Omiš – former pirate den – bisected by the Cetina River

Saturday, 26 April 2025 00:00
Written by Portal Editor

A geographical feature of the small town of Omiš is the imposing estuary of the Cetina River, which flows into the Adriatic Sea here.

This estuary separates the old town of Omiš from the new town of Omiš. However, a bridge over the estuary connects these two parts. With a historic centre worth seeing and a few sights, Omiš, apart from its own private beach area, also offers interesting perspectives on the old town, which can be easily explored on foot from the Kamp Galeb campsite.

From Solin to Omiš – a short journey

After a few days on the factory premises of Robi and his family in Solin, we are now heading to the small town of Omiš for a few days, where we have been in contact with the Kamp Galeb campsite for some time, which has also shown great interest in the Camper Route project.

The town of Omiš, known in Italian as Almissa, is located in southern Croatia and belongs to the province of Dalmatia.

Today, the town, which mainly relies on tourism, has around 15,000 inhabitants. Split is only 25 kilometres west.

A little history about Omiš is always helpful

The area around Omiš was relatively densely populated even in ancient times, long before Roman times, and probably also due to its proximity to Italy. During Roman times, there were already several smaller settlements in this area, of which Oneum lies within the boundaries of Omiš.

After the collapse of the Western Roman Empire and a brief Byzantine rule, the city fell into the hands of the Slavic Narentans. The first known prince of Omiš by name is Nikola Kačić in 1167.

During this period, Omiš was a pirate den. Along with Senj in the northern Adriatic, the city became a centre of piracy in the Adriatic, which posed a serious threat not only to Venetian maritime trade. At times, Venice had to pay very high tolls to buy free passage, and Ragusa also paid tribute.

A jewel of Omiš in many ways – the Cetina

On the Cetina, or rather, behind the rocks of the bay a little further up the Cetina, pirates could hide their fast ships and then defend the city for a long time, particularly from attacks by Venetian or Italian armies.

After that, various rulers quickly alternated until Venice succeeded in conquering the city in 1444. It retained control of Omiš until the end of the Venetian Republic.

During this time, the city acquired its current Dalmatian-Venetian appearance.

Leisure on the water – whitewater rafting is also on offer.

Today, the Cetina, which rises in the Dinaric Alps near the village of the same name, offers a wide range of recreational activities in addition to numerous water sports, from canoeing to rafting, all directly connected to the sea. Near Sinj, the Cetina River becomes a swamp, then, as it descends, it becomes a sometimes-turbulent river. We took advantage of the option to go on an extensive rafting tour, organized from Omiš, far up the Cetina River. Highly recommended.

We were also impressed by the zipline far above the Cetina, which crosses the river several times and provides a huge adrenaline rush; it's also our recommendation.

Climbers will also get their money's worth in Omiš, as there are numerous tour options available directly on site.

Cultural offerings should also not be left unmentioned.

The ancient Croatian church of Sveti Petar 'St. Peter' on the banks of the Cetina is of great cultural and regional importance.

The single-nave domed building from the 10th century is one of the most valuable architectural monuments from this period in Dalmatia.

Above the town are the ancient remains of the fortresses Mirabella (13th century) and Starigrad (15th century). We recommend not only hiking up to the ruins but also staying there, as the view down to Omis is simply stunning.

Just outside the town gates lies the territory of the former Republic of Poljica (15th–19th centuries); we have already published an article about this.

A more frequented beach area is located in a picturesque bay southeast of Omis between Nemira and Stanici, but the beach belonging to the campsite is also quite attractive. Due to the rock formations on the coast, the beach between Nemira and Stanici is divided into two halves. The larger sandy beach of the main bay is ideal for sunbathing and for an occasional cooling dip in the clear water.

Please read as well:

We follow the signs to the Heldrungen Water Castle

Amsterdam and the De Wallen district – attractive but special