Fortress and Monument on Predel
About one kilometre before the Predel Pass, the ruins of an Austrian fortress are still visible. At the beginning of the 19th century a wooden fortification stood here. On May 15th, 1809, bitter fighting took place between Napoleon’s troops and Austrian defenders. The Austrian contingent of defenders was made up of the border guards of Slunj, commanded by Captain Johann von Hermannsdorf. The defenders, despite being outnumbered, valiantly repelled all attacks and did not respond to a call for surrender. On May 18th, the assailants succeeded in setting fire to the fortress, and in the breakthrough the majority of the contingent perished, including its commander. Emperor Ferdinand I had a magnificent monument erected in memory of the brave defenders. It was unveiled in 1851. The monument is an approximately 6-metre-high supporting stone wall, on which leans a carved-stone pyramid with an engraved inscription. A cast-iron sculpture of a wounded lion and neatly fenced area further emphasize the grandeur of the monument. The fortress was renovated in 1848 and its ruins can be seen on both sides of the road.
