St. John's Fortress
St. John's Fortress
4.5
8:00 AM - 7:30 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 7:30 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 7:30 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 7:30 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 7:30 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 7:30 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 7:30 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 7:30 PM
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles229 reviews
Excellent
122
Very good
88
Average
19
Poor
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CatharineB
Ottawa, Canada1,117 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Couples
The Fortress of St John (Sveti Ivan) is one of this city’s impressive medieval defences. The towers date back to the 14th century and the main structure is from the 16th century.

Often called Mulo tower, the Fortress of St John’s is another key fort in the Dubrovnik City walls defense complex. This fort was started in 1346 on the outer dock as a quadrilateral fort to protect the entrance to the harbour, and was connected to the City by a defensive wall, with a gate in the walls called (Croatian - "Vrata mula" - Dock Gates). It was once the city harbour’s main defensive bastion, designed to prevent enemy ships from accessing the city.

In 1552, the Fortress of St John was merged with the nearly Fort Gundulic in a grand upgrade of the whole fortification complex. The designs for this project were drawn up by master architect Paskoje Miličević and the merger was completed in 1557.

It is located on the south-eastern side of the old city port, and was built to control and protect the entrance of the port. The fort was built as a consequence of many upgrades of the port defence system. The side toward the sea is round and lower part of the wall is inclined, while the part facing the port has flat vertical walls.

Today, the St John Fort contains a maritime museum which traces the history of navigation in Dubrovnik displaying ship models, maritime objects and paintings.

There is also a modest Aquarium that showcases flora and fauna of the Adriatic Sea. The aquarium is run by the University of Dubrovnik’s Institute for Marine and Coastal Research and also serves as a rehabilitation centre for injured turtles.

Written December 4, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kawaii D
The Netherlands208 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2022 • Couples
Visited on July 2022

You get this, when you visite the wall. You get a nice view over the port. On the wall itself, there wasn't much there.
Written August 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ginges_revenge
Brisbane, Australia4,732 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023
Sitting over the entrance to the old harbor, the fort is an imposing structure which has stood strong over the city to defend it.
It is part of the city walls and has the maritime museum located within it as well. You can access the museum with the Dubrovnik card and the city walls as well. It also houses the aquarium as well.
You can walk under the base of its wall and around to the front of the harbour. There are nice views and access to some rocks under the outside of the wall.
Written July 9, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

I W
Leicestershire, UK290 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022
This fort is at the southern end of Dubrovnik. You get good views of the old harbour from above the fort whilst walking the city walls. You can go inside, which houses the maritime museum, which is free with the Dubrovnik Pass. You can walk around it at ground level from the old harbour and watch the boats come in. Great place to eat an icecream! If you keep walking, there is a place to swim from on the west side of the fort.
Written January 7, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

zuv
Bucharest, Romania27,166 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022
One of the most impressive fortresses of Dubrovnik, which protected the old port. Now it houses the Maritime Museum and the Aquarium. If you buy a ticket for a walk on the walls you can reach its top, wherefrom you have very nice views.
Written August 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dominique C
New York City, NY116 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022
Overlooking the old harbor, this museum traces the history of Dubrovnik as a major trading power in the Adriatic. In the 16th century, the city-republic had one of the world’s largest fleets, with more than 180 ships and 4,000 sailors! The exhibits here are in English and include model ships from that time, making it a nice 1-1.5 hour visit if it is raining in Dubrovnik. Pro-tip: buy the Dubrovnik visitor card, it will grant you free access to this and other museums…plus the epic city walls!
Written May 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

PortiaDaisy
Whitesville, KY189 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021
Wonderful display of history of Dubrovnik's naval presence. The views from the windows and excellent in this restored fortress.
Written October 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Brittany_11_10
Los Angeles, CA1,712 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021
The City Wall walk offers some excellent vantage points, and St. John's is one of them. Best viewed, in my opinion, from atop/along the wall itself, but also nice from the water (via kayak, boat, etc.). The wall walk is well worth the 200kn (about $30 USD).
Written July 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jbg74
Saint Paul, MN1,057 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2021
There are some great views of the old port inside the city walls as well as the island of Lokrum from this fortress. It is one of the great viewpoints while walking around the city walls. The small maritime museum is also located here. I thought it was worth a visit as well.
Written June 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Michael B
Bellflower, CA25,107 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2019
This fort was started in 1346 on the outer dock as a quadrilateral fort to protect the entrance to the harbour, and was connected to the City by a defensive wall, with a gate in the walls called (Croatian - "Vrata mula" - Dock Gates).
In the 1500 hundreds architect Paskoje Miličević, designed a much bigger fort with semicircular form and a pentagonal bastion in front.
The name Fort of St. John according to folk law was named after a nearby church, but is often called Mulo tower.
If you have time do visit St John fortress, as it now houses the Maritime Museum and the Aquarium of the Adriatic.

TIP: The stone walls of the fortress at sunset when bathed in its soft light make for incredible photo memories.

If you found this review informative please check the box below. Thank you, the world is yours to explore.
Written October 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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ST. JOHN'S FORTRESS: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about St. John's Fortress

St. John's Fortress admission prices can vary. Entrance tickets currently cost ₱1,423.65, while a popular guided tour starts around ₱308.16 per person.

According to Tripadvisor travelers, these are the best ways to experience St. John's Fortress: