Lovrijenac Dubrovnik

Fort Lovrijenac, sometimes called St Lawrence Fortress, stands on a 37-metre sea rock just outside the western wall of Dubrovnik’s old town, separated from it by a narrow channel. It was built by the Dubrovnik Republic as both a defence against attack from the land and a check on any enemy fleet trying to anchor in the small Kolorina bay below, and legend says it was built in three months to forestall the Venetians fortifying the rock themselves.

The fortress is a tall, thin triangle clinging to the cliff, with walls on the landward side up to twelve metres thick and seaward walls far thinner, since the sea itself protected that side. Its motto, “Non bene pro toto libertas venditur auro”, “Freedom is not sold for all the gold in the world”, is carved above the gate and is the republic’s defining boast. It is also well known to viewers as a filming location for Game of Thrones, where it stands in for the Red Keep.

The climb to the entrance is short and steep. The view from the terrace over the old town walls and the open sea is one of the best in Dubrovnik, and it is included in the city walls ticket.

For photographers, the fortress framed against the old town from the Kolorina bay is the shot, and the terrace gives the clean wide view back over the walls. Go early to beat the cruise crowds.

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