Klis Fortress Travel Guide: Everything I Discovered About This Croatian Historical Site Including Tickets, Opening Hours, and Its Game of Thrones Heritage
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This article will tell you about Klis Fortress – an important historical landmark in Croatia, in general, and the Central Dalmatia region, in particular. I will tell you about the interesting things to pay attention to when visiting the fortress, in particular about its connection with the TV series Game of Thrones.
I will also give practical information on how to get to the fortress, its opening hours, and ticket and tour prices, which will be useful for planning your trip.
Klis Fortress near Split: What it is famous for and worth a visit
The medieval fortress of Klis is located on a cliff just above the village of the same name, a few dozen minutes’ drive from Split.
Originally a small Illyrian fortification, it later became a royal castle – the residence of many kings of Croatia, as well as a massive military fortification during the Ottoman wars.
Throughout its history (more than 2000 years), the Klis fortress has defended the borders of Dalmatia, fallen many times under enemy attack and was recaptured, and underwent numerous reconstructions.
Due to its location, it was the main defense structure of Dalmatia, and every schoolchild in Croatia knows about its glorious history.
Panorama of Klis Fortress – from afar it looks very majestic and impressive
When viewed from afar, the fortress, with its 140-meter high wall, is indistinguishable from the rock on which it was built. Yet, it is one of the most valuable examples of defensive architecture in Dalmatia that has survived to this day.
The fortress was surrounded by three defensive walls surrounding the center. There were no smooth lines to be seen here: all the buildings had to fit into the complex, uneven landscape.
Opening hours and ticket price at Klis Fortress
- Entrance fee to the Klis Fortress: 8 euros for adults and 4 euros for children.
- Opening hours of the fortress: daily from 08:30 to 20:30.
- Address: Trg Mejdan 10, 21231, Klis.
How to get to Klis Fortress from Split
The fortress can be reached from Split by regular bus No. 22, which leaves from the station next to the National Theatre of Split. Buses No. 35 and 36 depart from Sukoysan Bus Station.
Location of Klis Fortress on the map
What you can see in the Klyce Fortress
The mountain range that runs along the entire Dalmatian coast has always been a natural defence between the Mediterranean coast and the rest of the Balkans. As you approach Split, you can see a gap in this defence wall, a passage between the mountains.
And there, right in this gap is a high rock with a huge stone fortress on top. This is the fortress of Klis. The best view of it is from the motorway that circles Split from the north. You can see it from this angle if you’re not too lazy and drive a little off the motorway for a short stop.
There are a lot of ups and downs here, but that makes it even more interesting to explore this fortress
Just below the fortress, overlooking the city of Split, is a small town dotted with vineyards and olive groves. The ascent to the fortress is quite long, zigzagging up a steep slope.
Fantasy fans may have added to the traffic, but Klis Fortress is still not a popular attraction. No more than 15,000 people visit it each year.
This means you won’t have to fight the crowds to make your way through the fortress’ corridors. You can even take a few shots of the fortress without a single visitor, even in season. And if you visit in the off-season, you might have the ‘fortress to yourself alone’.
Walls and towers of Klis Fortress
The fortress has three defensive stone walls surrounding a central stronghold. The structure is irregular because it was designed to fit into the natural topography – a fine example of ‘organic architecture’.
The main entrance of the first line of Klis walls was made by the Austrians in the early 19th century on the site of an older Venetian gate. To its left is a preserved Venetian fortification, nearby is the ‘Avanzato position’, and below, underground, is a narrow vaulted gallery called the ‘Casemate’.
The entrance to the second line of walls, which was damaged during the siege of 1648, is guarded by the Oprah Tower, the most important fortification in the western part of the fortress, the first mention of which dates back to 1355.
Through this entrance you can enter the old medieval part, which used to be owned by the Croatian nobility. The current appearance of this gate also dates back to the early 19th century.
Passing through the third gate, you will find yourself in the part that was built in the early Middle Ages. Its last rebuilding dates back to 1763.
You can see how old the castle is by the thickets that cover the walls of the fortress in many places
Very few castles and ruins open to tourists allow you to wander around the grounds without being fenced off by ropes or locked doors. There are no guards, queues, cordoned off areas, locked doors or security signs. There are no fences either. The fortress is so free to visitors that one wrong step can land you at the foot of a cliff.
Klis Fortress, step by step - my review of the visit and what I saw there
The impregnability of the fortress was proved by my own experience when, deciding to take a short cut, I turned down a steep path near the cliff. I found myself in such an unfortunate labyrinth of narrow streets that more than once I had to seriously worry about the safety of my rented car.
One of the highest points of Klis Fortress
Eventually, I found a small parking area and realised that it was pointless to wander further by car, I should explore the area on foot. But that was not the case!
All the approaches to the rock ended with blind dead ends, and the road took me further and further away from the rock and the fortress, into some very deep nooks and crannies of the village.
I had to go back to the highway, which after a few kilometres ended with a convenient fork with clear signs leading directly to the walls of the fortress to a large car park. It was here that I realised that a shortcut is not always the right one!
There are a lot of dead ends here, so if you’re travelling on your own, you’ll have to wander around the fortress area a little bit
Restoration work is still going on here today, but the entrance to the castle is open to all comers. By the way, the ticket taker will gladly accept not only euros but also dollars as payment for entry.
The fortress looks a bit creepy in some places, even though it is constantly being restored
I entered the fortress through the main entrance, which was built by the Austrians in the 19th century. Then, through a narrow medieval gate and through a long tunnel, we reach the central part of the fortress, which offers magnificent panoramic views.
The passages to the various parts of the fortress are organised in the form of these stone tunnels
It is also home to the very curious church of St Vida, with its original octagonal roof, once rebuilt by the Venetians from a Muslim mosque.
Inside, the building is now completely empty, but once it had four altars. This part of the castle is still being excavated. You can even feel like an archaeologist yourself and try to find something interesting.
The Church of St Vid, near which excavations are still going on
My find was a part of a huge jaw of either a cow or a horse. I refused to take it home. I climbed up the narrow rocky isthmus to the highest part of the fortress. The building on whose foundations the residence of Croatian kings was once built is now being restored.
The jaw of either a cow or a horse, which I found between the stones in the fortress
At its highest point, the fortress ends with a powerful artillery bastion and a large observation platform. On the whole, I would like to point out that the restorers have a lot of work to do for a long time. Many parts of the fortress are still covered with bushes and rubbish pits.
Artillery installations that formerly defended the fortress and the towns behind it
On the other hand, this lack of maintenance gives Klis its own special flavour. After all, in a couple of years everything will be different here. Klis is already being prepared for the fate of the Spiš Castle (in Slovakia) – an important national landmark.
Crowds of tourists, various themed festivals and uninteresting museum exposition will become everyday life here. It is worth rushing to Klis now, while it remains wilder and thus more appealing.
Although there are not many people in the fortress and it is not very popular yet, I think that this will change soon. But while it is still deserted, I advise you to come here and see the ‘quiet fortress’ with your own eyes
‘Game of Thrones’ and the Fortress of Cleese
Like many other places in Croatia, Klis Fortress features prominently in the popular pseudo-historical Game of Thrones. Enduring fans will recognise this fortress near Split as Meereen, the city in Slaver’s Cove.
Images from the TV series Game of Thrones, which were filmed exactly in Klis Fortress
Even if you haven’t seen the series, there are reminders of it everywhere – whether it’s a colourful tourist brochure or the decoration of the fortress premises
A booklet that goes into more detail about the filming of the series, which took place here
Thus, in one of the towers, Daenerys’ dragons were discovered.
And these are the baby dragons of Daenerys Stormborn, which I caught in one of the rooms of the fortress
Klis was chosen as a filming location for a reason, as it is an incredibly picturesque place. The fortress overlooks Split, green valleys, mountain serpentines and islands of the Adriatic Sea.