Fort Lovrijenac, Dubrovnik (must see)

Fort Lovrijenac—often nicknamed the “Gibraltar of Dubrovnik”—rises boldly from a 37-meter cliff just outside the city’s western walls, looking as though it was placed there specifically to intimidate anyone arriving by sea. The fortress dates back to the early 11th century and was built to keep a watchful eye on Venice, Dubrovnik’s powerful maritime rival.

According to local legend, the Venetians once intended to build their own fort on this exact rock. Dubrovnik’s citizens, not exactly thrilled with that idea, reportedly rushed to construct Lovrijenac first—and finished it so quickly that Venice never had the chance. Since then, the fortress has stood as a proud symbol of the city’s independence and determination to remain its own master.

The structure itself reflects pure strategic thinking. Lovrijenac is triangular in shape, with walls reaching an impressive 12 meters thick on the seaward side, while the landward walls are just 60 centimeters thick—thin enough that defenders inside could deal with trouble approaching from the city, if needed. Its position allowed guards to control both land and sea routes into Dubrovnik, making the fortress a crucial piece of the city’s defenses.

Above the entrance, you’ll notice a Latin inscription: Non Bene Pro Toto Libertas Venditur Auro, which means, quite simply, “Freedom is not sold for all the gold in the world.” It’s a motto that perfectly sums up Dubrovnik’s long-standing reputation for independence.

These days, Fort Lovrijenac has traded cannon smoke for theater lights. During the Dubrovnik Summer Festival, the fortress regularly becomes the dramatic stage for Shakespeare’s Hamlet, where the stone walls and open sea create a setting no theater designer could hope to improve.

And if the place looks familiar, that’s because it also played a starring role in the HBO series Game of Thrones. In the show, Lovrijenac served as the Red Keep of King’s Landing. Several memorable scenes were filmed here, including King Joffrey’s tournament celebration in Season 2, Episode 1, “The North Remembers.” In that same episode, the fortress setting hosted a tense exchange between Cersei and Littlefinger—when the famous line “Knowledge is power” is swiftly corrected with Cersei’s reply: “Power is power.”

Indeed, this fortress is one of those rare spots where the city’s long military history, dramatic setting, and television fantasy all come together on the same dramatic cliff.