December 16, 2019 - Tourism in Klis is booming, and while the alter ego of its famous fortress as the Game of Thrones' Meereen has been one of the major factors, there are also other forces at work. A lesson in responsible tourism development.
I want to tell you a story, a story that I don't think has ever been told, and it is a nice one.
It is the story behind the story of one of the lesser-reported, but bigger success stories in Croatian tourism.
The story is about the rise of Klis, the small town whose majestic (and now globally famous) fortress overlooks the Dalmatian capital and guards entrance to inland Dalmatia, the very key to Dalmatia.
And while the arrival of hit HBO show Game of Thrones put the town on the map as Klis Fortress was transformed into the glorious city of Meereen, and all the tourism spin-offs that this entailed, there is another fascinating story which has contributed to the rise of Klis. This is the story I want to tell, in the form of a TCN timeline, for it is one that we have been inadvertently covering for more than five years.
We begin in May, 2014, my first to Klis Fortress. Seasons 4 and 5 of Game of Thrones were filmed in Klis the previous year, with the first episode of the fourth season, and the introduction of Meereen, shown on screens around the world just a month before my visit. Although I have still never watched an episode of Game of Thrones, I was happy to accept an invitation from innovative local tour agency, Vetus Itinera, to join their press trip on their first-ever boutique Game of Thrones tour. The guided tour took in different GoT filming locations - Diocletian's Palace, the quarry and mill at Zrnovnica - before culminating with a GoT banquet at Klis.
It was quite an evening, by lighted torch, and quite a welcome. Among the welcoming committee was Daenerys with her dragon, waiters in authentic costume serving wine from goblets, and an impressive array of local dignitaries, including the young and recently installed Mayor, Jakov Vetma.
I must confess that I was very impressed with his enthusiasm, obvious love of his town and vision of the future. He saw the tour as a welcome start to a new era in the fortunes of Klis, which he pointed out had been the first Croatian capital and the royal capital of the Trpimirovic dynasty back in the 9th century. And while he noted by the light from the torch lanterns that the fortress did not yet have a proper electrical system, for example, all that was about to change, as he and his team had a plan to restore Klis to some of its former glory. I made a mental note to follow and document the progress of Klis from that moment on, which we have done over the last five years, and now is the time to bring it all together into my little story.
I was back in Klis for my second visit just three months later, invited to witness the spectacular (and it really IS spectacular) reconstruction of the 1532 Battle of Klis, where the brave Uskok defenders battled the superior numbers of the Ottoman Turks. You can read my report on the night for a Canadian portal here, but what a fabulous evening and way to preserve and showcase the history and heritage of the destination. A battle that was every bit as gripping as Game of Thrones itself.
The Uskok tradition runs through the very veins of the town, ever more so today through the special Uskok Association. The name is derived from the word for a Christian refugee fleeing the Ottoman occupation of Croatia and Bosnia. and uskoks developed a special code of honour for fighting the Ottomans and protecting Christianity and its values. Today's uskoks add a touch of colour and authenticity to this already magnificent setting, and they appear in their traditional uniforms all over the country representing Klis - I recently saw them marching with the Alkari from Sinj and the Dubrovnik Trombunjeri at the Vukovar Remembrance Parade, for example.
The Uskok legends are everywhere. My favourite concerns the name of the parking place below the fortress, Mejdan, as Filip explains in the video 5 Fun Facts about Klis, above. A young Uskok, Milos Parizevic, was in love with a general's daughter, and to prove his love and win the girl, he took on the terrifying Ottoman, Bakota. An underdog in the duel, true love won the day, with our young Uskok hero first slicing the legs off his Ottoman opponent, then his head. He went on to marry the girl. In his honour, the candlesticks in the local church are the same height as him.
Helped, of course, by the popularity of Meereen, visitor numbers started to rise, as Tonci Glavina, then head of the Klis incubator (and now Deputy Minister of Tourism) noted in September 2016:
“With only 10,000 visits and ticket sales for the Klis fortress from three years ago, in 2016, we have grown with more than 30,000 visits. All of this motivates us to work even harder and to persist in the municipality of Klis, recognized as a new star of tourism in the skies of Dalmatia,” says Tonči Glavina, Director of Business Incubator Klis.
“In addition to the ancient Klis fortress, the Klis municipality 3 years ago did not have the tourism infrastructure, no tourist products, and had very few accommodation possibilities. The only tourist arrivals were daily guests for the Klis fortress, which totaled to around 10,000 a year,” states Glavina.
This year, more than 100,000 visitors visited Klis fortress, which is a 51 percent increase over the same period last year.
“We are investing a lot in the reconstruction of the fortress and in expanding products. Thereby we contribute not only to tourism and development of our community but the whole region. This year's ticket revenue is a record-high 5 million kuna, and part of these funds will be further invested in key infrastructure projects and demographic measures intended to improve the quality of life”, states Jakov Vetma.
And those visitor numbers grew, and grew, and grew. Not in a mass, overtourism way that is the case elsewhere on the coast, but from a very low base to an intelligently developed attraction with content, content, content.
And content for all the family. Klis, and several other locations inland, became my top recommendation for people wanting something a little bit different (here is what you can experience on a fascinating day trip inland starting from Split). Game of Thrones might be the draw for many, but keeping the kids entertained is also a priority. And in addition to the wonderful armoury museum, there is plenty of opportunity to sharpen your archery and sword-fighting skills under expert guidance.
In 2019, the brand new Interpretation center, the tourist attraction worth 1 million kuna, was opened. In the centre through the 3D hologram projections, visitors can learn about extremely rich historical and cultural heritage of the area. The project also includes possibility of 3D mapping on the exterior walls of the Interpretation center, which provides attractive visual content.
Game of Thrones might be getting all the headlines, but this impressive groundwork of infrastructure and content was giving the future of Klis foundations as solid as the fortress itself. A city in the hills just outside the city. A new panoramic webcam so that people could enjoy 'the most beautiful view in Dalmatia.'
Thanks to EU funds, the fortress is currently undergoing the final works on the installation of special lighting, a project worth 2.8 million kuna, and the appearance of the fortification complex will be enhanced after the reconstruction of the two devastated buildings within the fort and the installation of a summer stage. The total value of the aforementioned works is 5.5 million kuna.
I checked my timeline from that first torchlit meeting with Mayor Vetma - 3.75 years.
And they say that things go slowly in Dalmatia...
The national media started to notice. Klis has long been popular with locals from Split as an escape from the city. Easily reachable by bus and car, Klis is also a famed culinary spot, offering some of the best lamb in Dalmatia, and there are several restaurants close to the fortress. But something else ws happening as a result of the above (and other) proactive policies of the local administration. By August 2019, the media was reporting that Klis was an increasingly desirable place to live.
The Klis Municipality is recognised for its pro-natal policy, due to which Klis is being chosen by more and more young families with children. Of the only 58 cities and municipalities in Croatia that have a positive natural increase, Klis is one of them for the second year in a row. In order to continue this positive demographic trend, Klis is investing a range of resources directly into demographic measures. One of them was announced to help young families buy land for the construction of a family home on very favourable terms. Klis will thus be the first municipality in the Split-Dalmatia County to introduce such a measure.
With the allocation of over 3.5 million kuna, pre-school and school education for more than 500 children has been funded, and with 300 thousand kuna provided for student and student scholarships, the Municipality of Klis is further assisting 65 pupils and students. For the past two years, workbooks have been funded for all elementary students, while textbooks are provided by Split-Dalmatia County. By the beginning of the next preschool year, Klis will receive its first nursery.
The fortress may be the star attraction in Klis, but it is not the only one by any means. Another fantastic content addition has come in the form of Stella Croatica, the reason for my last visit, and a delightful family day trip for those wanting to learn more about Dalmatian nature, food and traditions - Stella Croatica.
Stella Croatica, which was crowned Croatian Rural Tourism Champion in 2018, is a multi-purpose complex offering many aspects of the traditional Dalmatian way of life. These include a Mediterranean garden with more than 500 herbs and plants; arboretum; olive and fig groves, vineyard and chef's garden; traditional Dalmatian tavern and original Dalmatian stone buildings around a village square; a factory producing traditional food products; exhibition and museum; and taste and buy option. Take a tour for yourself on the official website.
It is a really nice day out in its own right, with plenty of fun for the kids, as you can see in the video above. Combine it with all that is happening at the fortress these days, and no wonder those tourism numbers to Klis are on the rise.
Along with numerous tourism, economic and traffic predispositions, Klis is a central place of the Croatian past and the starting point of national history. Therefore, it is not surprising that mayor Jakov Vetma believes that Klis shouldn't be named a municipality, but a town. The Municipal Council and the Council of Split-Dalmatia County agree, and have even supported that petition.
“The city is made up of people, not buildings. And the important people throughout the history of our people who ruled, lived, and battled in Klis give us that right. It would also be easier to get European funding for future projects if Klis was considered a town, which would improve visibility, development and a better standard for the inhabitants”, concluded Vetma.
To follow the next chapter, follow the TCN news from Klis.
