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Publication in the community "Montenegro"

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Milestones of history, fortress Gorazhda

On one of the hills between Tivat and Kotor, at an altitude of 453 meters, is an excellently disguised Austro-Hungarian fort. The building is located near the old road Kotor-Cetinje. It is necessary to drive about five kilometers from Kotor and then sharply turn to the right, following the sign "Tvrava Gorazda". You can also go on foot along the path from the village of Muo and enjoy the picturesque views of Kotor Bay.

Fort Garadzha, built in 1884 - 1886, is one of the most interesting and unusual sights of Montenegro. During its erection, the most advanced engineering technologies were applied and the most sophisticated weapons of that time were installed. Subsequently, the fort was repeatedly completed and modernized.

The main part of the structure is inside the mountain, and the ground constructions are disguised by vegetation and perfectly merge with the surrounding landscape.

From the fortress, the cities of Kotor and Tivat were perfectly visible, and a defensive fire was fired over long distances.

To this end, guns with a caliber of 120mm were placed inside the building, which were covered with armored domes. At present, the guns themselves are dismantled, but the domes and rails that served to adjust the direction were preserved. Greatly preserved and a large armored dome, the pride of the fortress, designed by the famous German engineer Herman Gruson. Thanks to this design, the garrison of Gorazhdy could conduct a round-robin attack at a range of up to 10 km and be absolutely protected.

The diameter of the dome is about 3 meters, and the thickness is not less than 10cm. The sphere could rotate 360 ​​degrees with the aid of a mechanism that set in motion two soldiers. Another was inside and controlled the gun. It is curious that there is an inscription on the dome that it was made at the Emil Skoda factory. In total five such installations have been created, but the only one that has survived to this day has survived. Interesting is the fact that in order to deliver the dome to the fortress, the Austrians had to build a special railway, which was subsequently dismantled as unnecessary.

The fort is surrounded by a deep moat that runs along the entire perimeter of the fortress. The remains of the pillars on the approaches to the construction served to attach an additional barbed wire fence.

Fortification strengthening also has four branches - the caponier, created to fire the enemy in the event of an assault.

The main entrance to the fortress is located in the center of the building, then, going downstairs, the staircase branches into many rooms and rooms.

At present, the fortress is very well preserved. The facility is not protected in any way, it is relatively clean and light, but when you go to explore it from inside, you must be careful and take a flashlight with you.

From the roof of the building, you can enjoy stunning views of Tivat, Kotor, Kotor Bay and the surrounding mountains - Vrmac and Lovcen.

It is surprising that Fort Gorazhda, which is an outstanding monument of military architecture, has not yet been turned into a popular museum and has not taken its due among the most interesting sights of Montenegro.

#potapovfoto

This is an automatic translation.
Click here to read the publication in the original language.