Fort Lovrijenac (St Lawrence Fortress)

Fort Lovrijenac, also called St Lawrence Fortress or Dubrovnik's Gibraltar, sits on a 37-metre sea rock just outside the western walls of the Old Town of Dubrovnik, Croatia, at Ulica od Tabakarije 29. The fortress guarded the Pile approach and the sea route to the city, and its walls are up to 12 metres thick on the side facing the sea but only about 60 centimetres thick on the side facing the city, so that it could not be used against Dubrovnik if captured by an enemy. Above the entrance is the inscription 'Non bene pro toto libertas venditur auro', meaning freedom is not sold for all the gold in the world, which encapsulates the Republic of Ragusa's values. The complex has three terraces, a central courtyard that has been used as a stage for Shakespeare's Hamlet during the Dubrovnik Summer Festival, cisterns, cannon platforms and a drawbridge. From the top terrace visitors look back across to the City Walls, Bokar bastion and Pile Gate, which makes the fort the classic photograph of the walls. The approach is from Pile Gate: take the steps down to Kolorina cove and then the stairway up, about five minutes of steep climbing. A visit typically takes 45 minutes. Admission is included in the City Walls ticket and the Dubrovnik Pass, or about EUR 15 standalone. Late afternoon is the best time for light on the walls and the quietest period after day-trip groups depart, whereas midday in summer is hot and exposed. Opening hours follow the walls, roughly 08:00 to 19:30 in summer and 09:00 to 15:00 in winter. The fortress was also used as a filming location for television productions. Sturdy shoes are advisable, since the steps are steep and worn and the stone is slippery when wet. Photography is permitted throughout.