Klis Fortress: A Game of Thrones Filming location in Croatia

Back we head to Croatia, and our next stop is Klis Fortress – an incredible medieval fortress situated high on the cliffs looking out over the sea, near the city of Split in Croatia. Many visitors to Split don’t visit Klis, though it has seen more visitors ever since it was featured in Game of Thrones as the city of Meereen. Whether you’re in to GoT or not, this was one of our favourite day trips from Split, and we would thoroughly recommend finding time to visit.

How to get to Klis Fortress

There are a number of options for getting to this amazing place.

• By Car – If you have a car rental you can drive from Split to Klis in around 20 minutes
• By Bus – You can take bus #22 (be prepared for a bumpy ride) from the centre of Split directly to the site, taking around 45 minutes and costing around EUR1.50
• By Guided Tour – You could pay for a guided tour from Split (a normal one, or a GoT themed one), although this is much more expensive than the other options. Tours cost roughly EUR25.

We chose to travel by bus and found it to be simple and easy (and much cheaper) to get to Klis that way.

History of Klis Fortress

Klis Fortress was built over 2,000 years ago, originally in the 2nd Century (BC) by the Delmati. Its location is in the perfect defensive position overlooking the coast and inland areas, between the passages of two mountain ranges. In Greek the word Kleis means “the key” and it’s easy to see the reason for the name!

The Fortress began as a small stronghold and then became the Royal Castle to the Croatian Kings (and then later the Hungarian Kings when they took over and let the Knights Templars live in the castle). In the 1200s, the Mongols then attacked the Fortress and eventually in the 1500s, the Ottomans took control of the Fortress as their Empire spread through Europe. It wasn’t until over 100 years later that the Venetians arrived and took over Klis, which they continued until Napoleon came along in 1797, and then the Austrians, before occupation by the Axis Powers in WW2 (Nazi Germany & Fascist Italy). It finally passed back to Croatia after WW2.

The most interesting group of people that the Fort shines a light on are the Uskoks, a group of local fighters who fought with the Ottomans during the 1500s. Such was their life accustomed to sieges and being attacked that children were taught to throw stones from infancy, and a childhood game was catching the Turks. Imagine that level of war in day to day life!

It’s absolutely crazy the change these walls have seen, and standing there looking out to sea, you can’t help but imagine all the thousands of people to do so before at such different points in history. Incredible.

What to See & Do at Klis Fortress (incl. Game of Thrones)

It costs EUR10 to enter the Fortress, and your ticket will also afford you entrance in to the nearby Olive Museum (my Dad was having none of it) and an Interpretation Centre too. We didn’t visit those as we spent around 2.5 hours enjoying Klis Fortress site.

There are a number of things to see inside the Fortress buildings including a timeline video, lots of boards on the history, and even some small art exhibitions. There are a number of towers to climb, as well as St. Vids church.

If you’re in to Game of Thrones, the HBO show was filmed right here at Klis Fortress. It was the site of the fictional city of Meereen that Khaleesi captured in Season 4. They even have a small room dedicated to the Game of Thrones with pictures from the film set. If you weren’t aware, there are many other filming sites from Game of Thrones around Croatia, so if you’re a fan this is the perfect place to visit.

In my opinion, the best thing about the Fortress is the views. It feels like every corner you turn reveals a new gorgeous view of the Dalmatian coast. Directly under the castle is the town of Klis, and its red rooftops enhance the picturesque mountain views. My favorite spot was on top the Prince’s Residence which gave incredible 360 views out across the landscape.

Finally, it’s worth mentioning that there are no shops on site so it’s important to take your own food & drink, though there is a small Café at the entrance.