Few Croatian castles are as dramatically situated as Klis, whose battlements crown a thrusting rock just 13km inland from Split. Many visitors will recognise the fortress as a key location in fantasy series Game of Thrones, when its CGI-enhanced silhouette served to represent the city of Meereen.

Klis’s largely intact ramparts offer a fascinating opportunity to ramble around an almost complete fortress, complete with barrack buildings, armouries and a surviving sixteenth-century mosque, subsequently converted into a Christian chapel. The views of Split and the surrounding coast are breathtaking.

History

Built to control trade routes between the Balkan interior and the Adriatic coast, it was a key strongpoint for Croatia’s medieval kings. It is believed to have served as the court of ninth-century king Trpimir, and remained a crucial point in the defence of the Dalmatian coast.