As part of this year’s Night of Fortresses event, which will take place in Šibenik on 8 and 9 May 2026, the programme “Fortresses Break Down Barriers” will be implemented, further enhancing the accessibility of cultural heritage for persons with disabilities.
Fortress of Culture Šibenik is the conceptual initiator and main coordinator of the event at the European level, while also being one of the most active programme organisers at its own sites. Thanks to this initiative, fortifications and other cultural heritage locations across Europe become, once a year - on the second weekend of May - spaces of learning, creativity, inclusion and environmental awareness.
In Šibenik, on the first day of the event, Friday, 8 May, the programme “Fortresses Break Down Barriers” will be carried out jointly by Fortress of Culture Šibenik and the Public Institution Nature of Šibenik-Knin County. The programme focuses on inclusion and audience sensitization through shared, experiential encounters with different ways of perceiving cultural heritage, delivered through guided tours. Tours will take place at all four Šibenik fortresses: St. Michael’s Fortress, St. John’s Fortress, Barone Fortress and St. Nicholas’ Fortress.
The aim is to foster empathy and raise awareness of the importance of accessible and inclusive culture. The programme is implemented in cooperation with the Šibenik Centre for Social Inclusion, the Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired of Šibenik-Knin County, the Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing of Šibenik-Knin County, and Aurora Association.
Each tour at a specific fortress will be dedicated to a particular group of visitors with different types of disabilities and will be open to all interested members of the public. The goal is to promote mutual understanding, shared experiences of cultural spaces, and greater awareness of the barriers faced by persons with disabilities.
The tours will be led by representatives of disability associations, with professional support from institutional guides. Through shared participation, visitors will gain deeper insight into accessibility challenges and different ways of experiencing space.
In the afternoon, Barone Fortress will host a panel discussion entitled “Fortresses Between Defence and Accessibility: How to Make Inaccessible Heritage Accessible to All”. The discussion will focus on the challenges and opportunities of adapting spaces that were historically built to be inaccessible. The panel will be followed by a fashion show featuring persons with disabilities, showcasing designs by Karmen Herceg. The fashion show highlights the work of associations and individuals while emphasising the importance of personal expression, self-confidence and visibility of persons with disabilities.
On Saturday, 9 May, free daytime admission will be granted to all fortresses. Visitors can meet our researchers and enjoy “News from the Past” at St. John’s Fortress, where children’s workshops and an overnight programme will also take place, along with sunset yoga at the same location. At St. Michael’s Fortress, children can participate in the heraldic workshop “The Coats of Arms of St. Michael’s Fortress”, organised in cooperation with the Šibenik City Museum.
The entire Night of Fortresses programme will conclude at Barone Fortress with a free concert by BluVinil at 9 p.m. Tickets can be collected at the box office of the Arsen House of Art starting Monday, 27 April.
The full programme is available on the official website:
nightoffortresses.org
It is worth recalling that Night of Fortresses Goes Green is part of two EU-funded projects implemented by the Public Institution Fortress of Culture Šibenik:
GIFTSnet – Network for Green and Inclusive Fortified Tourism Solutions, funded by the Interreg IPA Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro 2021–2027 programme and FORTIC – From Remains Of War to the Architecture of Peace in the Italy–Croatia Cross-Border Area, funded through Interreg Italy–Croatia 2021–2027
This text was produced with the assistance of the European Union. The contents are the sole responsibility of the Public Cultural Institution Fortress of Culture Šibenik and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
