Golubac Fortress: a coveted prize on the Danube

There's a rock that juts out of the Danube near a medieval fortress on the border of what is now Serbia and Romania. The rock is called "Baba-kaj" in Turkish, or the Stone of Repentance. What does it have to do with the fortress it stands so close to?

Well, it's said that a beautiful and proud girl named Golubana was chained to this rock after she refused to join the harem of an Ottoman commander who fell madly in love with her. That was a the man’s revenge for swiping left.

Thus, according to the legend, the 14th century fortress on the right bank of the Danube was named Golubac. Galambas, Galambocz, Colombazo, Columbaz, Columbarum, Taubersburg, Tawbenstein, Peristerin, Giwerdzinlik. This is how the name appeared on medieval maps in different languages. Each of these words has the part "golub" (dove) as its root.

It's not clear who and when built this fortress, but the earliest sources date back to 1335 and mention it as a fortress housing the Hungarian military garrison. The place chosen was a great strategic vantage point: at the entrance of the Iron Gate gorge, where the Danube’s widest stream flows into a pass of the Carpathians. Naturally protected by the steep cliffs of Ridan, the fortress guarded the vital waterways connecting East and West.

Due to its location, Golubac Fortress was a coveted prize for the bordering powers, namely Hungary, Serbia and later the Ottoman Empire. The powers fought bloody battles for dominance throughout the 14th and 15th centuries and the fortress changed hands many times.

The most significant battle took place here in the early 15th century. The fortress, then held by the Ottomans, was attacked by the 30,000-strong army of the Hungarian king. Sigismund's troops advanced from Laszlovar Fortress, which he quickly built on the opposite bank of the Danube. Its remains can still be seen today.

In its ranks were the best European knights, the crème-de-la-crème of European knighthood at that time. Among them was Zawizsa Czarny, the famous Polish knight and national hero. He led his units of Poles, Wallachian horsemen and Italian archers. When the attack on the Turks turned sour, the king had to make a truce with them, which the Turks broke.

While Sigismund barely escaped the ensuing chaos, Zawizsa Czarny fought bravely, was captured and cruelly executed by the Ottomans. After the battle, the fortress became the Ottoman naval base for their river flotilla of a hundred ships.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Golubac was an abandoned ruin. It was only in the 1970s that researchers made several studies on the site, which led to its restoration and preservation. Later, in the late 2010s, Golubac Fortress was given a kiss of life when it underwent extensive restoration and opened its doors to visitors.

So, what's on the menu? You can take 4 routes of varying difficulty through the meticulously restored fortress: the green, blue, red and black. It is like skiing downhill, but uphill instead. The most challenging route, marked black, is not for children, while the green route takes you through the lower level.

You will drop into a palace and nine towers, the tallest and most well known being the multi-storey Hat Tower. It stands on the highest point of the Ridan cliffs and is, of course, part of the Black Route. Climbing it will reward you with a spectacular view of the Danube, which looks like a boundless sea. There's a panoramic telescope up there, so you can zoom in wherever you want.

Interestingly, during excavations in two of the upper towers, archaeologists found a genuine military treasure trove - some 7,000 arrowheads and arrows for crossbows. The towers had seen it all firsthand.

The palace has been partially rebuilt and looks like a trendy mix of old stone and modern glass. The building houses an exhibition center that displays armor, swords, and paintings. The lowest level of the palace, however, is inaccessible because it's... underwater. Yugoslav authorities built a hydroelectric power plant in the 1970s, and the water level of the Dabube rose, flooding parts of the castle and areas along the riverbanks.

Golubac Fortress is definitely a must see during your trip to Serbia. It takes about 2 hours to get there from the capital Belgrade. But keep in mind that during the high season you will hardly park your car in the castle parking lot. Tourists leave their cars on the side of the road or on improvised parking lots under the cliffs.

Entrance fees for adults:
Blue: $11
Red: $11
Black: $16
Green: $7 / Seniors: $4 / Students: $3 / Kids 12+: $2 / Kids under 12: free