Sokolac Castle, Brinje

Sokolac stands on a low hill at Brinje, built by the Frankopans in the fourteenth century as a residence and stronghold on the road between the coast at Senj and the interior. Its chapel of St Mary, inside the walls, is the reason it matters architecturally: a two-storey gothic chapel with fine rib vaulting and carved detail of a quality unusual in Lika, regularly cited as among the best surviving gothic work in Croatia. The rest of the castle is ruinous, with towers and curtain walls standing in part. Restoration has proceeded in stages and access to the chapel interior depends on the work in hand.

What's there

• A Frankopan castle of the 1300s - on the Senj to interior road.
• A two-storey gothic chapel - rib vaulting and carving of rare quality.
• Ruined walls and towers - the rest of the complex.
• Ongoing restoration - which governs what can be entered.

When to go

April to October. Two hours.

What to expect

The chapel is often locked or fenced for works, so seeing the interior is not guaranteed. Interpretation on site is minimal. Brinje is a small place with limited services. The ruin is unfenced in parts.

Nearby

Senj and Nehaj are on the coast west; Plitvice is south-east.