Tradition&Heritage
Long before a film crew arrived with cameras and CGI dragons, the cliffs above the Makarska Riviera were already dragon country. Local folklore has echoed with the presence of these creatures for centuries, in the names carved into the mountain, the shrines built to the dragon slayer, and the heraldic symbols of medieval lords who ruled this coastline long before the tourist season existed.
The Riviera stretches from Brela in the north, through Baška Voda, Makarska, Tučepi, Podgora, Igrane, Živogošće, Drvenik, to Gradac in the south, and along every stretch of it, dragons have left their mark. Here are five places where myth and landscape collide.
1. The ultimate vantage point — Sveti Jure peak, Biokovo (1762 m)
Location: Sveti Jure (St. George) Peak, Mount Biokovo
Nearest towns: Makarska, Tučepi, Podgora
Naming the highest peak of Biokovo after Sveti Jure, St. George, the dragon slayer, was no accident. Local legend tells of a fearless soldier who faced a monstrous dragon terrorising an ancient city, demanding the sacrifice of its children. When the king’s own daughter was chosen as the next offering, St. George appeared, tamed the beast with his lance, and secured a legendary victory of light over darkness.
Today, the dragon slayer stands as a permanent watchman above the clouds. Local lore holds that every thunderclap rolling across the Biokovo summit is a celestial battle between the saint and the untamed spirit of the karst, a fight that has no final winner.
- Getting there: The summit is accessible via the Biokovo mountain road (the highest road in Croatia), entering the park from the Staza gate above Makarska. Also reachable on foot via demanding hiking trails from Tučepi and Podgora.
- Essential: Buy tickets online in advance through the Biokovo Nature Park website; entry is time-slotted and cannot be purchased at the gate.
- Weather warning: Storms move in quickly over the peak even when the coast is clear. Check the forecast and our tips on tackling Biokovo before setting out.
2. Shrines of the guardian — Honoring the dragon slayer
Key stops: Tučepi, Brela, Drvenik
In the eternal struggle between coastal communities and the raw forces of nature, the bura wind, the sea, the mountain, the dragon slayer became the Riviera’s ultimate guardian. Across the entire length of the coast, Sveti Jure watches over the fishing boats and village squares from stone shrines and hilltop churches.
You will find dedications to St. George in Tučepi (the Church of Sv. Jure), in Brela, and in Drvenik, three very different towns, but each quietly claiming the dragon slayer as their own protector.
- Worth combining: The hilltop churches are often integrated into the hiking routes above each town. For Tučepi, the Church of Sv. Jure is accessible on foot from the village centre. In Drvenik, the walk also passes the medieval Gradina Fortress.
3. Noble symbols — The dragon of Kačić Square, Makarska
Location: Kačić Square, Makarska town centre
Not all dragons on the Riviera were monsters to be slain. In Makarska, the dragon was a symbol of power, sovereignty, and maritime authority. For centuries, the noble Kačić family, the medieval lords who shaped the early identity of this coastline, displayed a dragon as the centrepiece of their coat of arms.
Carved into stone and worn on shields, the Kačić dragon embodied the strength of those who commanded the Adriatic Sea. Their legacy lives on in the heart of Makarska, a short walk from the waterfront promenade, surrounded by the same stone that their builders cut centuries ago.
- Best combined with: The Franciscan Monastery and Malacological Museum, both a short walk from Kačić Square, and the Saint Peter Peninsula, where the town’s Roman and Byzantine roots are still visible.
4. The exact Game of Thrones location — Dvori ruins, above Baška Voda
Location: Dvori ruins
Nearest towns: Baška Voda, Brela
Historical period: 17th-century Venetian–Ottoman frontier
In 2014, the Game of Thrones production team surveyed much of the Adriatic coast before settling on the ruins of Dvori, a 17th-century stone settlement above Baška Voda, as the backdrop for Season 4 scenes. The raw, sun-bleached karst, the scale of the ruined walls, and the dramatic mountain air gave the location an atmosphere CGI alone could not manufacture.
Standing at the ruins today, looking up at the Biokovo peaks, it is not difficult to imagine dragons breaking through the cloud. It is also only a short drive from Brela to the north, making it easy to combine with the hiking trails and pebble bays that both towns are known for.
- Getting there: The ruins are accessible on foot from Baška Voda via the colour-coded Green Trail. The route passes through Promajna and takes approximately 2–3 hours return.
- Tip: Dvori also features on the Red Route, which loops through Brela, making for a full day’s hike for those who want to explore the connection between the two towns.
5. From myth to living symbol — Greben and HRNK Zmaj
Location: Greben ridge, between Baška Voda and Topići
Long before any film crew arrived, the rocky ridge of Greben, between Baška Voda and the hillside hamlet of Topići, was the setting for a completely different kind of legend.
Local memory recalls a football match between the neighbouring villages of Topići and Bast that lasted three extraordinary days, ending with a score of 97:96. The endurance and fierce spirit of these people also live on in the name of the local club, HRNK Zmaj (Zmaj means Dragon), which carries the dragon as its symbol. It is a reminder that on the Riviera, dragons aren’t just mythological creatures or a borrowed television prop: it is the spirit of the place itself.
- Best combined with: The Red Route hiking trail from Baška Voda through Topići and down to Brela, which passes through Greben and the old stone hamlets of the area.
Plan your dragons trail
All five sites can be combined into a two-day itinerary based from Baška Voda or Makarska. Day one covers Dvori, Greben, and the Kačić Square, all manageable before lunch. Day two takes you up to Biokovo and Sveti Jure, with time for the St. George shrines in Tučepi or Drvenik on the way back down.
