March 29, 2025, 9:19 am | Read time: 3 minutes
The charming old town of Omiš on the Dalmatian coast has a romantic old town with wonderful panoramic views. But things used to be extremely gloomy here, as Omiš was once a stronghold for pirates. TRAVELBOOK reveals how you can still recognize this today and what there is to discover in Omiš.
Nestled on the Dalmatian coast of Croatia, Omiš stands out as one of the region’s most distinctive locales. Its history as a former pirate’s haven is almost palpable. Perched above the old town and the Adriatic Sea, the ruins of the Starigrad fortress loom majestically, reminiscent of a swallow’s nest, overseeing the confluence of the Cetina River.
Omiš (pronunciation: Ohmish) was once the base of bloodthirsty and greedy pirates who could even demand tolls from mighty Venice. Fed up with the piracy, merchants in 1444 decisively ousted the pirates from Omis and erected their own fortress to prevent future incursions.
Since Croatia became its own state, Omiš has been conquered for the second time, this time by vacationers. So, what makes this charming town so unique?
Old Town with a View
First of all, the town of Omiš looks like any other coastal town in Dalmatia between the port city of Split and Makarska: Mediterranean architecture, red roofs, and a few old churches and fortifications. Yet, its alleyways, lined with quaint grocery stores and eateries, are surprisingly more intimate, and the town’s position never lets one forget the historical significance of its seaside vistas.
The estuary has created one of the few sandy beaches in Croatia on the seaside of the peninsula on which the old town stands. There are more beaches to the west. In addition, the tourist offer has expanded considerably since the turn of the millennium.
The beaches bustle with a plethora of activities, not to mention the awe-inspiring gorge.
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Zipline Through the Cetina Gorge
The Cetina Gorge, which borders Omiš and overlooks the river of the same name, is impressive in itself. It gets really exciting when you fly through it on a zipline. Daredevils can cross the steep valley suspended high in the air on a rope several times over. Eight individual sections with a total of 2100 meters are covered. Before the exercise begins, there is a training session at a low altitude. Attentive staff are stationed at each end of the ropes to ensure safety. At the end, the minibus takes you back to the starting point in Omis.
Equally spectacular is the bridge that arches across the Cetina Gorge, linking two tunnels in a feat of engineering. As reported by the Kleine Zeitung newspaper, it was only opened last year after years of construction, various protests, and uncertainties. For the region, it is now part of an important bypass and serves, among other things, to divert traffic away from Omiš.
Text contribution: Ulrich Lenhard