Golubac Fortress, a medieval fortress dating back to the 14th Century, is perched atop a steep, rocky cliff on the right bank of the Danube. Situated at the crossing point between mighty medieval states, Golubac Fortress once had an important defence function. Throughout history, it has been ruled by Serbs, Hungarians and Ottoman Turks, who stayed the longest inside its walls.
The walls of the fortress follow the shape of the terrain and visually cascade from top to bottom. The keep tower, nicknamed “Hat Tower” (Šešir-kula)because of its unusual shape, sits at the very top of the cliff.
The two rows of stone walls which form a fan shape underneath the keep tower are interspersed with eight square towers, which were used for defence purposes and as watchtowers. The view from Golubac Fortress stretches for miles across the horizon, making it an ideal spot both for romantic sunset watching and for taking photos of the surrounding landscape.
On the very bank of the Danube, there is an octangular tower with a canon platform built by Ottoman Turks to protect the nearby port. To control sailing on the Danube, they used a simple, but highly efficient system: they raised and lowered a chain stretched from the octangular tower to the Babakaj rock, which sits right in the water of the river.
Golubac Fortress lies in Eastern Serbia, near the town of the same name. You can reach it either by land or on the river.
