Fort Kosmač

Fort Kosmač, located near the village of Brajići in Montenegro, was the southernmost fortress of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, constructed in the 1840s as part of the fortification system in the Bay of Kotor region. Its strategic position allowed it to control the road between Budva and Cetinje, and the fort was tasked with protecting the borders between Austria-Hungary, Montenegro, and the Ottoman Empire. The fortress's architecture was based on precisely shaped limestone, and its design enabled defense in eight directions, featuring large gun ports and a semi-circular tower facing the sea. Fort Kosmač was garrisoned by Austrian troops until 1918 and later by Italian forces during World War II. Due to a lack of maintenance, the fort is now in an advanced state of ruin, with collapsed floors and damaged interior elements; nevertheless, it remains accessible to tourists and has become part of a long-distance hiking trail. In 2005, the estimated cost of restoring the fort was around 1.7 million euros, yet it remains underfunded. An interesting event in the fort's history was its attack in 1869 during the Krivošije clan rebellion, when its commander, Friedrich Merz, was shot by a local hero, highlighting the fort's significance not only militarily but also culturally for the region. Preservation initiatives are considering both conserving it as a ruin and transforming it into a cultural venue or hostel, reflecting growing interest in and the importance of this historic site.