I guess the fascination with fortresses comes from my childhood filled with books like ‘Ivanhoe’ by Walter Scott and ‘Crusaders’ by Henryk Sienkiewicz. Having the chance to travel extensively through the Balkans and study this region’s long and often violent history has been a real eye-opener in terms of the abundance and diversity of medieval fortifications in the area. This is not surprising, considering the region’s geographic location between Europe and Asia and at the epicenter of centuries-long clashes for political, economic, and religious domination.
When the Roman Empire conquered the Balkan Peninsula, its legions built a network of fortified garrisons located at strategic points on the borders, alongside the main trade routes (such as the Via Egnatia which crossed the entire peninsula from the Adriatic coast to Byzantium), and near mountain passes with commercial and military importance. Some of these ancient forts later grew to become settlements and towns which still exist; others were destroyed during the following ‘barbaric’ invasions; while others still were used as the foundations for later medieval fortifications.
During its greatest territorial expansion, the Byzantine Empire incorporated most of the Balkans and many of the fortresses still dotting the region today were erected in this period. Most impressive, without a doubt, were the defenses of the city of Constantinople itself. Back then, the capital of the Byzantine Empire was surrounded by thick walls on all sides which protected it from attacks from both land and sea, and which withstood numerous sieges before the Ottomans, using massive cannons, finally took the city. When visiting Istanbul, a tour of the land portion of the medieval walls, which is very well preserved, gives a unique historic perspective of this great city. For anyone interested in the epic siege of Constantinople by the Ottoman army and its dramatic fall, the book ‘1453’ by Roger Crowley makes a great reading.
Elsewhere throughout the region, impressive medieval fortresses are waiting to be discovered. Few of them are as well preserved as the castles in Germany, France, or England simply because once the Ottomans had the Balkan Peninsula conquered, they, with some exceptions, had no use for the fortifications which were either destroyed (in order not to be used as bases for local insurgencies) or fell into disrepair. Regions which at that time were under Austro-Hungarian or Venetian control, like Transylvania in Romania or the Dalmatian Coast in Croatia and Montenegro, had their castles and fortresses not only maintained, but also modernized and expanded. In Romania, Sighisoara’s Old Town and the fortified churches in Biertan and Prejmer are not to be missed. In Croatia, Dubrovnik’s famous Old Town has a jewel of a medieval fortress, but the Venetian forts of Zadar, Sibenik, and Trogir are also nicely preserved as are the walls of Kotor and Budva in Montenegro further south along the Adriatic coast.
In Bulgaria, Serbia, Macedonia, and Albania, which remained under Ottoman domination for centuries, only the largest and most strategic strongholds were maintained and still survive. In Bulgaria, these are the majestic Baba Vida fortress on the Danube River and the Tsarevets Castle Hill in Tarnovo. In Serbia’s capital Belgrade, the Kalemegdan is a true medieval citadel located on a hill at the confluence of the Danube and the Sava rivers. In Albania, the Kruje Fortress successfully withstood numerous sieges before being taken by the Ottomans and the citadels of Gjirokastra and Berati are very much worth a visit for anyone interested in the local history and culture.
In summary, one does not have to be a medieval warfare fanatic in order to pay a visit to some of the impressive fortresses scattered around the Balkan Peninsula. Unlike other historic and architectural monuments like palaces and monasteries, these sites, which were often the stages of bloody battles, give a different perspective of the people who once inhabited these areas and for whom defending their families and homes from invaders was simply a way of life.
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