The Mysterious Fortress of Gradišće

On the hill Cukovec near Margečan, the remains of the mysterious fortress Gradišče can be found. The fortress is located at an altitude of 330 meters, in a strategically good position as it overlooks the narrow Bednja valley at the foothills.

The easiest approach to the hill is from the eastern side. The fortress is 150 meters long and 28 meters wide. On the eastern side, there was a tower measuring 11 x 11 meters.

For now, it is not known who and when built this fortress. Some archaeological research at this site has uncovered fragments of prehistoric and medieval ceramics. The fortress is not mentioned in historical books.

In his survey conducted in 1850, Ivan Kukuljević Sakcinski received information from the priest of Bele that on Cukovec there are the "ruins of a cloister once belonging to the Templars or the Charleni Friars," and that the people call those ruins Gradišće. It is possible that the fortress was built by the Ivanovci knights as it is located in their property near Bele.