Fort Lustica is a defence structure from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, built in 1890. Like its twin brother, the Kabala Fortress, it is part of the second line of defence of the entrance to the Bay of Kotor.
History of fortress
In 1815, as a result of the Congress of Vienna, the Bay of Kotor became part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Later, after the Montenegrin uprisings of 1869 and 1882, the Austrian authorities decided to increase their military presence in the region. This resulted in the division of the entire bay into three sectors, in each of which military facilities such as forts and batteries, barracks, roads and supply buildings were built.
Most of the Lustica peninsula was included in Sector I of the Defence of the Bay of Kotor. In this sector, two defence lines were established to protect the entrance to the bay from the sea, as well as their cover from Herceg Novi in the form of the Španjola battery and the Kameno stronghold.
Fort Lustica was part of the second line of defence, along with fort Kabala and battery Klinci, as well as forts Kobila Gornja and Kobila Donja on the opposite shore.
Fort Lustica itself was identical to its neighbour, Fort Kabala. The only difference is that the Austrians decided to blow it up in 1918 when leaving the bay. Therefore, it is now in a much worse condition than the Kabala Fort: the upper floor is hardly preserved and the lower floors are covered with collapsed walls and ceilings.
How to get to Lustica Fortress
Getting to the Austro-Hungarian fortress of Lustica is currently possible only with your own transport, be it a car, motorbike or bicycle. It is better to leave your vehicle here at the information stand and then go on foot. It takes approximately 15 minutes to walk.
