This year, the fifth edition of the international event Night of Fortresses Goes Green will take place on 8 and 9 May at 70 locations in 11 countries — Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Slovenia, Italy, Serbia, Czechia, Romania, Lithuania, Ukraine and Albania.
The programme includes around 230 different events that bring fortification and cultural heritage closer to visitors through many types of activities. All programmes are free for visitors.
During the event, many historic spaces, fortresses, old towns, museums, castles and other heritage sites become places for meeting, learning, socialising and new experiences.
The programme includes guided tours, workshops and playrooms, concerts and music performances, lectures, presentations, conferences and panel discussions, exhibitions, films and theatre performances, gastro events, tastings and promotions of local products, sports activities, multimedia projections and light effects, medieval fairs and knight games, charity events, open days, as well as clean-up and greening activities.
Once again, Night of Fortresses shows its role as an international platform that connects heritage sites, cultural institutions, local communities, associations, tourist boards and visitors across Europe. Through educational, cultural, entertaining, participatory and sustainable programmes, the event encourages visitors to take part, exchange knowledge and develop a more responsible attitude towards cultural and natural heritage.
The special value of the event is that it does not present heritage only as something from the past, but as a living place for the community. Visitors can choose programmes according to their own interests — from guided tours and children’s workshops to music performances, exhibitions, historical interpretation, gastro events and outdoor activities.
Whether you are looking for an idea for a family trip, an evening walk, a cultural programme, a meeting with local history or a weekend in nature, Night of Fortresses is a chance to experience heritage in a different way.
Find a programme near you at: https://nightoffortresses.org/hr/program-2026/
The event Night of Fortresses Goes Green is part of the GIFTSnet project — Network for Green and Inclusive Fortified Tourism Solutions. The project started on 15 September 2024 and will last until 14 March 2027. The leader partner is Public Cultural Institution Fortress of Culture Šibenik, with partners: the City of Banja Luka, the Municipality of Bar, the City of Karlovac, the Public Institution Museum of Herzegovina Trebinje and the Municipality of Ulcinj.
The total value of the project is EUR 2,244,442.80, of which 85% is co-financed by the Interreg IPA Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro 2021–2027 Programme.
GIFTSnet will help improve the sustainable and inclusive development of cultural tourism in the programme area. This will be done through green and sustainable investments at seven cultural and tourist locations in Šibenik, Karlovac, Banja Luka, Trebinje, Bar and Ulcinj, the development of socially inclusive tourism offers, and the strengthening of cross-border partners’ capacities for sustainable cultural tourism.
