Fort Greben is a fortification built by soldiers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the 19th century to protect the Risan-Crkvice and Risan-Grkavac routes. It was built between 1882 and 1886 at an altitude of 525 metres above sea level and was armed with two 90 mm cannons as well as machine guns.
Not far from it, but a little lower, is the Površnica Fort.
History of construction
Until 1869, the Austro-Hungarian soldiers used this position as a temporary location for artillery. However, after the Krivosi Uprising, at the suggestion of Count Auersperg, the area between Ledenice and Crkvice was fortified with blockhouses, among which, in addition to Fort Greben, there were also Fort Površnica, Fort Ledenice, Fort St. Nikola and others.
Today the fort lies in ruins. Only the remains of the walls with loopholes can be found on the site of the fort, but the water cistern near the fort has been preserved in good condition.
How to get to Fort Greben
You can either reach the fort on foot, climbing up from Risan, or you can drive up by car.
How to get to Fort Greben by car
The Greben Fortress can be approached by car from both sides:
- From the side of Risan along the serpentine, left from the Austrian times, but covered with tarmac.
- Turning from the M-08 motorway towards one of the quarries and driving after it for another 300-400 metres
It is worth noting that the road quality is much better if you turn off the M-08 motorway. Your stop is approximately here. From here, it takes about the same amount of time to get to Fort Greben as to Fort Povrsnica.
How to get to Fort Greben from Risan on foot
From Risan, you can hike up to Fort Greben along the old Austrian serpentines. It is worth noting that the road is marked and easy to find, so hikers will find this option even more interesting.
As one option for a hike visiting 2 or 3 Austro-Hungarian-era forts:
- Climb up the tarmac road here to the branch to the Austrian serpentine.
- Hike up the old serpentine to Površnica Fort
- Walk a little further to Fort Greben.
You can descend to Risan as you climbed or by additionally visiting the Ledenice Fort.
