Possert Castle

From 2007 to 2016, archaeological research was carried out, which ended with the opening to the public of the medieval fortress Possert or Šabec. The fort has been structurally repaired, partially reconstructed, secured and turned into an attractive lookout point that can be reached by a safe staircase. Not far from the fort, there is also a rest area with benches, and interpretation panels in Croatian and English have been installed. From the lookout point, you can see the nearby baroque Belaj castle, which was built after Possert was damaged in the early 17th century. Be sure to supplement your trip with a visit to Belaj castle, but also plan a short stop in Paz, where you will come across another feudal fort from that time.

The Possert fortress was most likely built in the middle of the 14th century, it is located in the territory of the municipality of Cerovlje on a hilly part between the valley of the Raša river and the Pazin stream. Among the preserved architectural remains of the fort, we find all the elements characteristic of medieval fortification architecture - a high defensive tower, merlatures, a moat, the maximum extension of the access road, all of this is present on Possert in simple forms. Also, on the architectural remains, we can read the few structures that offered any amount of comfort in the cramped space of the isolated medieval fortress. This refers to the large windows that provided enough light in the residential part of the complex or, for example, the toilets that we find on the tower. Possert is the first fully restored and presented medieval fortress in Istria and at the same time the first fully explored archaeological site of its type in the Istrian area.