We were originally going to visit the national forest and waterfalls, but the bus ride to and from would have been half the day. Instead, we decided to do another Game of Thrones tour, “Explore the Dragon’s Dungeon”.
After departing from the pier, we enjoyed a scenic drive to Klis, an ancient village strategically located on a mountain pass. The village is dominated by a fortress that sits atop a jagged crag with views of the sea on one side and mountains on the other.
In the “Game of Thrones” TV series, the fortress served as the location for the city of Meereen. Here, Daenerys Targaryen (the Mother of Dragons) freed the slaves in Season Four.
In real life, the fortress, whose history dates to the 7th century, has been occupied by numerous Croatian rulers. Despite its seemingly impenetrable appearance, the fortress has been overtaken repeatedly, by the likes of the Ottomans, Venetians, and Austrians.
After exploring the fortress, we returned to Split to visit the Diocletian Palace, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built in the beginning of the 4th century for Roman emperor Diocletian’s retirement, the palace is a sprawling complex of temples, cathedrals, and homes facing the sea.
Several scenes for “Game of Thrones” were shot here, most notably the ones where Daenerys’ dragons are chained in the dungeon.
