Four towers over the city

The City walls of Dubrovnik are secured on its four major points with strong fortifications. Strong support on the north part of walls was round shaped Minčeta fortress, the old city port is defended by the separated Revelin fortress on the east, and a huge St. John fortress supports the south-east part of the walls and the beautiful and strong fortress Bokar on the west part of the walls completes the quartet. The four imposing fortresses of Dubrovnik have protected the city for centuries.

The city walls are one of the symbols of Dubrovniks freedom and one of the largest and best preserved fortification systems in Europe.

The monumental Fortress of Minčeta is located on the northwestern part of the city. It was named after the Menčetic family whose estate it was constructed on. The round shaped fortress was built in 1464 in place of a smaller fort from 1319, constructed by renowned architect Nichifor Ranjina. After the fall of Constantinople to the Turks in 1453 the people of Dubrovnik decided to strengthen the city fortifications and they invited one of the most famous architects of the period, Michelozzo Michellozzi from Florence. One of the most famous Croatian Renaissance architects Juraj Dalmatinac also took part in the construction of the fortress Minčeta. From the top of the fortress there are spectacular views of Dubrovnik and the surrounding area.

St John's Fortress stands on the eastern part of the city. It gained its present form in the 16th century and its basic function was the protection of the city port and the sea approaches to Dubrovnik. A much older fort from the 14th century existed on the same position. The fort was reconstructed by the famous Dubrovnik builder Paskoje Milicevic. Towards the sea, the fortress has smooth and slightly curved walls, while the section of the walls facing the port is smooth and vertical. Today the fortress houses the Maritime Museum which features a number of exhibits from Dubrovnik's rich maritime history. In the lower part of the fort there is an Aquarium with a rich collection of fish, shells, crabs and corals.

The Revelin Fortress is located on the eastern side of the city close to the Ploce gate. The name is derived from the word "rivelino" which in fortification architecture means “built along the city gate.” The older fort on this spot was built in 1462 as a separate fort that secured the eastern approaches to the city from the land. In the 16th century Dubrovnik came under increasing threat from Venice, so a need arose for the strengthening of the older fort. The new fortress was designed by Antonio Ferramolina and was shaped as an irregular rectangle surrounded with a deep moat. The interior of the fortress is made out of three parts with a large terrace on the top. The fortress was built in a relatively short time because all the private and public construction in the city at that time was diverted to assist with the construction of the fortress. The skills and professionalism of its builder are reflected in the fact that Revelin wasn't harmed in the great earthquake that struck the city in 1667.

The Bokar Fortress was originally designed to protect the entrance to Dubrovnik's harbor. However, by the time it was completed in the late 16th century, the harbor had been moved to the other side of the peninsula. The Bokar Fortress also served as a prison.

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