Holidays Croatia... For an authentic Croatian travel experience: Gradina Fortress in Drnis

Dec 17, 2010

Gradina Fortress in Drnis

Drnis is located in the Sibenik-Knin region, in the Dalmatian hinterland, about midway between Sibenik and Knin. Evidence of civilisation goes back to the Bronze Age with remnants of artefacts found in caves. There are also archeological sites that are attributed to the Romans.

We have previously dedicated an article to just some of the concentration of fortresses in this region and due to its popularity we are bringing you a little more.

The Gradina Fortress (Gradina actually means 'fort' in Croatian!), though it didn't survive intact remains even to this day a significant symbol in Drnis, visible from the town's entrance and all around and is testament to the protective role it played during its time. We visited recently, and despite the advance of winter it was a pleasant day!

Gradina - See the rest of our pictures below.

It was built in the Middle Ages by the noble Nelipici family, supposedly to form part of their fortification network, which also included fortresses Kljucica, Kamicak, Bogocin and Necven. This defense system was located along the left bank of the Krka River which was the boundary of their property.

It served to protect the region until the invasion by the Turks in the early 1400s when they took control, converting the fort for their own purposes. In the late 1600s the Turks fled from the Venetian onslaught. After the Venetians it was largely under Austro-Hungarian jurisdiction, and briefly under Napoleon in the early 1800s during that rule.

Gradina was largely destroyed, as were most of the fortresses that were securing the region, when the Turks fled. However what remains today is still a majestic and imposing landmark. According to documentation it is believed that the Turks gave the name 'Dernis' to the town on their arrival, meaning 'gates into field'.

We would like to point out that Drnis is also famous for its specialty delicacies; the valuable prsut (special smoked ham) and a sheep's cheese from nearby Misina, as well as traditional viticulture. The surrounding hills and continental temperatures ensure a unique micro-climate lending itself perfectly to producing the best quality produce.

Prior to the Homeland War, Drnis prsut was served at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II of England. We will bring you more on traditional Dalmatian food another time!

We will also bring you more information about Drnis in future posts, it's such a beautiful town with an interesting past and present, and as is true in the rest of Dalmatia (and in fact all areas of Croatia), the locals are absolutely lovely and hospitable, and you get a real sense of being stress free in their presence and environment.

There are several eco and agro-tourism facilities in and around the township of Drnis, with agro-tourism farmstays at a number of villages where you can experience traditional food and stress free rural life.

Several significant, well-known Croats claim Drnis as their birthplace including professional sportspersons, intellectuals, artists, and composers. In particular we'd like to make mention of Jakov Gotovac. Born in 1895 in Split but with roots in Petrovo Polje (Peter's Fields, village of Drnis area) he is probably the most famous Croatian composer and conductor of classical music.

His most famous piece, the opera 'Ero S Onoga Svijeta' (Ero the Joker) is inspired by traditional peasant folkloric music which had nationalistic appeal. It was an instant classic and has been translated into nine languages and performed all around the world (80 cities just in Europe), except for Australia. Gotovac died in 1982.

Here is a clip of the final scene from 'Ero S Onoga Svijeta', our favourite because it's very uplifting and 'catchy'. It is also popular for Croatian national folkloric ensembles to perform this scene at major events and functions of public significance, so it's a real celebratory piece.

For the cultural among us, here is the last scene of the opera Ero S Onoga Svijeta, performed by Sokacka Rhapsody and courtesy of a clip from HRT (Croatian Television)