# Lovrijenac Fortress, on the Rock Next to Pile

What to do en Dubrovnik · Dubrovnik

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/croacia/dalmatia/dubrovnik/things-to-do/lovrijenac-fortress · Revisado: 2026-11-12

- Duración: 45 min
- Temporada: All year
- Para quién: All ages

A fortress on a 37 m crag opposite the western wall, with the view of the city from outside. Enter with the walls ticket.

What it is
Lovrijenac (in Croatian, Lovrjenac) is the detached fortress that guards Dubrovnik on the west. It rises outside the wall, on a 37 m crag beside the sea, in the Pile district, and takes its name from St Lawrence, whose church occupied the rock; the chapel is still inside the fortification. Tradition places its origins in the 11th century, and the first written mention is from 1301, when one of its commanders was named.
In 1464 the west and north walls, those facing the open sea and the outside, were reinforced until their thickness doubled and in some places reached 12 m. The present appearance dates from the 16th and 17th centuries. The 1667 earthquake damaged it and repairs lasted until the end of that century. After the fall of the Republic, Austria turned it into barracks.
What you see
You enter through the gate with the inscription that made it famous: Non bene pro toto libertas venditur auro, "freedom is not sold for all the gold". Inside is a central courtyard on the ground floor, around which were the garrison's and commander's quarters and the cannon stores, and three upper levels with open platforms and battlements. In the north-west corner, a niche holds the statue of St Blaise of 1559.
What most people come for is the view. From the upper terrace you have straight ahead the western wall, the Bokar tower and the Pile gate, with the old town behind: it is the image of Dubrovnik that is most repeated on postcards. On the other side the sea and the Lapad coast open out.
How long it takes
About 45 minutes including the climb. The stairs from Pile are short but steep, and inside there are more steps up to the platforms. It is not accessible by wheelchair or with a pushchair.
Tickets
With the ticket for the Dubrovnik walls you also visit Lovrijenac at no extra cost. Keep the ticket: you show it on entering. If you only want the fortress, the official online shop of the Society of Friends of Dubrovnik Antiquities sells it separately; check the price and hours there, which change with the season.
Getting there
Leave the old town by the Pile gate and go down towards the little Pile bay; the stairs to the fortress start from the west side of the cove. If you come by car, the Ilijina glavica car park is about ten minutes' walk away. The Libertas bus stops at Pile.
When to go
At sunset the light falls from the side on the wall and the photo from the terrace is cleaner. First thing there are fewer people. Combine it with the wall on the same day: the ticket is only valid for one circuit, so do Lovrijenac before or after, not in the middle. From Pile bay also leave the kayaks under the walls, which pass at the foot of the crag.
With children
Children like it: it is a real castle, with loopholes, stairs and platforms. Watch them on the battlements, which are low in some stretches. The rules are those of the wall: do not lean out or take photos from the edge.
The Red Keep
The Dubrovnik tourist office counts Lovrijenac among the Game of Thrones places: it is the Red Keep, where the king sits on the Iron Throne, at least on screen, with the old town opposite standing in for King's Landing. Inside there is nothing from the series; you recognise the courtyard, the battlements and the view of the wall. Next to Pile, Gradac Park, the public park above the sea beside the fortress, is where the Purple Wedding was filmed, the banquet at which Joffrey dies.

## Cómo llegar y contacto

- Web: https://shop.citywallsdubrovnik.hr/en
- Coordenadas: 42.6407, 18.1037

## Cerca de aquí

- [Sea Kayaking under the Walls to Betina Cave](https://www.geocalia.com/en/croacia/dalmatia/dubrovnik/things-to-do/kayak-under-the-walls), a 71 m
- [Full Circuit of the Dubrovnik Walls](https://www.geocalia.com/en/croacia/dalmatia/dubrovnik/things-to-do/dubrovnik-city-walls), a 224 m
- [Hostel Angelina Old Town](https://www.geocalia.com/en/croacia/dalmatia/dubrovnik/where-to-stay/hostel-angelina), a 257 m
- [Buffet Škola](https://www.geocalia.com/en/croacia/dalmatia/dubrovnik/where-to-eat/buffet-skola), a 396 m
- [Fish Restaurant Proto](https://www.geocalia.com/en/croacia/dalmatia/dubrovnik/where-to-eat/proto), a 439 m
- [Jesuit Staircase and Gradac Park](https://www.geocalia.com/en/croacia/dalmatia/dubrovnik/things-to-do/jesuit-staircase), a 461 m
- [360 Dubrovnik](https://www.geocalia.com/en/croacia/dalmatia/dubrovnik/where-to-eat/360-restaurant), a 601 m
- [Lokanda Peskarija](https://www.geocalia.com/en/croacia/dalmatia/dubrovnik/where-to-eat/lokanda-peskarija), a 615 m

## Consejos

### Go with the wall ticket
You pay no more, but keep the ticket until you get here.

### Climb at the end of the day
With the low sun, the wall opposite is seen in full relief.

### Shoes with soles
The stone stairs are polished by use and slippery.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### Is it included in the walls ticket?
Yes. The wall ticket gives access to Lovrijenac; it can also be bought separately in the official shop.

### How much time do you need?
About 45 minutes, with the stairs up from Pile.

### What does the inscription on the gate mean?
"Freedom is not sold for all the gold", the motto of the old Republic of Ragusa.

Destino: [Dubrovnik](https://www.geocalia.com/en/croacia/dalmatia/dubrovnik.md)