Archaeological Remains of the Lopar Fortress, Novi Vinodolski

In Novi Vinodolski, in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, lie the remains of the late antique fortress of Lopar. The place is of interest to those who like to follow the traces of a turbulent coastal past, because the fortress controlled the Vinodol Channel from the 4th to the 16th century.

Its ground plan was rectangular, with a triangular part joined on the north side. The walls were built of dressed stone bound with lime mortar. No tower is visible today, but old records say that a square tower stood at each corner of the rectangular part. Researchers placed the start of construction in late antiquity, relying on finds of coins and pottery and on radiocarbon dating. Later, forces of the Frankopan counts were stationed in the fortress to defend against Ottoman incursions. The Venetian navy destroyed it in 1598 while chasing Uskoks along the channel.

A protected cultural property, entered in the Register of Cultural Goods of the Republic of Croatia under the code Z-6858.

Data: Register of Cultural Goods of the Republic of Croatia (Ministry of Culture and Media), Open Licence.