Labin is an eastern Istrian town above the coastal landscape, with its old centre on the hilltop and newer districts below. Its elevated position offers broad views across the town and its surroundings.
Fortica lies there, near the Bell Tower of St. Justus. Steps lead to a stone lookout edge and a platform with a cannon; beyond them the view suddenly opens from the town walls across wooded slopes.
From the viewpoint one can see Rabac and its bay, the sea and other parts of the Labin area. Newer Podlabin lies below the old centre. This wide view is the place's chief attraction: it makes clear why the town was built on a hill and how its upper and lower quarters differ.
The cannon and stone railing lend the viewpoint a historical frame, but should not be equated with every phase of the former town fortifications. Today Fortica is above all a place for finding one's bearings. Rooftops, forest, settlements and the line of the sea alternate in different directions; individual views thus say more than a single panorama.
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HR-CRO - Croatia
