POI data

General information
Benkovac Castle
Secular building
no
There are two castles worth exploring in the town of Benkovac, which is 28 km south of Obrovac on routes 502 and 27. There is a Benkovac exit off the Zagreb – Split highway. Benkovac is a sizable town with several restaurants and taverns. The Croatian family, Benković, built Benkovac Castle, which has been nicely restored. It’s on a low hill on the east side of town. Benkovac has undergone occupation by a succession of armies and governments. The Venetians took over the town in the 15th century. Then the Turks captured Benkovac in 1527. They held it until 1683. Next, the Morlacs, a mountain tribe, took over. It became a rural county district under the French in 1811 and the Austrians in 1847. The Serbs occupied this town as well for a time during the 1991 – 1995 “Great Patriotic War”. The other castle in Benkovac is Kličevac, a well-preserved ruin.
Location
Benkovac
23420
Croatia
Zadar
44.0330
15.6099
183.02
Contact
Additional information
Good
Scheduled visit
Average
Medium
Even the roof of its main tower is intact, a rarity for castle ruins. There is an excellent view of Kličevac to the east (right) from a bridge at kilometer marker 276 on the north bound side of the Zagreb – Split highway. That view will entice you, but it is not possible to reach the site from there. You need to drive about 2 kilometers west from Benkovac on route 56. You will see a one lane, macadam road going up to the left and across railroad tracks. The road leads to a private homestead on the edge of a flat, cleared, gravel area. When the road curves sharply to the right you should turn left and cross the cleared area towards some pine forest. A gravel track runs along the south end of and then into the woods. At a dip in the track take the right fork. Follow this track (ignore others) and after about 100 meters you will head down and see the castle through the trees. Perched on the edge of a stony ravine, it is an impressive sight! Be sure to take a peek through the tower door to get a glimpse of the intact roof. Feudal lords of the Kurjaković family built Kličevac at the end of the 14th century on a cliff above the Kličevica River. An extension was constructed in the 15th century. Kličevac’s inaccessibility did not prevent the Turks from capturing it in the early 16th century. Several senior Turkish government officials occupied the castle over the next 150 years.
Local
Poor
Cultural tourism