Walls of Ston

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The Walls of Ston are a long set of defensive stone walls in Ston, a town in southern Croatia. They originally stretched for more than 7 kilometers and protected the town and its valuable salt pans.

Construction began in 1358 and continued into the 15th century. The walls were built by the people of Dubrovnik and Ston and were made from limestone. The Field Gate (Poljska vrata) has a Latin inscription dating from 1506. Today the walls are one of the longest and best-preserved fortification systems in the world and have been called the “European Great Wall of China.”

To strengthen defense, a second wall was built from Ston to Mali Ston. The Mali Ston section was partly demolished in the past, but the remaining wall between Ston and Mali Ston is about 5.5 kilometers long and forms an irregular pentangle.

The fortifications included about 40 towers (20 survive) and 5 fortresses. Inside, the town was laid out with three streets running north to south and three running east to west, creating 15 blocks with ten houses each. The main streets are wide (6 meters, with the southern street 8 meters) while side streets are about 2 meters wide. Notable public buildings include the Gothic Republic Chancellery and the Bishop’s Palace.

Key centers were Veliki kaštio in Ston, Koruna in Mali Ston, and the fortress on Podzvizd hill (224 meters high). The design followed the Dubrovnik model but was adapted to Ston’s terrain. Architects and artists who worked on the project included Michelozzo, Bernardino Gatti of Parma, and Giorgio da Sebenico (Juraj Dalmatinac).

Today the Walls of Ston are a major landmark and an important example of medieval fortifications. They reflect a history of protection, growth, and change, including periods when parts were dismantled by authorities. The salt pans near Ston are still used, and the wall’s running route between Ston and Mali Ston has become famous for the annual records set there: the men’s fastest time was by Ian Plummer in 2019 and the women’s by Cora Taylor in 2019.