Winnetou Landscapes

Locations of the Karl May movies in Croatia

Landscapes from the locations of the Karl May movies from the 1960s in Croatia, where the American prairie was once located for a few years.

I photographed landscapes in Croatia, which were used as film locations in the famous german Karl May/Winnetou movies in the 1960’s.

The 11 movies based on the books by german writer Karl May around the character of Indian chief Winnetou and Old Shatterhand. They were Western movies, but the greater part of them were shot on locations in Croatia. The movies were quite successful in Germany in the 1960’s and are still successful on TV.

For many german Winnetou fans, these croatian landscapes rank today as dreamscapes. The landscapes were transformed in the movies into the american „Wild West“, although at that time Croatia was part of the communist Yugoslavia.

Today two places are national parks, but most places are still hard to find and unknown, some of these places are still polluted by the traces of war in former Yugoslavia by mine fields.

As a passionate landscape photographer, I was fascinated by the idea of this landscape study. I wanted to find out if these landscapes still have this magical attraction.

Krka National Park

The Skradinski buk waterfall served as a filming location for Winnetou 1, Old Shatterhand, Among Vultures and The Oil Prince.

Plitvice Lakes National Park

Lake Kaluderovac was a prominent filming location in the movie “Treasure on Silver Lake”.

Zrmanya Canyon

Above the river stood the Apache pueblo in the film. Filming location for many films such as Winnetou 1 (Apache Gold) and Winnetou 3 (The Desperado Trail) and Old Surehand (Flaming Frontier).

Tulove Grede Mountain at the Mali Alan Pass

At the top of the Mali Alan Pass in the Velebit Mountains stands the “Winnetou Mountain”. Some important scenes of the Karl May films were shot here. Filming location for Winnetou 1 and 3, Among Vultures and Old Surehand.
On my first visit, it was not possible to walk on the site because of mines. Even years after the Yugoslav war, one should only walk on the designated paths.

The two photographs below with the railway line were taken near Rastevice. A robbery on a train in the film “Old Surehand” was filmed there.

Platak mountain region

The Platak region served as prairie landscapes in many Karl May film adaptations. Filming location for films like Winnetou 1 (Apache Gold) and Winnetou 2 (Last of the Renegades), Unter Geiern (Among Vultures) and Old Surehand (Flaming Frontier).

Mali Alan Pass

This filming location is right next to the Tulove Grede mountain.

Waterfall Roski Slap

The “Veil Falls” are located in the Krka National Park and the films Winnetou 1 (Apache Gold) and Unter Geiern (Among Vultures) were filmed there.

Lukovo Sugarje

The coastal road along the Adriatic passes this filming location of “Winnetou II”. I took extra photos of a part of the road.

National Park Paklenica

The photographs below were taken in the Plitvice Lakes National Park. The cave above Lake Kaluderovac was featured in the film “The Treasure at Silver Lake”.