Perušić Castle Ruins

The Stari grad Perušić is located on a hill above the town of Perušić. The place was first mentioned in a document in 1071 as Vrhovina in the Buška župa and was formerly owned by the Frankopan family. In 1487, Anž Frankopan handed over the complex to the brothers Dominik and Gašpar Perušić from the noble Perušić family, who came from Zagora. They built or expanded the stone fortress, after which the town was named. The complex was an irregular quadrangle with three semicircular corner towers, surrounded by thick dry stone walls; the central Kula had three stories. Gašpar Perušić was Deputy Ban and co-signer of the Peace of Pressburg in 1491.

In 1527, the Ottomans conquered Lika and Krbava; the fortress became the most important Turkish fortress in Lika. In 1555, Malkoč-beg had it renewed and reinforced. During the Great Turkish War, it was captured by Croatian border troops in 1685 and finally abandoned by the Ottomans in 1696. In the 18th century, the complex fell into disrepair and was abandoned.

Today, primarily the round Kula (wall thickness up to 1.6 m) is preserved; it is considered one of the best-preserved defensive structures in Lika. Positions for cannons, guard posts, and viewpoints are still recognizable.