On June 9 and 10, Knin Fortress turned into a time machine. The annual manifestation called Days of Zvonimir (Zvonimirovi dani) takes the town back to medieval times with a series of events related to the era of one of the greatest monarchs to have ruled in Croatia.
As King Zvonimir made Knin Fortress his political seat in 1076, the place represents a perfect location for a medieval-themed festival featuring attractive sword-fight performances and presentations of traditional crafts and skills. Actors dressed as King Zvonimir, Queen Jelena and their entourage take part in a ceremonial procession and greet citizens of Knin along the way, creating an ambiance of court life in the 11th century. The festival is crowned with a spectacular knights tournament and a night-time reenactment of a siege that features a fireball catapult and a battle of two opposing detachments of knights.
(Photo by Domagoj Blažević)
According to the Croatian National Tourist Board, the manifestation is considered an introduction to the whole Summer of King Zvonimir, as the fortress is steadily becoming a tourist attraction that will acquaint the visitors and local guests with the history, culture and tradition of the royal town Knin.
You can get an idea of the all-around atmosphere in this video from HRT.
Image source: Croatian National Tourist Board
