Pustograd Castle

Pustograd Castle, locally known as Utvrda Pustograd, lies east of the village of Tkon on the island of Pašman, in the county of Zadar in Croatia.

Pustograd Castle was built by the Byzantine Empire during the reign of Emperor Justinian I in the 6th century. Built on a hill at the south end of the island, it controlled the entrance to the Pašman Channel between the island and the mainland. As such, it was part of a system of fortifications and observation points along the maritime routes in the Adriatic. The castle was also a place of refuge for the locals in times of trouble.

What remains at present of the castle are mainly the low parts of the curtain wall. There is also the ruin of a rectangular wall tower, which was used as a sheep shelter in more recent centuries. The castle hill is 108 meters high, and there is a small cove beneath it, which may have served as a small harbor for the castle.

Pustograd Castle is freely accessible. From the nearest dirt road, two hiking trails lead up to the castle so that you can walk in a circle. The one leading up from the cove is easy. The other one, which starts at a small parking lot west of the castle hill, is very rocky and somewhat challenging, and you will need appropriate footwear.  If you do the circle walk, I would advise taking the challenging one up and the easy one down.

The remains of the castle are not much to look at, but the view from the top is spectacular. The castle is now a valuable archaeological site; please treat it accordingly. 

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