Karin Castle

Karin Castle, locally known Stari grad Corinium, lies south of the town of Donji Karin, in the county of Zadar in Croatia.

I am unsure of the name of this castle. The existing ruins are usually called Stari grad Corinium. However, that name, which translates back to 'the old town or castle of Corinium,' more likely refers to the Roman town that once stood in this area. I also came across the name Miodrag, which I suspect is the castle's real name, but I couldn't find any supporting information.

I found no historical information specifically about the castle.

The town of Corinium was founded in the 3rd century AD. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the prosperous town declined. Centuries later, it became part of the Kingdom of Croatia and was known as Karin. It was even mentioned in the first half of the 10th century by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII, known as "the Porphyrogenitus," in his book "De Administrando Imperio" as a Croatian town.

In 1102, the town became part of the unified Croatian-Hungarian Kingdom. In the first half of the 15th century, it lost its importance. Still, it managed to resist Ottoman attacks until 1514, when it was finally conquered and destroyed.

The castle sits atop a hill at the entrance of a canyon that runs from a small valley down to the Karin Sea. Several ruined towers still stand on the surrounding hills. I suspect these towers, along with Karin Castle, formed the defense system of the old town. I visited one of these towers: Šušina Tower.

Karin Castle is freely accessible. I couldn’t find a clear path to it and had to make my way through the bushes. Later, I read that poisonous snakes live in the area during summer; luckily, I didn't encounter any.

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