Kličevica Castle

Kličevica Castle, locally known as Utvrda Kličevica, lies in a forest west of the town of Benkovac, in the county of Zadar in Croatia.

In 1409, Dalmatia was split up when one part was sold to the Republic of Venice, while the other part belonged to the Croatian-Hungarian Kingdom. The Croatian area of Benkovac then became a border region and local Croatian nobility erected multiple fortifications to defend their lands against the Venetians.

Kličevica Castle was then built, in 1454, by the local Croatian nobles of Kurjakovići to protect their lands against the Venetians. Ownership of the area was contested by the Venetians and the castle was attacked several times. Evidence of its military role were a bronze 3-barreled cannon, arrows, crossbow-missiles and stone catapult balls, found inside the keep during archaeological campaigns.

In 1527, when the area was taken over by the Ottomans Empire, the Croats abandoned the castle, and it was left to the Turks. Apparently, because of its isolated location, the Ottomans had no interest in it, and it fell to ruin.

The castle, situated in a pine forest and next to a small canyon of the Kličevica stream, has an irregular rectangular plan with a tall oval keep on its north corner. The entrance to the keep was at the 2nd floor level. Nowadays, you can enter it by 2 ways; through an opening on basement floor level inside the castle where there is a climbing rope to get to the 2nd floor. Or through another opening, probably a former window, on the outside of the castle, also equipped with a climbing rope. I didn't have the guts to use either of the ropes…

Kličevica Castle is freely accessible. A beautiful little castle in a great natural location.

Gallery