Pag Bridge and Fortica

Your first contact with the island of Pag is certainly an experience to remember! For eyes unaccustomed to such sights, arriving at the Pag Bridge leaves no one indifferent. It is as if you were looking at the landscape of some other planet, strangely joined to ours by a bridge.

Before the bridge, on the right-hand side, there is a spacious plateau offering a direct view of this otherworldly landscape of Pag. Amid that barren expanse on the opposite side, the observer’s eye will surely not miss the remains of the fortress — Fortica.

Looking at that scene, it is no wonder at all that film crews from all over the world frequently come to shoot right here, “in the middle of nowhere”.

In not so distant times the Ottoman Empire stretched all the way to Obrovac. At the same time the Venetian Republic controlled the west of Croatia. Although those two powers were enemies, throughout their centuries-long “coexistence” trade was very important to both sides. Obrovac was precisely the point of contact between these two powers, and since it is connected to the sea by the river Zrmanja, it became an important trading centre.

The nearest passage to Obrovac from the sea side was through the Ljubačka vrata, the strait between the mainland and the island of Pag. As this route was a frequent target of pirate attacks, in the 17th century the fortress of Fortica was built on the island of Pag, on its most prominent point. The remains of the fortress have been partially restored, so they are of great tourist interest and certainly add to the appeal of this exceptional place.

The Pag Bridge is about 300 m long, and it has a protected footpath on both sides, so it can be crossed safely on foot, whether you just want to enjoy the view or decide to head to Fortica without a car.

About 360 m after the bridge there is a turn to the left, along which a road, 600 m long, descends to the fortress car park.

150 m from the turn for Fortica (Location: 44.326981922440766, 15.252313883732498) there is a goat track that leads through the rocky ground some 50 metres eastward to an anti-aircraft gun from the Homeland War.

Even if you have no intention of going to Pag, you absolutely must come to this place once in your life. It is a place that shatters paradigms and opens up horizons — and not only physical ones. You realize that things are not merely the way they are, but also otherwise!