Articles

On the northern coast of the Pelješac peninsula there is a picturesque place of important historical and maritime significance with an unforgettable view of the coastal belt of southern Dalmatia - Trpanj. At the very entrance to Trpanj from the sea side, there is Gradina hill with a lookout point and the most beautiful view of the port of Trpanj, the island of Hvar and the entire Neretva channel.

On the Trpanj coast, the Roman invaders found a settlement of the Illyrian Plereians on the slopes of Gradina, an excellent scouting point towards Biokovo. On the top of that hill, the Byzantine Emperor Justinian led the fight for the reconquest of the coast and had a series of fortifications built along the entire coast, as well as Trpanj Gradina, in order to secure the maritime route along the coast.

The archaeological site is located on Gradina hill above the port of Trpanj. You can see the remains of a larger fort that covered an area of 1,800 square meters. According to the construction technique and archaeological findings, this fort dates back to the Late Antiquity period. The walls follow the configuration of the terrain, and on the eastern side there are two rectangular towers. Inside, the building was divided into several rooms of different dimensions, of which the cistern is the most visible.

Findings of ceramics and dry stone walls point to the fact that on the slopes of Gradina hill above the harbour there was a prehistoric settlement of Gradina. In addition to the remains of the late antique fort, various findings from the Roman era were also found in the same place - a tombstone, traces of mosaics and the remains of walls.

The staircase and the path leading to this cultural monument and viewpoint were built in 1936. At the very top of the viewpoint there is a statue of Our Lady, called the "Star of the Sea", which protected sailors on long journeys across the world's seas. A special day to spend in Trpanj is the feast of the Assumption (August 15), when the residents of Trpanj, in honour of Our Lady, set sail in their boats towards the statue under which a holy mass is held.

Lovers of history and untouched nature with magnificent views from the hills will not hesitate for long to visit Trpanj and the Pelješac peninsula. Besides an active stay in nature and numerous historical sights, Trpanj also has a superb autochthonous enogastronomic offer.

Fun fact: The inhabitants of Trpanj were the first in history to demand that commercial correspondence be conducted in the Croatian language, at a time when the aristocracy and citizens of Italian origin denied any cultural character of the language of the broad masses, which had a significant echo throughout Dalmatia. Hence the derisive name for the inhabitants of Trpanj - "terribili farauni".