Topana Castle

Topana Castle, locally known as Tvrđava Topana, lies above the town of Imotski, in the county of Split-Dalmatia in Croatia.

The cliff on which the castle is situated forms a natural defensive site because it is between two deep sinkholes. So, there was already a hill fort here in prehistoric times.

The east sinkhole was partially filled in during the 1970s, after which a football stadium was built there. A castle in Imotski was first mentioned as a strong fortress by the Byzantine emperor Constantine VII in the 10th century. It was probably first built by the Byzantines on the remains of the earlier hill fort.

The current remains date back to a castle erected sometime during the 13th or 14th century, when Imotski was under the rule of the Nelipčić family. In 1493, the castle was taken by the Ottomans, who made it their regional administrative seat. The present name of the castle, Topana, is also Turkish; 'Topana' translates back to 'a place where cannons are kept'. The Ottomans reconstructed the castle to meet their needs.

After nearly 230 years of Turkish rule, the castle was handed over to the Venetians in 1717, who restored and strengthened it. However, with the end of the Ottoman threat later that century, the castle lost its strategic importance. It was finally abandoned in 1816 and fell into ruin.

Legends say that the former border between the Ottoman Empire and the Venetian Republic was established by firing a cannonball from the castle into the fields below. That border is now the present-day border between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Topana Castle is freely open to visitors. It’s a beautiful castle ruin with a great view over the Blue Lake, located in the sinkhole to the west.

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