Klis Fortress

What it is

The Klis fortress rises on a bare crag 12 km from Split, in the pass between the Kozjak and Mosor mountains that links the coast with the interior. Whoever held Klis controlled the road to Split, and that is why it changed hands so many times: it was the seat of the Croatian princes, a stronghold of the Uskoks, fell to the Ottomans in 1537 and then passed to Venice and Austria. What you see today is mostly Venetian and Austrian, over much older remains.

What you see

The fortress occupies the whole ridge of the rock and is divided into two parts. The western one is lower, dominated to the north by Mount Greben. The eastern one is higher and is crowned by the round Oprah tower, the main medieval bastion. The only access was on the west side, and today you enter by crossing three walled enclosures, each with its own gate:

1. The first gate, built by the Austrians in the 1820s over a Venetian one.
2. The second, the old medieval entrance, badly damaged in the siege of 1648 and rebuilt by Venice and then by Austria.
3. The third, also medieval, remodelled by the Venetians until 1763.

Inside remain the house of the Venetian proveditor, from the mid-17th century, built on the foundations of the Croatian princes' buildings, and the church of St Vitus, which the Ottomans built as a mosque after taking Klis in 1537. From the walls you have below you Split, Marjan, the Kaštela bay and the islands.

What the ticket includes

The fortress ticket includes the interpretation centre at Mejdan square, in the village, the fortress, the Stella Croatica ethno-agricultural park and the Olive Museum. If you want to see it all, allow half a day.

Hours and price

It is open every day from 9:00 to 19:00, according to the official website. Entry costs €12 for adults and €4 for children up to age 15. On some special nights, such as the Night of the Fortresses in May, entry is free: check its website for news.

Getting there

• By bus: Promet Split line 22 goes up from Split to Klis. Check the timetable on the Promet Split website and see the listing for bus 37 and other lines.
• By car: about 20 minutes from the centre of Split on the road towards Sinj.

How long

An hour and a half for the fortress at an easy pace. With the interpretation centre and Stella Croatica, half a day.

With children

Children like it: towers, cannons, walls and an enormous view. But the rock is rugged and in some stretches the walls are low: hold their hand in the high areas. It is not accessible by wheelchair or with a pushchair.

When to go

In summer, first thing or late in the afternoon: the rock has no shade and reflects the heat. With the bura, the north wind, it blows hard up there; wrap up in winter. In good visibility, late afternoon gives the best light over the coast.

Meereen from above

The Croatian tourist office places the surroundings of Meereen in Game of Thrones at Klis, and says that from the top you have the same view as the Mother of Dragons. There is nothing from the series inside: what you recognise are the walls on the rock and the pass between the mountains.