Ključica trail

The largest medieval fortress in the Krka River basin, and the best preserved was Ključica, erected on the steep and uneven cliffs of the right bank of the Čikola River, about 2 kilometres upstream of its confluence with the Krka River. The story passed down from generation to generation is that this fortress was destroyed three times and rebuilt each time, and that its final destruction was following the ousting of the Turks from this area, thus sharing the fate of all the other fortresses along the Krka River. The masters of this fortress were the great Nelipić family, princes of Knin and Drniš.

The trail leading to the viewpoint of Ključic starts at the village Ključ, situated on the flat and rocky Miljevac plateau. Miljevci marks the peak of an isosceles triangle with sides of about 12 km that is made up by the canyons of the Krka and Čikola Rivers, and Mt. Promina. This region is made up of 7 villages and about 40 hamlets, and it is known for livestock keeping and the prized prosciutto and cheeses produced here.

Once you reach the viewpoint, it is difficult to comprehend that people once woke to this view every morning. Ključica stands at the very edge of the cliff. On the left is the narrow canyon of the Čikola River and the bluish waters flowing through the strait. On the right, towards the mouth and the Krka River, the canyon opens wide, with a wealth of vegetation of grasslands, shrublands and groups of poplar trees lining the river. From the bird’s eye perspective, from the shade of the small pergola, Ključica with all the vastness around it appears more like a castle. It is easy to imagine that even today, the widow Čika cries within, whose beautiful daughter Miljeva, according to the legend, was grabbed by a winged dragon on her wedding day and dragged to the bottom of Brljan Lake.