| Klis |
| Dalmatia |
 The town of KLIS grew up around a strategic mountain pass on the trade routes linking the coast with the hinterland of the Zagora. The steep rock pinnacle around which the modern town huddles was first fortified by the Romans before being taken over by the expanding medieval kingdom of the Croats; kings Mislay (835-45) and Trpimir (845-64) both based their courts here.
Klis remained in Hungaro-Croatian hands until the sixteenth century, when the Turks, already in command of Bosnia, began pushing towards the coast. Commanded by Captain Petar Krulić, who paid for the That staircase in Rijeka, Klis withstood sieges in 1526 and 1536, but finally succumbed to Ottoman attack in 1537, when attempts to relieve the citadel ended in farce. Badly drilled reinforcements sent by the Habsburgs fled in fear from the Turks, and their attempts to re-board their boats in Solin bay caused many vessels to sink. Kruzi6 himself - who had left the fortress to make contact with the hapless reinforcements - was captured and executed: the sight of his head on a stick was too much for Klis's remaining defenders, who gave up the fortress in return for safe passage north, where they resumed the struggle from the security of Senj.The present-day town straggles up the hillside beneath the fortress and is divided into three parts: Klis-Varog, on the main road below the fortress; KlisGrlo, at the top of the hill where the Drniš and Sinj roads part company; and Klis-Megdan, off to one side, where you'll find the main gate to the site (June-Sept daily 9am-7pm; Oct-May Sat-Sun 9am-5pm).The fortress (tvrdava) is a remarkably complete structure, with three long, rectangular defensive lines surrounding a central strongpoint, the Polozaj maggiore ("Grand Position", a mixed Croatian-Italian term dating from the time when Leonardo Foscolo captured the fortress for the Venetians in 1648), at its eastern, highest end.You can't see inside many of the buildings apart for one dusty old stone chapel, but there are lots of grassy bastions to scramble around on and impressive views of the coast, with the marching tower blocks and busy arterial roads of suburban Split sprawling across the plain below, and the islands of Solta and Brac in the distance. Driving to Klis, take the old road which heads inland from Solin (rather than the new dual carriageway which skirts Mis to the east), go through the tunnel that separates Klis-Varog from Klis-Grlo, and turn left when you see the sign for the tvrdava. Buses #34 and #36 go from Split to Klis-Megdan, but they're relatively infrequent, so it may be better to catch any Sinj bus, get off opposite the Castel cafe in Klis-Varog, and walk up the hill via a network of steep zigzagging alleyways (15min). There's an enthusiastic tourist office behind the Belfast cafe, on the square just below the fortress entrance, but staff shortages ensure that it's only sporadically open in summer. Klis is famous for the three restaurants by the road junction in Klis-Grlo selling spit-roast lamb (janjetina na raznju), each of which advertises its wares by having a carcass or two slowly revolving over open fires by the roadside. Portions are priced by the kilogram and are invariably served with spring onion (kapulica). |
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