Knights and Legends

In the very south of Croatia, where the country borders with Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, in a little place called Dunave stands the Sokol (Falcon) Tower. The newly restored fort has been opened to tourists only recently. In the first half of the 15th century it was owned by Dubrovnik; before that the Bosnian noblemen ruled there. The use of the site itself, however, is very old – the tower was built on the remains a Roman fort which was erected upon an even older Illiryan edifice. People have been living here 4 thousand years ago. Despite the fact that during the Dubrovnik reign up to 20 people lived in the fort, when Dubrovnik abandoned Sokoltown at the end of the 17th century, Sokol Tower was forgotten. Neighboring villages used its stone to build their homes. In 2013 the Tower was saved from oblivion and turned into a medieval tourist attraction which will take your breath away.

Related trips:
Budapest - Queen of the Danube tour

Should you go out on the town in Osijek, you will not be able to miss the famous citadel with the almost unpronounceable nickname of Tvrđa. Whether you choose to see it awash in starlight and music or in sunny daylight, this ensemble of Baroque buildings within a star fort from the 18th century will impress you. Tvrđa used to have massive walls and four main gates: the Water Gate, the New Gate, The Valpovo Gate and the Imperial Gate. Only the north one, the Water gate, with a water tower, has survived to this day.

Caves and castles do not go hand in hand in movies alone – some you can find in the Guinness World Records Books! And in Slovenia, of course, where the largest cave town is situated: Predjama Castle, only 9 kilometers from the famous Slovenian Postojna Cave. It was built in the middle of a cave mouth, on rocks that are more than 100 meters high. The only preserved cave castle in Europe is strange, mysterious and has remained impenetrable to this day. There are many legends about Predjama Castle which may or may not be true, but one thing is – once you see it, you will continue to do so in your dreams.

The view is no less stunning from the Bled Castle, the fairytale-like fortress built on steep cliffs above the Slovenian Bled lake. It’s hard to imagine that the beautiful castle which today houses a restaurant and a museum started only as a tower with a protective wall in 1004. In late Middle Ages, the tower was turned into a keep. The dreamy castle is nowadays known as a favorite spot for weddings in Slovenia.

Speaking of towns, the Varaždin Old Town, situated in the north-western section of contemporary Varaždin's centre, is a perfect example of war-time building. Mentioned for the first time in the 12^th century as a keep, two hundred years later the counts Celjski had it redone in the Gothic style. In the 16^th century, after another redecoration, it became the wasserburg we know and love today. Croatians tend to think it familiar because they used to see it all the time on the now defunct five kuna bill.

The most famous chateau in Croatia is a only hundred years younger than the Varaždin Old Town. It became, under nobleman Juraj Drašković, a residential palace with beautiful parks, romantic gardens and a lake. Visiting the inside of the castle will teach you a lot about the daily lives of people in the 19^th century and, with a bit of luck, you might get away with glimpsing the dungeons as well. When looking for romance, there is no better destination in Croatia!

Many know it as the stunning monument that has been on the tentative list for the World Heritage List since 2005, but this medieval castle, perching on top of a 333 meters high hill in western Zagorje, is best known to locals because of the legend about Veronika Desinićka and her tragic love which ended in her being buried in castle walls of Veliki Tabor. Legend or not, during the recent restoration efforts a female skull has been recovered!

The Uskoks of Senj – irregular soldiers of Habsburg Croatia - were legendary defenders from the Turks and as such hold a special place in the history of the country, as well as in its folk stories. Nehaj Tower, or to use another name, Nehajtown, is the place from which they defended the city of Senj from Turkish invasion. Today, in addition to a picturesque history lesson, the Nehaj Fortress also offers a fantastic view of the islands of Rab, Goli otok, Prvić, Cres, Krk and the mountains of Velebit and Učka.