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Autumn getaway: Visit a town in Hinterland surrounded by 9 lakes
October 24, 2025
Split is one of the few cities in the world that houses a Game of Thrones museum, where visitors can experience the series atmosphere firsthand
Dalmatia has recently become a must-vist destination for fans of the Game of Thrones series. Split in Croatia and its surroundings served as the backdrop for numerous scenes, from Diocletian’s Palace in Split to nearby forts, castles, and river sources.
In addition, Split is one of the few cities in the world that houses a Game of Thrones museum, where visitors can experience the series atmosphere firsthand. The museum features five themed rooms, each dedicated to a main character, displaying life-size replicas, costumes, dragons, and numerous other props from the filming, all set in the cold and dark atmosphere of the show.
In this article, we guide you through the most famous locations in Split and its surroundings, where you can experience the world of Game of Thrones in real life.
Split – Dragon scenes and the City of Meereen
Split, a city with over thousand-years of history and rich cultural heritage, has recently gained fame as a popular Game of Thrones filming location. Diocletian’s Palace, forming the heart of Split’s historic old town, served as the main backdrop for the mystical city of Meereen and scenes featuring Daenerys’ dragons. In the palace’s cellars, known in the series as the Dragon Cellars, key scenes were filmed where Daenerys kept her dragons. The cellars are dark and cool, allowing visitors to truly feel the series’ atmosphere as they walk through them.
Among the palace filming locations, the Vestibule stands out. This circular open hall, located directly above the cellars, is highly resonant due to its unique shape. You will recognize it from the scene depicting a battle between the Unsullied military unit and the Sons of the Harpy.
The narrow, stone-paved streets of the old town served as settings for numerous fight sequences and slave uprisings. Don’t miss Papalićeva Street, where the Kill the Masters scenes from Season 4 were filmed. In this street, slaves, alongside the Unsullied, rise against the city’s masters, and walking there, you can easily imagine yourself in the heart of these tense and dramatic moments.
One of the most photographed and visited spots in Diocletian’s Palace is the Golden Gate, which in the series serves as the main entrance to the city of Meereen. It looks truly impressive, but due to the crowds, try to visit early in the morning to capture it without tourists in your frame.
All areas within Diocletian’s Palace are open to the public, though there is an entrance fee for the cellars. For fans of the series, strolling through Split’s streets offers a unique experience, easily transporting your imagination to the mystical Meereen and the dramatic scenes that took place there.
Klis – City of Meeren
Just ten kilometers from Split, perched between the Mosor and Kozjak mountains, rises Klis Fortress, one of Croatia’s most important historical military fortifications. The fortress gained significant fame as a Game of Thrones filming location, representing the cityscape and walls of Meereen (with Diocletian’s Palace in Split portraying the city’s interior).
One of the most striking scenes featuring Klis Fortress shows Daenerys arriving with her army at the city gates of Meereen. From the fortress, visitors can enjoy breathtaking views of Split, the Dalmatian islands, and the Adriatic Sea. The best times to visit are early morning or late afternoon when the light is ideal for photography and the crowds are smaller.
Kaštela – Port of Braavos City
The small stone islet in Kaštela, home to the medieval Kaštilac fortress, came to life on screen as the port of Braavos in Season 4 of Game of Thrones. This 16th century medieval complex, originally a Benedictine monastery, is connected to the mainland by a picturesque stone bridge and gives visitors the feeling of stepping directly into the series’ world.
Arya Stark arrives here by boat, beginning her adventure and training with the Faceless Men. The harbor, with its ancient stone buildings, narrow alleys, and rustic fishing boats, perfectly captures the mystical, old-world atmosphere of Braavos, the most powerful of the Free Cities.
Žrnovnica – The River Scene with Missandei and the Duel Between Daario Naharis and City Champion Oznak zo Pahl
About a 10-minute drive from Split lies Žrnovnica, a peaceful, greenery-surrounded settlement known for its historic mills and crystal-clear river. The most famous is Antoničin Mlin, a watermill over 600 years old on the Žrnovnica River, where the scene of Missandei bathing in the river was filmed. The location is ideal for a day trip, with a scenic riverside promenade and a nearby restaurant offering local cuisine.
Nearby, the Žrnovnica quarry served as the backdrop for a dramatic Season 4 scene in which the Unsullied military unit fights for Daenerys, while Daario Naharis kills the city champion, Oznak zo Pahl. The contrast between the peaceful river and the rugged quarry perfectly illustrates the diverse landscapes that transformed Dalmatia into one of the most recognizable filming locations for the series.
