European Adventure 2025 | Split, Croatia | GCP by Nicole

Our next port was just a stone’s throw away in Split, Croatia.

We went on an excursion that took us up to Klis Fortress, which was originally built in the 2nd Century! It’s survived a lot of attacks and has been under the control of many different leaders. One of the longest wars lasted 25 years in the 1500s against the Turks, and it eventually fell to them. Klis Fortress is the main defense in Dalmatia.

The views from the top were amazing, and we had a great time exploring this fortress. It was also used recently for the filming of Games Of Thrones. There was so much to see on the grounds that you could easily spend a few hours there.

After we loaded back up, we went into the town of Sinj, which is right behind Klis Fortress.

Our first stop was the Alka of Sinj Museum, which is dedicated to the traditional equestrian tournament known as the Alka. This horse race has been happening every year for the past 300 years!

We then walked down the street to the Church of our Lady of Sinj, and we were lucky enough to sneak in before a baptism started to see the famous “Miraculous Madonna of Sinj” painting that’s there.

In the early 1700s, after the Turks lost control of Klis, they were determined to regain it and Vienna. It’s believed that around the 16th century, the Miraculous Madonna in Sinj arrived in their town. Before the Turks army of 60,000 men decided on the town of just 600 locals, they all prayed before this painting throughout the night. On the morning of August 15th, during the Feast of Assumption, the face of the Mother of God appeared in the sky. The Turks began to fall ill and couldn’t cross the Cetina River to Sinj. The locals believed that the Turkish attack was repulsed solely because of the intervention of the heavenly Mother. The Turks fled, never to return to Sinj. Now, the Church of Our Lady of Sinj houses this famous (and miraculous) painting. August 15th is their holiday where they thank the painting for saving them from the Turks. More information on the painting can be found here.

Next, we visited Stella Croatica, a beautiful botanical garden and maker of some of the finest olive oils. We sat outside under a terrace and were served charcuterie trays along with their olive oils to try. It was delicious! We then walked through the gardens and learned about their essential oils that they are now producing as well. It was so interesting to learn how they make olive oil.