Meet Omiš

THE TOWN WHERE RIVER, CANYON AND SEA MEET

One of the most beautiful highways in the world follows from the coast one of the most beautiful seas and passes through numerous Croatian towns and cities, from Istria to southern Dalmatia. Enchanted by the beauty of the Adriatic Sea and the rush to get from one destination to another, through some places you just ‘fly’.

Omis may not be one of those places, but visitors who decide to get to know it a little better, are almost always surprised by its uniqueness. As a tourist guide, I have heard countless times a sentence like “we had no idea that Omis is so interesting”.

What makes Omis special? First of all, it is its diversity, in the historical-geographical, and then in the natural and gastronomic sense. All of mentioned above has produced many stories that this town keeps in its streets and is ready to tell them proudly to anyone who wants to listen. I highly recommend you to be curious 🙂

LOCATION: Central Dalmatia, almost halfway between the cities of Split and Makarska overlooking the island of Brac

MY EXPERIENCES – WHAT I VISITED, DID AND TASTED IN OMIS

Food: Soparnik, Black Risotto, a tiny bit of Frog

Sightseeing Omiš with tourist guide

Fortresses Mirabela and Fortica

Cetina River Canyon Tour

Town Museum Omis and Permanent Exhibition of Festival of Dalmatian Klapa Omiš

Town Beaches

Wine of the Omis vineyards

Whitewater rafting

Panoramic Motorcycle Ride in Inland Omis

The Cetina River Cruise

The Cetina River Canyon

CHECK OUT OMIŠ FUN FACTS, BLASTS FROM THE PAST, THINGS I HAVE LEARNED AND I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU

UNIQUE POSITION – I will never forget my first visit to Omis. In addition to the blue sea and emerald green river, at the first encounter, I was most stunned by the hills. Omiška Dinara, Komorjak, Babnjača and the mountain Mosor are the hills that surround this beautiful Dalmatian town. Several hundred meters high cliffs look so huge that the town at their foot looks like a tiny anthill. It was only later that I became aware of the beauty and the fact that Omis is located at the mouth of the beautiful karst river into the Adriatic Sea. At this place, the river Cetina made its way through the mountain range for who knows how long time and divided it into Omiška Dinara and Poljica Mountain.

BEACH DIVERSITY – There are not many places on our coast where you can choose between the river and sea beaches. In Omis, you can not only choose between these type of beaches but also whether you prefer a sandy, pebble or rocky beach. Practically, the main town beach is located in the town centre. Everything is at your fingertips, especially restaurants in case you get hungry. The town beach consists of a little coarser sand, and a series of sandy beaches continues for five kilometres in the direction of the neighbouring town of Dugi Rat. From the Omiš pier, in the direction of Makarska, everyone who does not like sand can choose one of the pebble beaches. You can find out more about Omis beaches in my second post here.

The Mirabela also called Peovica tower

PIRATE’S PAST – Thanks to the piracy that the people of Omis practised in the 12th and 13th centuries, Omis has a rather exciting and slightly different history from other towns on the coast. Although at first it sounds interesting and exciting, and to some repulsive, as something you shouldn’t really brag about, the story of Omis pirates is actually a story about people who defended their territory successfully for two centuries. As for the town and its inland, they also claimed the right to their territorial sea. At that time, this route was quite popular for sailing, and the people of Omis demanded the payment of a certain amount for unhindered passage (as we pay tolls today). Speaking of Omis pirates, it should be borne in mind that they lived in a time we call the Dark Ages today. So, they are guilty because, in addition to trade, fishing, agriculture, toll collection, they were also engaged in piracy. They were the most successful during the reign of dukes Kačić, Nikola, Malduk, Pribislav, Osor… At that time, the people of Omiš were extremely skilled sailors and shipbuilders. They had boats with special characteristics of a significant name, Omiš Arrows. Unlike other cities, in Omis, the boats were not kept in the port, but in the canyon of the river Cetina. At its mouth is still, though barely visible, Mostina – an underwater wall with a passage as wide as Omis people boats. For everyone else, it was an obstacle. Hundreds of years after their reign, the Mirabel Fortress and the tombstone of Duke Miroslav Kačić, which is kept in the Omiš Town Museum, testify their past.

The view on the Cetina river and Omiš

PHENOMENAL VIEWS – There are two forts in the city from which an incredible view can be seen. The nearest and oldest tower is Mirabela or Peovica. It is a Romanesque fortress of Omis pirates, probably built at the beginning of the 13th century at a height of 245 m above Omis. The second fort is called Fortica or the Old Town, and is located at the top of the Omiš Dinar and at a height of more than 300 m. Fortica is reached by hiking trails and can be reached from the centre of the town or the part of the town called Planovo, or the canyon. The Ferrata has been leading to the Fortica for the last few years, so you can climb it with the help of a cable. In addition to the Omis fortifications, on the left side of the river Cetina, on the way to the Inlanda Omis, ie the historical region of Poljica and the village of Gata, there is a statue of Mile Gojsalić made by Ivan Meštrović. View from that viewpoint, and then from the church of St. Jure on the hill Gradac in Gata offers a new angle view. All locations include a view of the Brac channel, the island of Brac and the canyon of the river Cetina.

FOOD, WINE AND CRAFT BEER – The gastronomy of the Omis area is diverse because it is associated with sea, river and continental dishes. As a latent vegetarian, I’m not inclined to experiment too much with meat dishes, especially not with seafood and others, sorry to write slimes :-). But to be in Omis and not be tempted to try at least a part of that gastronomic exotic is not only a sin but also nonsense. Some dishes, like black risotto made from cuttlefish, I tried just out of curiosity. And he was a jerk to me! Some dishes, like frog legs, I tried because I was brought before the finished act. What to do when the most famous Croatian food blogger Ribafish put a piece of frog leg meat under your nose? You open your mouth. Yes, I also tried squid, but only the part without the legs. I’m not really into shellfish either. I like to eat fish, my favourites are fried sardines, sea bass and grilled mole.

Omis has its own vineyards and it would be okay during a visit to Omis to start tasting local wine and then other wines from Dalmatia and Croatia. You may not have known that the Californian Zinfandel and the Italian Primitivo have their roots in Central Dalmatia. This variety has several names in Croatia such as Crljenak, Tribidrag, or Pribidrag as it is called in Omis.

The brewery from nearby Dugi Rat brews homemade beer with the names of Omis legends: Malduk and Mila and Apach according to a series of films about Winnetou for which some scenes were shot in the canyon of the river Cetina.

The Omis promenade

WALK THAT FOLLOWS THE RIVER TO THE SEA – The path of the promenade starts from the main street Fošala towards the city beach. Then it follows the beach and continues to the breakwater that literally passes between the river Cetina and the Adriatic Sea to the point where the river merges with the blue sea after more than a hundred kilometres of its course.

DALMATIAN KLAPA FESTIVAL – This festival has been traditionally held in Omis for more than 50 years. The story of organizing the first festival is another story of heartfelt Omis people and their enthusiasm, thanks to which we have the opportunity to enjoy the performances of klapas every year. The first official festival was held in 1967, while UNESCO included klapa singing on the list of intangible heritage in 2012. You can find out more about the festival at the exhibition with a permanent exhibition in Omis.

Radman Mills

CETINA, CANYON AND RADMAN’S MILLS – The source and mouth of the river Cetina are located in Dalmatia. It springs seven kilometres from Vrlika, at the foot of the Dinara mountain, and flows into Omis, breaking through the Omis Dinara, a hill located along the Adriatic Sea. It is approximately 105 km long and belongs to the Adriatic basin. Cetina actually has several springs, and the largest is Big Spring, also called Glavaš or Milaš Spring, more than 100 meters deep. Near the town of Trilj, Cetina leaves The field of Sinj and enters the canyon. The excursion sight Radman Mills is six kilometres upstream from Omiš. In the nineteenth century, on the site of today’s restaurant and picnic area, there were water mills, a gorgeous park with ancient and medieval stone fragments and a summer house of the Radman family.

OMIS RIVIERA – From Omiš to the town of Makarska in a narrow coastal area, right by the sea stretches 20 km long Omis Riviera. It consists of places where they once lived from fishing, while today, of course, tourism predominates. The Omis Riviera consists of the following places: Nemira, Stanići, Čelina, Lokva Rogoznica, Mimice, Marušići and Pisak. In addition to the beautiful beaches by the sea, I suggest that you go with a bottle of water to explore the ‘old villages’ of these places, located at the foot of the hill. In addition to good recreation, this walk will give you a view of the sea, the island of Brac and beyond. I would especially like to point out Mimice and the VIA ARTISTICA project. From the Mimica Gallery to the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Lokva Rogoznica, on the old Mimica road, the former Napoleonic road stretches a promenade with twenty beautiful sculptures.

A statue of St. Michael in the parish church

The little Omis shipyard

Things left to do next time: – As someone who has lived in Omis for many years, there is little left that I have not yet poked my nose into. This mainly applies to active-type excursions such as zip-line and canyoning.

OMIŠ IN A NUTSHELL

Food and drink Omis does not have a special dish to single out as a traditional. It includes dishes of the natural territory in which it is located, meaning a typical Dalmatian cuisine and also continental, which in addition to a love for fish, means a lot of love for meat. Restaurants in Omis are diverse, from modern and traditional restaurants to various fast-foods which offer sea and river fish, frogs, snails, grilled meat, meat baked under the baking lid, vegetables and meat boiled and spiced with olive oil, but also burgers and pizzas. Everyone can find something to their liking.

Cultural Heritage Sights in Omiš The Church of St. Peter from the 10th century on Priko part of the town, st. Spirit and Roko from the 16th century, the parish church of St. Michael from the 17th century with a bell tower from the 18th century, the church of St. Mary and Luke from the 17th century six Roman sarcophagi in the old Omis cemetery, a pillar of shame, the house of a happy man, the Shrine of St. Leopold Mandić in Zakucac, the coat of arms of Omiš from the 16th century which can be found at several locations in the city, the tower Turjun, monuments, the remains of the church of St. Euphemia from 5.-6. century in Brzet.

Excursions in Omiš: Outdoor activites If the titles for the offer of excursions were shared in terms of number and possibilities, Omis could be proclaimed king without false modesty. In the first place, of course, is the offer of excursions related to active tourism, so all lovers of this type of vacation in Omis can spend at least seven days cold and try rafting, kayaking river and sea, down the canyon by the waterfalls in Zadvarje, hiking, climbing, driving by bike, zipline, hiking, diving… For those for whom rest means an easy walk, they can opt for classic and thematic city tours related to culture, history and gastronomy or a boat ride on the river Cetina.

Accommodation Regarding the offer of accommodation in Omis, and given the narrow land belt on which it is located, Omis has a decent offer for overnight stays. From hotels to 4 *, villas with pools to hostels, private accommodation and camps.

GREETINGS FROM OMIŠ

Photo is emotion captured in time. See and feel the world you look at.

SURROUNDINGS OF THE TOWN. INLAND AND POLJICA.

Omis includes the area by the sea, the right and left sides of the river Cetina and the inland towards Split. A large part of the inland Omiš is a region that was once more than six centuries old Poljica principality, which covered about 250 km2. Poljica was an administrative area then, ruled by the self-government of the local people, which inherited its independence from the 13th century to the beginning of the 19th century. It consisted of 12 katuns, ie the main villages. It was a land of hard workers who cultivated every piece of fertile soil, small fields – fields scattered on the karst area of numerous scrapes, sinkholes and valleys… The region of Poljica is divided into Lower, Middle and Upper Poljica where various karst landscapes and beautiful stone villages intertwine. Poljica is most often associated with a centuries-old speciality – soparnik. More about it you can find in my article here. It is a fasting dish, consisting of chard and dough, and baked on the stove, directly under the grill. On the way from Omis to Gati, above the abyss of the canyon, he watches Meštrović’s statue of Mile Gojsalić, a heroine from Poljica from the 16th century who saved Poljica from the Ottomans with her wisdom and courage. You can find out all about Poljica in the Historical Museum in Gata.

The Historical Museum of Poljica

In addition to Poljica, there are other traditional villages within the city region, woven into the heart of the Omis Dinara hill on the left side of the river Cetina like Podašpilje, Svinišće and Kučiće.