St. John's Fortress is the largest of the three Šibenik fortresses and the last to be renovated. It was built in 1646 in just 58 days as the main point of the city's new defense system just before a major attack by the Ottoman army. The Šibenik residents built the fortress with their own hands and resources, and it was named after the church that once stood there.
The fortress renovation was completed in 2022, with the fortress walls completely restored and new features introduced, including a particularly attractive modern-equipped underground campus. At St. John's Fortress during summer time you can refresh yourself at the bar located at the top, known as the "star" of the fortress, and adjacent to the bar is a souvenir shop housed in the former powder magazine.
We suggest visiting the fortress during the "golden hour" and witnessing the enchanting sunset from the highest Šibenik fortress, overlooking the city, the sea, and the islands.
Bunker at St. John's Fortress
During World War II, Šibenik, like almost all of Dalmatia, was under Italian rule, and Italian soldiers were stationed at St. John's Fortress. After the surrender of Italy in September 1943, the fortress was occupied by the Germans, who remained there until the city was liberated on November 3, 1944.
The bunker at St. John's Fortress was built during the German occupation in World War II. It is a Ringstand or Tobruk-type bunker constructed as a reinforced concrete structure with a small room and a position for a machine gun. Its second name comes from the Libyan city of Tobruk, where it was originally used by Italian and German forces during clashes with the Allies in North Africa. Near Šibenik, on the eastern approaches to the city, there are several other bunkers of this type. After the war, the fortress was taken over by the Yugoslav National Army and was used for the next two decades before being abandoned.
REGULAR OPENING HOURS
| Monday - Sunday |
9 AM - 4 PM |
LAST ADMISSION: 30 minutes before closing
The entrance to St.John's Fortress is free from November to March.
LOCATION INFO
St. John's Fortress consists of two parts:
- "star" - a fortified southern part of the fortress
- "pliers" - an outer fortification in the northern part below which there is an educational campus.
There is only one input / output to the star part. It is located on the south side, on the access road.
From the entrance on, the access road leads to the pliers.
SANITARY FACILITIES
The fortress has spacious and modern sanitary facilities adapted to the capacity of the fortress and sanitary facilities adapted for people with disabilities, both in the star and in the area of the pliers for the needs of visitors.
ADDITIONAL CONTENTS
The catering facility and shop are open during the working hours of the fortress.
NOTES:
Dogs are allowed to enter the fortress, accompanied by the owner. Dogs must be on a leash at all times during their stay.
The use of drones or other unmanned aerial vehicles in the area of Šibenik fortresses is prohibited.
St. John's Fortress does not have its own parking lot, and the nearest one is next to the walls of the Barone Fortress. It is a free parking lot for visitors to the fortress, which is open during the opening hours of the Barone Fortress.
Visitors can also use the available parking spaces in the vicinity of the fortress. The closest ones are on the northeast side of the fortress, on a slope towards the town part Šubićevac.
The nearest official city parking spaces are located in Težačka Street and on the Put Gimnazije Road. More information and parking possibilities in Šibenik can be found on the website of Gradski parking d.o.o. Šibenik in charge of managing the official city parking lots.
