Page 136 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Croatia

134  CRO A TIA AREA B Y AREA

churches in Dalmatia. It has
a single nave, a dome, and
remains from the early Christian
period incorporated into
the walls.
Environs
The Cetina Valley Nature
Park, immediately behind
Omiš, shelters a river which
flows into the artificial lake of
Peruča. The river runs out of the
lake and parallel to the coast
for some distance and then,
near Zadvarje, abruptly turns
and cascades down before
flowing into a narrow gorge.
Boating on the river in the Cetina Valley Nature Park This beautiful natural
environment, with its myriad
s Omiš One is the Renaissance Church bird species, can be explored
of St Michael (Sv. Mihovil) with on foot or by bicycle, but the
Map D5. * 6,000. @ (021) 864 210.
4 (021) 861 025. n Trg kneza a pointed bell tower, originally most popular way to see it is
Miroslava bb, (021) 861 350. a defensive structure. Inside is a to take one of the many boats
_ Festival klapa (Jul). ∑ visitomis.hr 16th-century wooden altar, a through the park.
large 13th-century wooden
In the late Middle Ages Omiš cross and two paintings by
was known as the residence of Matteo Ingoli of Ravenna d Makarska
the terrifying corsairs who (1587–1631). At the end of Map E5. * 14,000. @ Ulica Ante
fought fiercely against the main road is the 16th- Star čevića 30, (021) 612 333. 4 Obala
Venetian rule from the century Oratory of kralja Tomislava 1a, (021) 611 977.
12th century until the Holy Spirit (Sv. n Obala kralja Tomislava 16, (021)
1444, when the town Duh) with Descent 612 002. ∑ makarska-info.hr
fell to Venice. Today it of the Holy Spirit by
is a peaceful holiday Palma il Giovane The Makarska coast extends
resort with some (1544–1628). from Brela to Gradac and
light industry along However, the includes a long stretch of shore
the coast, and the most fascinating with lush vegetation sheltered
starting point for Church of St Peter in Priko, monument here by the Biokovo massif.
visits to the valley a district of Omiš is in Priko, on the Makarska, one of Dalmatia’s
of the River Cetina. oppo site bank most popular mainland resorts,
In July, the Dalmatinksa Klapa of the River Cetina. This is the lies within a bay sheltered by
festival attracts many visitors 10th-century Church of St Peter the peninsula of St Peter’s.
who come to hear Klapa, a (Sv. Petar), one of the most The town was the site of the
kind of plainsong traditional to appealing pre-Romanesque Roman Mucurum, which was
Dalmatia. It is still very popular,
even among the young.
Only a few traces of the
Roman municipium of
Onaeum remain but many
of the medieval defences built
by the counts of Kačić and Bribir
are still visible on a hill, once
the site of the Old Town, or Stari
grad. These consist of the walls
going down to the River Cetina
and also the ruins of a large
fort (Fortica) with its distinctive
high tower. From the fort, built
between the 16th and the 17th
centuries, there is a splendid
view of Omiš and the central
Dalmatian islands.
There are three interesting
religious buildings in the town. The Makarska coast, with white beaches and a mountainous backdrop
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp228–30 and pp240–45

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