Fodor's Expert Review Fort Lovrijenac

The only freestanding part of Dubrovnik's fortification system, this impressive tower stands on a 37-meter-high sheer rock overlooking the sea outside the Pile Gate. Construction began sometime in the 11th century; the story goes that the Venetians planned to build a fortress atop the rock from which to conquer Dubrovnik, but the Republic learned of their plans and beat them to it. The seaward walls are 12 meters thick while the walls facing Dubrovnik are only 60 centimeters thick, so that in the event the fortress was captured it could easily be destroyed from within the city walls. Above the entrance a Latin enscription reads: "Non bene pro toto libertas venditur auro"—"Freedom is not sold for all the gold in the world." The fortress makes a particularly memorable venue during the Dubrovnik Summer Festival, when it is the setting for Hamlet, and it is also recognizable to Game of Thrones fans as the Red Keep.