Fort Imperial and Homeland War Museum

Fort Imperial crowns Mount Srd, the hill that rises about 400 metres above Dubrovnik's Old City in Croatia, and is reached by cable car or by a steep path. The French built it between 1806 and 1812, during the period when Napoleon's forces held Dubrovnik after the fall of the Republic of Ragusa, and the name refers to the Napoleonic empire. The fort is a solid stone structure with strong walls, casemates and a terrace designed to command the city and sea approaches. In 1991 and 1992, during the siege of Dubrovnik in the Croatian Homeland War, defenders held the fort and the hill against attacks, and it became a symbol of the city's resistance, as the Old City below was shelled. The Homeland War Museum, which opened in the fort, presents the siege through photographs, documents, weapons, uniforms, maps, video and personal objects of defenders and civilians, in a largely chronological arrangement. Some rooms show the damage caused by shelling and the way the fort functioned during the conflict. A large cross stands nearby, and the terrace has panoramic views of the Old City, Lokrum and the Elaphiti Islands, with a model that helps visitors relate the events to the city. The site has been repaired and adapted for museum use, with remaining marks of war preserved. It is operated by the Dubrovnik Museums as part of the municipal museum network and is included in the 10 Museums ticket. The cable car from the Old City is the usual route.