Igralište Batarija

When the “Historic City of Trogir” was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, this included the majority of structures in its central island. Some were singled out for special protection, like the 15th-century Kamerlengo Castle, St. Mark’s Tower, and the small Marmontov Glorijet (a French monument gifted to Croatia in honor of Marshal Marmont).

Something else these monuments share in common is their location on the edges of the Batarija igralište (football field). Kamerlengo can be found behind the south goal, while St. Mark’s is behind the north one. The Glorijet takes the place of what would be the west stand. The audience stands are to the east, making it the only “unprotected” side.

The name Batarija likely comes from an artillery battery, given its historical location between defensive structures. Surrounded not only by monuments but also the clear waters of the Adriatic Sea, the field will routinely show up on lists of the world’s most unique, with the likes of those in Eriskay and Kvareli.

Hrvatski Nogometni Klub Trogir (Trogir Croatian Football Club), the amateur club that calls this field home, dates to 1912. After a series of financial difficulties in 2009, it was officially converted into a successor club called NK Trogir 1912. They usually play in the Second Division of the Split-Dalmatia county league (Druga ŽNL Splitsko-Dalmatinska), winning their title in the 2020/21 season, which means the field itself isn’t the only soccer achievement that Trogir has gotten to celebrate.

Sports have been important to Croatian national pride since the country’s 1991 declaration of independence. The men’s national football team’s successes have now become iconic. They debuted in the 1998 FIFA World Cup with a third-place finish, repeating this placing in the 2022 tournament. Reaching the final in 2018 made them one of the countries with the smallest population to have managed this feat.