Knin Fortress

Knin fortress runs for well over a kilometre along the Spas ridge above the town, which makes it one of the largest fortified complexes in Europe by ground area. Knin was a seat of the medieval Croatian kings - Zvonimir held court here in the eleventh century - and the fortress was rebuilt through the Ottoman period and again by Venice and Austria, so the walls, gates and bastions belong to several eras strung along the same ridge.

History

The Croats built the fortress soon after they settled the area, beside a ruined Roman settlement, Tignino, and kept enlarging it; it became one of the residences of the Croatian rulers and perhaps the main one, safer for ruling Liburnia and Dalmatia, and it reached its height under King Demetrius Zvonimir from 1076, when it was the political centre of the kingdom. A second, smaller citadel, Lab, on a higher plateau of the Spas ridge was the seat of the viceban, and King Stephen I founded the Diocese of Knin in 1040, its bishop carrying the title "Croatian bishop". In the 14th century the fortress was divided into a small town for defence and a big town for the governors, bishops and župans, with suburbs outside the walls. The Ottomans took it after a siege that ended on 29 May 1522; the Venetians captured it in 1688 and held it until the fall of the Republic in 1797. The oldest picture of Knin is on Matteo Pagano's map of about 1525, and the Venetian engineer Orazio Antonio Alberghetti drew the fortress in detail in 1688 (Wikipedia, Knin Fortress).

What you'll find

• Over a kilometre of fortifications - among the largest complexes in Europe by area.
• A medieval Croatian royal seat - Zvonimir's court in the eleventh century.
• Layers from several eras - Ottoman, Venetian and Austrian rebuilding.

When to go

April to October; there is no shade on the ridge in summer. Half a day.

What to expect

The fortress is long, exposed and takes real walking. Facilities are limited.

Nearby

Krcic waterfall and the Krka source are close; Dinara rises east.

Key facts