Omiš i Kroatien - piraternas stad

The pirate town of Omiš in Croatia is located on the Adriatic Sea in Dalmatia, just south-east of Split. In the 13th and 14th centuries, the villagers of the medieval town were pirates, attacking merchant ships with fast boats that slipped into the Cetina River. Today, you can take more holiday-oriented trips on the river, including a visit to the Mirabella fortress.

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Omiš in Croatia

Omiš is a coastal town in the county of Dalmatia in southern Croatia. It is located in the Split-Dalmatia County on the Adriatic Sea and is home to around 15,000 people. The small town is surrounded by high, dramatic mountains and the river Cetina flows through the town, emptying into the sea just outside.

The pirate town of Omiš in Croatia

In the 13th and 14th centuries, pirates (Omiski gusari) ravaged Omiš. They used fast boats to attack merchant ships at the mouth of the river. After successful attacks, they retreated up the river Cetina with their fast and agile boats (Sagittae), where the merchant ships could not follow.

During this period, the Omiš pirates were the most feared on the entire Adriatic coast, and some trading republics made (expensive!) deals with the pirates to avoid being attacked.

Eventually, crusaders were sent to defeat the pirates. The first time they failed, but the second time they managed to stop the pirates and their rampage. Visit Fort Mirabella where we stand for our photo with a huge view of the pirate town of Omiš.

Camping Galeb in Omiš

When we arrived in Omiš with our motorhome, we went directly to the Kamp Galeb campsite, which is nicely located by the sea and within walking distance of the town. The ACSI discount applies to a large part of the campsite, which means that right now (September 2015) you pay 16 euros/day in the low season if you have an ACSI card.

When we drove into the campsite, we found a place next to a Norwegian. To make us "feel at home" he strolled over with a bottle of Norrlands Guld and a nubbe O.P. Andersson. But then ... can you get a better reception?

Svensk öl och svensk nubbe i Kroatien — Swedish beer and nubbe in Croatia

Sandy beaches in Omiš

Omiš also has something as unusual (in Croatia) as sandy beaches. When you stay at Kamp Galeb, you have a long fine sandy beach along the entire campsite. Fantastic! However, the water temperature can be a bit lower than elsewhere in Croatia because fresh and cool water from the river Cetina flows out and mixes with the sea water. These beaches can be found in Omiš:

Kamp Galeb Beach is a long sandy beach that runs along Kamp Galeb and also continues outside the campsite.
Velika plaza (main beach) is about 700 metres long and is located in the centre of the city.
Slavinj Beach and Brezet Beach are two small gravel beaches located just south of the centre.

Sandstranden på Camping Galeb i Omis — The sandy beach at Camping Galeb

Old Town

Today, Omiš is a popular tourist destination with lots of restaurants, open-air bars and cafés. It is cosy to stroll in the narrow alleys of the Old Town and perhaps slip into one of the small shops. For us, this included shopping for a dress.

Det är mysigt att strosa i Gamla stan och det finns massor av uteserveringar — The Old Town is a cosy place to stroll and there are plenty of outdoor seating areas.

At a restaurant in the old town

We were in a good mood and got a bit excited by the Saturday atmosphere in town - there were weddings and parties going on all around us. We decided to make the most of it and go out on the town. This city is insanely charming and we liked it immediately.

To celebrate our arrival in the pirate town of Omiš, we had dinner with a luxurious "fish platter". Most restaurants in the Old Town serve fish, meat and grilled food. If you want, you can also look for one of the restaurants along the river Cetina.

Peter och en "Fish platter" i Omis, Kroatien — Peter and a "Fish platter" in Omiš, Croatia - taken with a mobile phone camera.

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Mirabella Fortress and Starigrad Fortress

The Mirabella Fortress dates back to the 13th century and is located high in the mountains. You can get to the fort via stairs that start at the church of St Michael in the Old Town. You have to pay a small fee and there are quite a few steps, but it's definitely worth it. At the top you have a great view of the mountains, the Cetina River and the Adriatic Sea.

There is also another fort, called Starigrad (or Fortica). This fort dates from the 15th century and is located on top of a mountain behind the city centre.

Dramatiska Piratstaden Omis i Kroatien som piraterna använde för sina härjningar — The pirate town of Omiš in Croatia used by the pirates for their raids.

River Cetina

Rivers Cetina is a 100 kilometre long river, which has its source in Dinara, part of the Dinaric Apples, 385 metres above sea level. At the end, the river flows through Omiš and into the Adriatic Sea. In and around the river you can experience everything from rafting and canyoning to relaxing boat trips and hiking in the lush nature.

Boat trip on the river Cetina

We chose to try a quiet boat trip up the river. The boat trips are organised from the river mouth in Omiš and we had to pay 80 kunas (about 105 kr) per person. It's low season now, so probably a bit more expensive during high season.

After jumping on board, the boat slowly chugged up the river, in a small boat with about 20 other tourists. The river is surrounded by high mountains and the landscape is intensely green - very, very beautiful!

Båt för turer på floden Cetina — Boat for tours on the river Cetina

After about 45 minutes, we moored at a jetty, and here we had an hour to get back to the boat. We used the time to walk through the dense, green vegetation and follow the river further upstream. Others chose to have lunch at the large lunch restaurant strategically located at the jetty.

Vid floden Cetina i Kroatien — On the river Cetina in Croatia

Restaurang vid floden cetina — Restaurant on the river Cetina

More activities

If you're not satisfied with a quiet boat ride in nature, there are other activities that involve a greater influx of adrenaline. A little higher up the river, you can try rafting (difficulty level 1-2) and if you prefer to cross the over the river, you can try ziplining.

There are also opportunities in the area for hiking, climbing and cycling. canyoning. You can also try all kinds of water sports on the coast.

Zipline över floden Cetina i Kroatien — Zipline over the river Cetina in Croatia

Things to see and do near Omiš

Do you have time and opportunity to explore the area around Omiš? Then there is a lot to choose from. Here are suggestions for some nice and interesting excursions:

Facts about Omiš in Croatia

Country: Croatia
Landscape: Dalmatia
County: Split-Dalmatia County
Population: Around 15 000 (2011)
Name: Omiš (Onaeum in Latin and Almissa in Italian)

Things to see and do in Omiš, Croatia

Attractions: Mirabella Fort, Starigrad Fort and several churches (e.g. St Michael's Church) and an old monastery.
Activities: Boat trips, rafting, canyoning, zipline, climbing, hiking, diving, various water sports and more.
Events and festivals: During the summer, the Klapa Festival (a song festival in churches and squares) is organised, and the pirate town of Omiš hosts various pirate-related events.

Accommodation in Omiš in Croatia

Hotel: There are a small number of hotels in Omiš. Check for example Booking.com or Hotels.com.
Apartments: Many residents rent out rooms and apartments.
Camping: Kamp Galeb is located on a fine sandy beach, within walking distance of the town. The campsite has space for both camping vehicles and cabins for rent. Coordinates of the campsite: N 43° 26′ 28", E 16° 40′ 51".

restaurants in OMIŠ in Croatia

Restaurants in the Old Town - The Old Town is filled with cosy restaurants and outdoor cafes.
Restaurant Kramenko, Svinisce bb, serves seafood and Croatian and Mediterranean cuisine.
Radmanove Mlinice, Kanjon Rijeke Cetine, serves grilled and European and Mediterranean cuisine.
Restaurant Kastil Slanica is located along the Cetina River, about 4 kilometres from Omiš. The restaurant serves Croatian, European and Mediterranean cuisine.

Travelling to Omiš in Croatia

Flight: You can fly to Split, and in high season SAS flies directly from Stockholm Arlanda to Split. From Split to Omiš it takes about an hour by car, and there are also buses.
Car: It takes around 16 hours to drive to Omiš in Croatia from Rostock in Germany (1690 kilometres). You can drive through Germany, Austria and Slovenia to get down to Croatia.
Bus: There are local buses from, for example, Split. The buses run regularly and are not very expensive. There are also private minibuses.

READ MORE: Facts about Croatia - 30 things you (might) not have known

15 Comments

Add yours →

BP says:

I'm glad you're reporting on the pirate raids there. The town is completely to my taste, except for the pizza restaurant with the signs. Hope you find some delicious "hole in the wall" with local food.

PS. See that you are getting "long-haired;-) DS.

27 September 2015 - 18:07

Maria says:

How nice it looks there! 🙂

27 September 2015 - 19:07

s p i n d e l t j e j e n says:

Wow what a difference! We parked in the big car park by the bridge and it was crowded with cars and people at the beginning of the month 😀.
I'm glad you like it, I fell in love with it right away 😀.
Hugs C

27 September 2015 - 19:23

Ditte says:

I have visited Split, but not yet Omis. It seems to be a nice place with both cosy environments and restaurants. And that the food is good is a clear advantage.
Interesting to read about the pirates.
Fun with rafting, I would love to try that. And I can imagine that the snorkelling is bare even here as in other places in Croatia.
Glad you found a good campsite and within walking distance of the town and close to the beach. It looks great!

27 September 2015 - 19:42

Comment by post author

admin says:

BP, there are quite a few tourist places here, but not only pizza restaurants. Nice to hear that I'm "long-haired", haha 🙂 🙂.

Maria, a very nice place that we immediately liked! 🙂

Spider girl, wow, interesting to hear that there is such a big difference! Yes, it's starting to feel like it's the end of the high season... There's quite a lack of guests everywhere... Yes, we really like this city. Super nice!

Ditte, it really is a charming city! Have only eaten at one restaurant and the food was ok, but far from amazing (but we are quite critical and hard to please when it comes to food, I know). We will visit Split in a while!

27 September 2015 - 20:49

Anja says:

Breathtaking view in the first picture with "long-haired Helena" (which I saw that someone else also commented...)! Beautiful as I do not know what! Since I had a small guidebook with me to Croatia a couple of weeks ago, I just read about that coast you have travelled through and that you have now arrived at Croatia's only sandy beach. I see that the weather has improved as well - just good moss! Now you are not so far from Trogir, which I recommended, I see on the map. How is the German going? We only spoke German when we were in Croatia...

27 September 2015 - 20:50

Comment by post author

admin says:

Anja, haha, yes everything is relative (speaking of hair length) 😉 We will probably check out Trogir (thanks for the tips!), but it will probably take a little longer. We will meet friends in Split in a while and wait for them (and have some plans in the meantime of course). German? Is it good at it then? Eeeh... I studied French and Spanish at school, so no German here. But most people we meet speak English so it's no problem 🙂 .

27 September 2015 - 21:05

Lennart says:

Unusual sandy beach in Croatia!

28 September 2015 - 6:40

Marina says:

Oh, how lovely it looks! I love those cosy little narrow alleys and old neighbourhoods to stroll around in.

28 September 2015 - 8:46

Mr Steve says:

I like that town. It's a dramatically beautiful landscape that surrounds you.
Soon you'll have to start thinking about hairstyles again.
I wonder how fast the boats were in the 13th century.

28 September 2015 - 10:19

Ama de casa says:

Looks very nice! And the pirates that exist today are probably just trying to get rid of some stuff instead of robbing themselves... 🙂 🙂

Noticed - just like BP and Anja - that you are becoming very long-haired 😉.

28 September 2015 - 11:52

Comment by post author

admin says:

Lennart, we have heard that this is the only sandy beach in Croatia. I don't know if that's true, but it's certainly unusual.

Marina, what a lovely little town this is!

Steve, yes I know, it's almost time to think about hairstyles! 😉 Haha, well I don't know what they mean by "fast boats", but that was of course by the standards of the time 😉.

Ama de casa, nowadays you don't have to worry about pirates here (but there are other places in the world!) and haha, I know, very long-haired now 😉.

28 September 2015 - 12:36

Linnea Edmark says:

Omis seems to have everything I want on a holiday 🙂 Sea, mountains and stone, exciting history and alleys, perfect! Those pirate stories are always exciting 🙂 I can never help but try to imagine what it was like to live when it happened when you hear or read about such things. Exciting now but probably not as exciting then, Hua!
Greetings Linnea in Bavaria

29 September 2015 - 8:48

Shefik veliu says:

Hello my friends I read your blog and see that you have good weather have good we have had a good warm weather here but not like where you are.

29 September 2015 - 12:47

stripped says:

Exciting reading and beautiful pictures:-)

04 October 2015 - 18:04

Omiš in Croatia - City of Pirates

Omiš in Croatia

The pirate town of Omiš in Croatia

Camping Galeb in Omiš

Sandy beaches in Omiš

Old Town

At a restaurant in the old town

Mirabella Fortress and Starigrad Fortress

River Cetina

Boat trip on the river Cetina

More activities

Things to see and do near Omiš

Facts about Omiš in Croatia

Things to see and do in Omiš, Croatia

Accommodation in Omiš in Croatia

restaurants in OMIŠ in Croatia

Travelling to Omiš in Croatia

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15 Comments

BP says:

Maria says:

s p i n d e l t j e j e n says:

Ditte says:

admin says:

Anja says:

admin says:

Lennart says:

Marina says:

Mr Steve says:

Ama de casa says:

admin says:

Linnea Edmark says:

Shefik veliu says:

stripped says:

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