Fort Lovrijenac: From the Lost Lizard to Shakespeare and Game of Thrones

Fort Lovrijenac is perched atop a sheer 37-meter-high cliff just west of the Dubrovnik City Walls. It was named after St. Lawrence, whose chapel still stands within the fortress structure alongside a freshwater well fed by a natural spring in the rock.

Above the entrance gate, the fortress bears its famous Latin inscription:

“Non bene pro toto libertas venditur auro” (Freedom is not sold for all the gold in the world)

This inscription—much like the fortress itself—is a monument to Dubrovnik’s shrewd diplomacy and vigilance, serving as a reminder of the high price of freedom the Republic of Ragusa paid for centuries.

Fortress Tickets

• Tickets for Fort Lovrijenac can be purchased separately or as part of a combined ticket with the Dubrovnik City Walls.
• A valid ticket for the Dubrovnik City Walls includes entry to Fort Lovrijenac.
• If you buy a standalone ticket at Fort Lovrijenac and later decide to visit the City Walls, you can upgrade your ticket at the entry point by paying the price difference.

A Bulwark Against Venetian Ambitions

Lovrijenac’s history is defined by resistance against Venice. The earliest surviving written record dates back to 1301, mentioning one in a long line of its castellans (fortress commanders). However, the fort’s origins trace back two centuries earlier.

According to local legend, in the early 11th century, the citizens of Dubrovnik learned that the Venetians intended to build a fortress on this cliff to dominate the city. Acting swiftly, the locals built their own tower in just three months. When Venetian ships arrived carrying construction materials, they had no choice but to turn back empty-handed.

Over the centuries, the fortress underwent multiple expansions. The most critical occurred in the mid-15th century, when Dubrovnik reinforced its key defenses to adapt to advances in modern artillery. Work continued through the 16th and 17th centuries, though the structure suffered severe damage during the catastrophic earthquake of 1667.

An Ingenious Defense Strategy

Lovrijenac features a unique triangular footprint tailored to the contours of the cliff. However, its true architectural genius lies in the deliberate variation in wall thickness:

• Outer walls facing the sea and potential invaders reach up to 12 meters (39 feet) in thickness.
• The inner wall facing Dubrovnik is a mere 60 centimeters (2 feet) thin.

This asymmetrical design was entirely intentional. The Republic feared that a rogue fortress commander might mutiny, or that an enemy might capture the fort and turn its artillery against the city. Had that occurred, Dubrovnik’s cannons on Fort Bokar and the city walls could easily penetrate Lovrijenac’s thin inner wall to neutralize the threat.

To further prevent treason, the commander of Lovrijenac was elected monthly from among the nobility and was strictly forbidden from leaving the fortress grounds during his term.

The “Lizard” in the Sea

The fortress was originally armed with ten large cannons. The most famous was “Gušter” (The Lizard), named for its green patina. It was cast in 1537 by master local founder Ivan Krstitelj Rabljanin at the foundry inside Fort Revelin.

Unlike the other cannons—which the occupying Austrian forces cut into pieces to haul away—they intended to extract Gušter intact in 1814 to display in a museum as a masterpiece of antique artillery.

After failing to move it even after demolishing part of the fortress gates, workers attempted to lower the cannon onto a raft using heavy ropes. During the descent, the ropes snapped, plunging Gušter into the sea. Local rumor persisted that patriotic Dubrovnik citizens had secretly sawed through the ropes.

Despite numerous search attempts by divers in the waters below the fortress, the cannon has never been found.

Hamlet’s Elsinore Castle

Today, Fort Lovrijenac no longer defends the city with cannons; instead, its arcaded courtyards form one of the world’s most spectacular open-air theatrical stages.

It achieved international fame as the home of Shakespeare’s Hamlet during the Dubrovnik Summer Festival, where the rugged fortress naturally doubles as Denmark’s Elsinore Castle. Renowned actors such as Derek Jacobi, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Goran Višnjić have taken the stage here to portray the tragic prince.

Game of Thrones

Fans of Game of Thrones will instantly recognize the fortress from numerous iconic scenes in Seasons 2 and 3. Its interiors served as the halls of the Red Keep, while its exterior cliffside features prominently as Blackwater Bay (such as when Myrcella Baratheon sets sail for Dorne).

Key scenes filmed inside the fortress include:

• The tournament celebrating King Joffrey’s name day and the famous confrontation between Cersei and Littlefinger over whether “knowledge is power” or “power is power” (Season 2, “The North Remembers”).
• Tyrion, Podrick, and Bronn walking along the ramparts following the battle (Season 3, “Valar Dohaeris”).
• Cersei plotting with Littlefinger to oust House Tyrell from King’s Landing (Season 3, “Kissed by Fire”).