated recent history, having been a focus of the 1995 military operation that ended the war in the region. It is less visited than the coast, which is the reason to go if you want a serious piece of medieval history without the crowds.

For photographers, the fortress walls against the wide valley are the shot. Pair Knin with the upper Krka waterfalls, which begin not far from the town, and the drive over to the coast.

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