Lovrijenac Fortress

Lovrijenac stands on a sheer 37-metre cliff west of the Pile Gate, connected to the city walls but separate from the main old town. It is one of the most dramatic fortifications in Dalmatia — a triangular tower rising directly from the sea, with walls on the seaward side that are 12 metres thick. The views from the top take in the old town, the walls, the sea, and the Croatian coast stretching north.

The fortress has been used as the setting for Hamlet in the Dubrovnik Summer Festival more than any other production — the stone courtyard and the cliff setting make it an obvious choice. It is also where some of the Game of Thrones filming took place. Entry is included in the city walls ticket. It gets fewer visitors than the walls themselves, so the atmosphere is quieter.

things to do sight
A story
An inscription carved above the main gate of Lovrijenac reads "Non Bene Pro Toto Libertas Venditur Auro" — "Freedom is not to be sold for all the gold in the world." This was the motto of the Republic of Ragusa, and Lovrijenac, perched on its cliff above the sea, was its physical embodiment: a fortress built to prevent Venice from establishing a foothold on the coast. According to chronicle, the Ragusans built it in three months when they heard Venice intended to construct a stronghold on the same rock.