The view from the Klis fortress towards Split and the central Dalmatian islands is something special indeed.
The Klis fortress has recently been nominated as one of the best cultural attractions in Croatia. A short tour of the fortress shows that it was nominated for a good reason. The view from the Klis fortress toward Split and central Dalmatian islands is something special indeed, while numerous features within the fortress will make your visit a memorable one, reports Lokalni.hr on October 25, 2018.
There are still tourists in the fortress, although it is late October. Tickets are cheaper than in the summer, 40 kuna for adults and 20 kuna for children. In addition to the fortress, you can also visit the nearby botanical garden which is part of the Stella Croatica agro-park. Four years ago, the fortress was visited by only 12,000 people, while last year the number of visitors reached 48,000. It is expected that this year the number will grow further by an additional 50%.
Damir Žura is the president of the Klis Uskoci association, which organizes the Battle of Klis in the fortress, with about 300 members of historic units from all over Croatia. “The Uskoks are a living part of the fortress,” said Žura. “We work a lot with schools, students come from Croatia and abroad. Our main task is to revive the history since the Uskoks and national rulers times. Our interactive workshops are very popular,” explained Žura.
The Uskoks were irregular soldiers in Croatia that inhabited areas on the eastern Adriatic coast and surrounding territories during the Ottoman wars in Europe.
The modern Uskoks present the tour of the fortress, demonstrate sword skills, archery, and teach students. A part of the fortress presents various weapons, tools and costumes from the Middle Ages. Many of the children come for this very experience at the fortress featured as a filming location in the Game of Thrones. The bicycle race held recently was also called “Game of Thrones”, and many visitors want to take photos at locations they recognize from the popular TV series. The permission for filming was an excellent marketing move by the Klis authorities which turned the little town into a global hotspot.
A stone fragment was recently found in the fortress, mentioning the name of the until now unknown Croatian queen Domaslava. The history is presented with 3D projections and other interactive features.
Klis mayor Jakov Vetma, who is also the president of the Croatian Association of Historical Towns, has been invited to come to Paris and take part in an international conference on heritage as the starting point for international co-operation. Thanks to the revitalization of its heritage, Klis has become an important tourist destination, so its experience will be of interest.
Thanks to 2.6 million kuna received from the EU funds for special lighting, starting from next summer the Klis fortress will be visible from far away.
Translated from Lokalni.hr (reported by Slavica Vuković).
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