Čapljina · Neretva Valley · Documented 1444

Počitelj Citadel

Počitelj is a fortified settlement on a rocky slope above the left bank of the Neretva. Its citadel belongs to a larger composition of ramparts, houses, a mosque, schooling and trading spaces. The first documented reference dates to 1444; the often repeated association with King Tvrtko I and 1383 is presented as a supposition in the UNESCO Tentative List submission. A Hungarian garrison held the town before Ottoman capture in 1471. Subsequent centuries developed the stone-built settlement into the layered ensemble visible today. The slope shaped both defence and daily life, arranging homes above the commercial area beside the river. Počitelj is on the UNESCO Tentative List, not the inscribed World Heritage List. Reading the whole hillside gives a richer understanding than treating its tower as an isolated castle.

Explore the 3D model

Through the centuries

1444

The first documented reference to Počitelj.

1471

The town falls to Ottoman forces after a siege.

16th–18th c.

The walled settlement develops through successive building phases.

Architecture & evidence

Citadel donjon

The oldest fortified nucleus comprised a donjon and a small bailey. Conservation research confirms its octagonal base and a 1971 roof reconstruction. The roof is represented here; its pitch, overall dimensions and openings are estimated.

Upper defensive enclosure

The fort grew in stages from the medieval nucleus into a larger Ottoman defensive system. The small upper citadel shown here is only part of the wider walled town.

Citadel approach

Počitelj's fortifications follow a rocky slope above the Neretva. The entry and stepped connection are interpretive geometry; the actual full settlement extends beyond this model.

Plan your visit

The citadel is reached through Počitelj's hillside settlement. The atlas point identifies the citadel rather than roadside parking; check locally which historic spaces are currently open.

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