Klis Fortress: A Game of Thrones Filming location in Croatia

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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.

Views of the Fortress

  1. Contents
  2. How to get to Klis Fortress
  3. History of Klis Fortress
  4. What to See & Do at Klis Fortress (incl. Game of Thrones)

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.


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.


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.

Exploring Klis’ tunnels

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.

What a Fort!

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.


So, what do you think of Klis Fortress? Would you like to visit? We loved our trip and found Klis to be a welcome escape from the crowds of Split. I hope you enjoyed the tour – stay safe and happy travelling!

39 responses to “Klis Fortress: A Game of Thrones Filming location in Croatia”

  1. Oh we didn’t have enough time to visit this on our trip but it looks so lovely!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It was a really great day trip option from Split 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  2. We’re in the process of planning our trip to Croatia and this looks like another great place to visit while we’re there. Looks absolutely amazing!

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  3. I’m not a Game of Thrones fan, but I’m a fan of fortresses and this one looks awesome. Old stone walls, cliffside location and great views! Maggie

    Liked by 1 person

    1. That’s so exciting, where are you thinking of visiting in Croatia? It’s such a stunning country.

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  4. What a great fortress to explore with beautiful views. I must admit, I have not watched Game of Thrones but I may need to add it to my watch list if some of it was set here 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It was so much fun. I can’t believe how few people on here have watched/like GoT – we loved loved loved it 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thats it, Im going to start watching it this weekend with that high praise 🙂

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  5. This fortress back then would’ve been a sight to see! It’s still beautiful now and has such great views.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Absolutely, imagine how imposing that would be trying to attack it from down the hill!

      Liked by 1 person

  6. I agree, it looks like an incredible day trip! It is amazing to wander through the fortress and think of all the history and people that have walked the path before you. My dad would also not want to do the olive museum ha! His museum attention span is very limited.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It was amazing, a really unique site to visit – I always wonder how on earth they built these places so long ago!! HA – maybe it’s a dad thing hehe 🙂

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  7. I’m not into Game of Thrones but have been to several of their film locations in Northern Ireland and the Spanish city of Girona so I’d like to visit the Fortress for the views as they look very impressive Hannah.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I think they had a knack of selecting amazing filming locations didn’t they – all of the sites you mention are also so beautiful! So much to see and do in Croatia 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  8. It is a great fort, has interesting history. We visited it back in 2015 by car from Split

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  9. […] You can read my post on visiting Klis HERE. […]

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  10. The views from the fortress are lovely, Hannah. Looking back, it’s amazing that such structures were built on very difficult – yet, clearly advantageous – locations. Thanks for sharing my friend 🙂

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    1. Thanks Phil, it was such a good daytrip – and I totally agree with you, I can only assume lots of people died building it all those years ago in such a location!

      Liked by 1 person

  11. I’ve actually never heard of the Klis Fortress (then again, haven’t seen nor read GoT), but despite not getting the GoT reference, it looks like a gorgeous and awe-inspiring site to check out! Thanks for sharing, Han 😊

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It’s such an impressive site even if you’re not in to GoT, and well worth it just for the views and history! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  12. I remember the Viking Cruise tour guide telling how Strasbourg changed hands back and forth so many times: It’s French, it’s German, it’s French again, but it doesn’t hold a candle to Klis. What a rich (if violent) history! Thanks for the tour.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. So many places are like that in Europe, it’s hard to keep up isn’t it. Even the term ‘French’ for example, hasn’t always meant the same thing because France wasn’t a unified country so it could have been a specific douchy or area like Burgundy or Anjou they mean, rather than ‘French’. It’s so confusing.

      Liked by 1 person

  13. This looks like a fun day trip from Split regardless of whether you’re a Game of Thrones fan. The views are spectacular.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It was really beautiful, the views were incredible. I’ll never understand how they built these places!

      Liked by 1 person

  14. I haven’t watched the Game of Thrones tv show, neverthless I would love to visit and explore the beautiful Klis Fortress to take in the absolute best view of Split, the Adriatic Sea and neighboring islands. Thanks for sharing. Aiva xx

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It’s another stunning place on Croatia with some really epic views. A very special site to visit 🙂 Thanks as always for reading Aiva xx

      Liked by 1 person

      1. It really is! I am slowly catching up on your blog posts. Somehow they don’t appear in my WordPress Reader anymore – there better not be some algorithm nonsense like on other social media platforms. Take care, sweetheart xx

        Liked by 1 person

  15. ThingsHelenLoves

    This place is amazing, if walls could talk hey? I’m one of those people who has never seen GoT but with a move to Northern Ireland coming up later this year think I might have to see what it’s all about. Suspect I’m a bit late to the party on that one, as per usual!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I know, they would for sure have some incredible stories to tell! Ooo NI will be amazing, it’s long been on my list and I can’t wait to see your posts about it 🙂

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  16. We’ve never watched Game of Thrones, but I wouldn’t mind visiting Klis Fortress — it’s beautiful! And you’re right, the views from the Fortress are stunning.

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  17. I’m not into GoT, but I’d visit this anyway just for the history and the views. Obviously I know there is a lot of old architecture in Europe, but it really sunk in the way you phrased it… the number of people who have lived in the area and stood taking in those same views.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It’s crazy I think in Europe the layers of history still on show. That a building still stands that’s seen over 1,000 years, been owned by multiple different countries (some of which no longer exist) and so many different peoples is amazing. You can learn so much visiting them, and every time I look in to the history of somewhere I leave with more questions to ask than answers. Thanks for reading Diana 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  18. Yes, there’s nothing like the enduring, timeless and longstanding nature of many of Europe’s monuments to force us to face the brevity of life and put our time on Earth into perspective. I wrote about something similar in a recent blog post of my own on travels in Bordeaux. Great minds think alike, I guess! And I’d love to visit the Klis fortress. I’ve seen it from the highway many times (I have relatives in Makarska) but have never been.

    Liked by 1 person

  19. I’m not a fan of the show, but visited Split before there was a show! Glad to learn about this, it looks fascinating.

    Liked by 1 person

  20. Anonymous

    That looks like a lovely place, and it has a very interesting history too! I knew there were many Game of Thrones filming locations in Croatia but I didn’t know about that one! I would absolutely go when I go to Split (one day…)! Thanks for sharing!

    Liked by 1 person

  21. Filming tourism is actually increasing a lot.

    Enjoyed this blog a lot. Thank you for sharing this! 🙌🏻💯

    Liked by 1 person

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About the author

Hi! My name is Hannah, I’m a travel blogger from the UK who fits travel around a full time (and full on) job. In this blog I share my adventures around the world and hopefully help you to find some inspiration for destinations, things to do or places to stay. Thanks for stopping by – stay safe and happy travelling.

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