Birthday Week Exploration

We decided to go to the Fortress of Klis first. Klis overlooks the city of Split and we have been admiring it since we arrived in January. 

The Fortress of Klis had been a stronghold in the area since the ancient Illyrian tribe inhabited the area. In 9AD Romans annexed the area. The Romans' siege by Caesar Augustus during the Illyrian revolt cemented the fortress' fame for the Romans. On the road to Klis there is an inscription by Caesar Tibirius and to the Southeast of the Fortress there is a still visible Roman campsite. That is just the beginning of this amazing history of this site. It's served to protect the people of Dalmatia for millennia.  Klis had been a castle, a home of the Knights Templar, and helped fight off Mongols. The last military occupation of Klis was in WWII. You might also know Klis as the city of Mereen in Game of Thrones. 

Klis has been one of our favorite Croatian experiences so far. The views are some of the most beautiful vistas I've ever seen. We loved walking around the history, and when we went it was almost empty. Dogs are welcome and the McFluffington Pups enjoyed every minute of exploring the fortress. They played, and sniffed, and explored nooks and crannies. 

I wish the photos and videos we took could portray the amazingness of Klis, but I'm afraid the photos pale in comparison. 

Our second exploration was the historic town and harbor of Trogir. Trogir is on a small island between the mainland and the island of Čiovo. Like Diocletian's Palace, Trogir is an UNESCO recognized site. Trogir was founded in the 3rd Century BC by Greek colonists. In 1420 a four century rule by the Venetians began. In about 1650 an ancient Roman manuscript was found in Trogir, the longest surviving portion of the Satyricon. After WWI the Italian Croatians returned to Italy as the area joined what would become the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. In WWII it was annexed to Italy, and then was under German military supervision as the Independent State of Croatia. It was liberated in 1944 and was part of the second Yugoslavia until 1991.

The city includes churches, buildings, and The Dukes Palace from the 13th century, the city walls, The Fortress Kamerlengo, and palaces from the 15th century. And the city gates from the 17th century. 

Trogir is full of restaurants, cute shops, history, and tourists. It is a lovely town, and we plan on returning after tourist season is over so we can enjoy it without the crowd.

The McFluffington Pups also accompanied us on this adventure. Cirrus had missed two nights of dog park fun at this point and he was missing his friends, but they still enjoyed the city and the parks around it.