Ancient Serbian castles are reminiscent of the bloody wars between Slavic Serbs, Hungarians and Ottoman Turks. Many of the ancient fortresses have survived to our days in their original form and are popular with tourists. We invite you to see 9 castles in Serbia and decide which one to pay more attention to.
Bach Fortress
The Bach Fortress is located near the city of the same name in the Vojvodina Autonomous Okrug. The first fortifications appeared here in the 9th century. The current fortress was built in 1338-1342 and served as an important outpost during the war with the Ottoman Empire.
Initially, the Bach Fortress consisted of 8 towers surrounded by water moats. However, only 5 towers have survived to this day - 4 corner towers and the main tower - donjon.
The main tower is 20 meters high. Now all its 5 floors are open for tourists. On the territory of the fortress you can see ancient ramparts and ruins of defensive buildings.
Belgrade fortress
The Belgrade Fortress, located in the heart of the city, is also known as Kalemegdan. Several powerful towers and gates have survived to this day. Nowadays, there are many tourist attractions on the territory of the fortress: an observation deck, a Military Museum, a zoo and several churches.
More about the Kalemegdan fortress
Golubatskaya fortress
The Goluback Fortress stands out for its stunning appearance - it is a huge medieval fort located on rocky cliffs on the banks of the Danube.
The history of the creation of the fortress is shrouded in mystery - it is still unknown who built it and in what year. Most likely, it originally belonged to the Serbs, since an Orthodox chapel is located in one of the towers. The first mention of the Goluback Fortress dates back to 1335. Throughout its history, the fortress has repelled 120 enemy attacks.
The modern fortress consists of 10 towers connected by thick walls. One of the towers is located right in the river. Now the Goluback Fortress is popular with tourists and is included in the program of cruise routes on the Danube.
Vrsack castle
Vršack Castle rises above the town of the same name at an altitude of 400 meters above sea level. Now only the main tower remains from the medieval building, but it is planned to restore other structures, the ruins of which were discovered during archaeological excavations.
The castle was built in 1439. It belonged to the Ottoman Empire for over 150 years. By the time the Austrian Habsburgs liberated it in the 18th century, Vršack Castle had already lost its strategic importance.
Now the picturesque Vršacka Tower is very popular among tourists. On the territory of the former fortress, you can see the remains of the ramparts. And from the top of the four-story tower, a stunning view of the surroundings opens up - you can even see the border with neighboring Romania.
Maglich fortress
The Maglich Fortress rises above the picturesque Ibar Gorge. It was built at the beginning of the 13th century to protect against the Mongol invasion. In 1324 Maglich served as the seat of the Serbian Archbishop Daniel II.
In 1459 Maglich was captured by the Turks like many other Serbian cities.
The donjon and 7 side towers, interconnected by thick walls, have survived to this day. On the territory of the fortress, during archaeological excavations, the ruins of the palace, barracks and the church of St. George were discovered.
Nis Fortress
Niš Fortress is considered one of the best-preserved defensive structures in the whole of Serbia. Its modern buildings were erected by the Ottoman Turks at the beginning of the 18th century on the site of ancient forts that originate from Ancient Rome.
Now on the territory of the Nis Fortress there are many old buildings of varying degrees of preservation, both defensive and urban:
- rampart, 2 kilometers long;
- 8 bastions and 4 city gates;
- Turkish baths;
- Bali Bey Mosque;
- the residence of the Turkish pasha;
- a former arsenal converted to an art gallery.
More about Nis Fortress
Smederevo fortress
The town of Smederevo, which grew up around the fortress of the same name in 1430, was considered the nominal capital of Serbia for several decades. It housed the courtyard of the despot Georgy Brankovich, an important political, commercial and religious center.
The fortress itself was erected in 1428. It is made in the form of a triangle surrounded by a river on both sides. Its total area is over 11 hectares. The fortress - also known as the Great Castle - is surrounded by 25 towers connected by a one and a half kilometers long wall.
The Smederevo fortress was captured by the Turks in 1459 and was part of the Ottoman Empire for the next 400 years. During World War II, it housed an ammunition storage facility, which exploded in 1941. However, now the walls and towers of the fortress have been carefully restored.
Stalach fortress
Stalach Fortress rises on a hill near Krusevac, the former capital of Serbia. It was erected by the last independent monarch of Serbia, Lazar Khrebeljanovic, in the second half of the 14th century. Like many other Serbian cities, Stalach was captured by the Ottoman Turks in 1413.
Only the main tower and the remains of the walls have survived to this day.
Krushevatskaya fortress
Like the fortress in neighboring Stalac, the Krushevatskaya fortress was erected by Lazar Hrebeljanovic, the last Serbian monarch. Most likely it was founded in 1381. In those days, Krusevac was considered the capital of Serbia.
Over the centuries, Krusevac changed several owners and was under the control of the Ottoman Empire for a long time. The Turks gave the city a new name - Sharen-Grad.
Now only the main tower and the ruins of the fortress walls have remained from the medieval building. But the Church of the Holy First Martyr Stephen, also known as Lazaritsa, has survived, since it served as the court temple of Prince Lazar.
The church is considered the first example of the early Moravian style, which later spread throughout Serbia. It was built between 1377 and 1380. Inside you can see the paintings from the middle of the 18th century and the iconostasis from 1844.
