Golubac Fortress

Golubac stands exactly where the Danube, which has been kilometres wide upstream, is squeezed into the Iron Gates gorge, which is why somebody built a fortress here in the fourteenth century and why it changed hands repeatedly for the next four hundred years. Nine towers climb the cliff in a stepped line linked by walls, and the whole thing was restored and reopened in 2019 after a long project that also rerouted the road that used to run straight through the middle of it. Visitors can climb through the towers on fixed routes to the upper works, with the river spread out below and Romania on the far bank. It marks the start of the Đerdap national park, and the road east from here along the gorge is one of the great drives in the Balkans.

History

Work in the 2010s found traces of a Roman and Byzantine settlement beneath the fortress, which is first recorded in Hungarian sources in 1335 as a stone watcher guarding the gorge. Its builders are uncertain, though an Orthodox chapel found during the restoration may point to a Serbian origin (Wikipedia, Golubac Fortress).

What you'll find

• The nine towers - the stepped line of towers climbing the cliff.
• The upper fortress - the climb to the highest works and the gorge view.
• The Danube narrows - the point where the river enters the Iron Gates.
• The gorge road - the drive east into Đerdap national park.

When to go

April to October is the season, with the fortress open longer hours and the gorge road at its best; autumn colour on the slopes is superb. Summer weekends bring crowds from Belgrade. The upper routes close in high wind or ice.

What to expect

The restoration is thorough to the point of being new in places, with steel stairs and platforms through the towers, which purists dislike and which makes the climb possible for everyone else. Upper routes involve steep steps and are closed in bad weather. It is two hours from Belgrade, so most people combine it with Lepenski Vir and the gorge rather than visiting alone.

Nearby

Lepenski Vir is further along the gorge; Đerdap national park begins here.

Key facts