Forte Mare Fortress

Forte Mare sits at the seaward corner of Herceg Novi Old Town, directly above the town harbour. The fortress was first built in the late 14th century as part of…Forte Mare sits at the seaward corner of Herceg Novi Old Town, directly above the town harbour. The fortress was first built in the late 14th century as part of the original Bosnian settlement established in 1382 by King Tvrtko I, then progressively expanded under the Ottomans and most significantly rebuilt by the Venetians after their capture of the town in 1687. The Venetian phase reshaped the fortress for artillery warfare, thick outer walls, angled bastions and an internal powder magazine, while preserving the medieval core and the original stone cisterns below. The position controls the narrow approach to the Bay of Kotor, and the ramparts still carry a clear line of sight to Mamula island at the bay's mouth and across to the Lustica peninsula.

Stone steps lead up from the harbour promenade to the main gate, and the upper terrace is used as a summer-season outdoor cinema and concert venue. The walls return an unobstructed view over the town's terracotta rooftops, the Škver marina below, and the whole western arc of the inner bay. Interpretation panels at key points cover the fortress's Bosnian, Ottoman, Venetian and Austro-Hungarian phases. Access is on foot only from Belavista square in the Old Town, roughly five minutes of stairways. The site is not wheelchair accessible due to the stair approach and uneven stone surfaces throughout.