Prince Branimir Monument

Why it is worth your time

Prince Branimir in bronze greets guests at the entrance to the old core with a sword in one hand and a charter in the other, and that choice of props is no accident: during Branimir's rule, in the year 879, pope John VIII recognised his state, which is taken as Croatia's first international recognition, and Branimir's name is carved on stone beams kept as the oldest stone signatures of Croatian rulers. Nin was in that age the centre of the state and the seat of the Croatian bishop, so the monument stands in the right place: the small town in the lagoon was a great address of ninth-century Europe.

The statue is a beloved photo station, its sword polished to shine by the sun; to children the story is told short, a ruler, a pope, the first recognition, and for those who want more, the museum of Nin antiquities just around the corner assembles the full picture. Walk past the prince slowly and look him in the face: this is what a state looks like when it is young enough for its name still to be carved in stone.