VISIT OMIŠ TOWN (CROATIA) WITH ME ! (PART 1)

Today I'll share a travel post about the stunning Omiš city with you. We visited Omiš  town a few months ago on our way back from Split. I've been meaning to put this post together ever since, but you know how it is. Travelogues take time to write  and I wanted to do this beautiful historical town justice. I have finally managed to find time this weekend, so now I'm very excited to give you  a digital tour of Omiš town. You know that I love blogging about Croatia. This is especially the case when it comes to the region I'm from- that is Dalmatia. I've repeatedly blogged about quite a few Dalmatian cities in the past. Now, Omiš is one of the most gorgeous Dalmatian cities for sure so I'm glad for this chance to present it to you.

 What makes Omiš so special? Is it the joining of the river Cetina that flows into the sea? Is it the meeting of the canyon with the sea? Is it the historical part of the town?  Is it the beaches and the sea, the panorama of the islands? Is it the mountains that surround the town? Perhaps it is the combination of these factors. It's not often that a city contains so much history. There's so much you can see and do in Omiš. If sports are your thing, then you should try rafting on river Cetina, hiking the canon and the mountains or some of the water sports available at Omiš beaches. If you are a history lover, then you can enjoy seeing the fortresses, the stone houses, palaces and churches. If you're into pirates, Omiš is simply a must visit place. For many years, Omiš was known for its pirates. Their light boats would escape into the canon of river Cetina where the larger boats couldn't follow them. Scroll down to learn more.

Danas ću s vama podijeliti putopisnu objavu o divnom Omišu. Prije nekoliko mjeseci posjetili smo grad Omiš na povratku iz Splita. Od tada sam namjeravala sastaviti ovaj post, ali znate kako je. Za pisanje putopisa je potrebno vrijeme i želio sam pošteno predstaviti ovaj prekrasni povijesni grad. Napokon sam uspjela pronaći vrijeme tijekom produženog vikenda, pa sam sada vrlo sretna što ću vam omogućiti digitalni obilazak grada Omiša. Znate da volim pisati o Hrvatskoj. To je posebno istina kada je u pitanju regija iz koje sam -a  to je Dalmacija. Više puta sam pisala o dalmatinskim gradovima u prošlosti. E sad, Omiš je zasigurno jedan od najljepših dalmatinskih gradova pa mi je drago zbog ove prilike da vam ga predstavim.

 Po čemu je Omiš tako poseban? Je li to spajanje rijeke Cetine koja se ulijeva u more? Je li to susret kanjona s morem? Je li to povijesni dio grada? Jesu li to plaže i more, panorama otoka? Jesu li planine koje okružuju grad? Možda je to kombinacija ovih čimbenika. Nije često da grad sadrži toliko povijesti. Toliko toga možete vidjeti i raditi u Omišu. Ako se bavite sportom, okušajte se u raftingu na rijeci Cetini, šetnji kanonom i planinarenju obližnjim planinama ili nekim od vodenih sportova dostupnih na omiškim plažama. Ako ste ljubitelj povijesti, onda možete uživati ​​u razgledanju tvrđava, kamenih kuća, palača i crkava. Ako volite gusare, Omiš je mjesto koje jednostavno morate posjetiti. Dugi niz godina Omiš je bio poznat po svojim gusarima. Njihovi laki čamci bježali bi u kanon rijeke Cetine gdje ih veći čamci nisu mogli pratiti. Nastavite čitati kako biste saznali više.

A quick glance at the page of CROATIAN ONLINE ENCYCLOPEDIA told me more about Omiš. I didn't know that a part of medieval walls (with city doors) was preserved in its original form. On the other hand, it is to be expected. Medieval urban architecture has been preserved pretty well in Dalmatian cities. I knew about the fortress Mirabela and Fortica that the encyclopedia mentions. I'll speak about them in more detail later on. What else does encyclopedia mention? Historical landmarks but also some newer information for example the accapella festival that has been active since the sixties. 

CITAT PREUZET SA STRANICA HRVATSKE ENCIKLOPEDIJE: 

"Omiš, grad i luka 21 km jugoistočno od Splita; 6387 st. (2011). Leži na ušću rijeke Cetine, podno Omiške Dinare. Sačuvan je dio srednjovjekovnih zidina s gradskim vratima, tvrđave Peovica (Mirabela) i Starigrad (Fortica). Župna crkva sv. Mihovila (XVII. st.) sa zvonikom, predromanička crkva sv. Petra na Priku (spominje se 1074), crkva Sv. Duha (kraj XVI. st.), franjevački samostan (XVIII. st., posjeduje bogatu zbirku umjetnina, arhiv i knjižnica) i crkva Gospe Karmelske (Gospa od Skalica) iz 1714. i dr. U gradu je očuvano nekoliko renesansnih i baroknih kuća; ističu se kasnobarokne palače obitelji Karalipović, Dražojević-Jelić i Benković. Na gradskome groblju nalazi se kapelica sv. Luke (1619), a pronađen je i nadgrobni natpis knezova iz roda Kačića (XIII. st.). Muzej (arheološka, kulturnopovijesna i etnografska zbirka), Ilirsko sjemenište iz XVIII. st. (komorno kazalište). Festival dalmatinskih klapa (od 1967). Tekstilna (trikotaža, rublje) i prehrambena (tjestenina) industrija; tiskarstvo. Turizam. Nedaleko od Omiša nalazi se hidroelektrana Zakučac. – Širi prostor današnjega grada bio je naseljen već u prapovijesno doba, a u antici ga je nastanjivalo ilirsko pleme Delmati. U rimsko se doba ondje razvilo naselje Oneum (Onaeum), o čem svjedoče ostatci kamene plastike i mnogobrojni epigrafski nalazi (I–III. st.). U ranome sr. vijeku naselje se nalazilo u sklopu Neretvanske kneževine, a pod sadašnjim se imenom prvi put spominje u XI. st. U XII. i XIII. st. Omiš je bio upravno središte Kačića, a potkraj XIII. st. došao je pod vlast Bribirskih. U XIV. i prvoj polovici XV. st. nad Omišem su naizmjence vladali bosanski vladari i moćni velikaši (Juraj Radivojević, Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić, Ivaniš Nelipčić, Stjepan Vukčić Kosača). Do uspostave mletačke vlasti (1444) Omiš je bio naselje predurbanoga tipa s kaštelom (romanička kula Peovica) i malim podgrađem. Tada se počeo planski širiti i utvrđivati, a zidine su pojačane ugaonim kulama te obrambenim jarkom. Na početku mletačke vladavine Omišem je upravljao kaštelan, a od 1570. providur. Zajedno s obližnjim utvrdama Starigrad (na Omiškoj Dinari) i Visuć (5 km Cetinom uzvodno) imao je važnu obrambenu ulogu u mletačko-turskim ratovima, izdržavši više snažnih osmanskih napada (1498., 1509., 1542., 1544). Za austrijske uprave u XIX. st. postao je administrativno, a nakon gradnje ceste Omiš–Kučiće–Zadvarje (1899) i veće prometno središte. Jači razvoj Omiša započeo je nakon izgradnje hidroelektrane Kraljevac (1912) i otvaranja više tvornica. Od početka XX. st. grad se počeo razvijati kao turističko središte."

Citiranje:

Omiš. Hrvatska enciklopedija, mrežno izdanje. Leksikografski zavod Miroslav Krleža, 2021. Pristupljeno 18. 4. 2022. <http://www.enciklopedija.hr/Natuknica.aspx?ID=45123>.

Nobody knows everything.  As much as I love history of my region, I'm not an expert on it. So, I try to include quotations from reputable sources in my blog posts. 

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OMIŠ CITY LANDMARKS (TAKEN FROM THE SITE VISIT OMIŠ):

MIRABELA

Just above the roofs of the old town, as a permanent reminder of the glorious pirate history, stands one of the most famous Omiš landmarks – the fortress of Mirabela. The old pirates of Omiš used Mirabela as a lookout over the Channel of Brač, so that rich merchant ships had no way of sailing along the coast of Omiš unnoticed. The fortress itself was built in the 13th century, and, interestingly enough, its age was in fact determined based on an old Byzantine coin that some visionary pirate had obviously thrown into its foundations, making it much easier for future generations to determine the age of this important fortress and  a long-standing witness of numerous wars and battles throughout the history in which it undoubtedly played a crucial role. But although over the centuries it had managed to resist all kinds of forces of man, not even Mirabela could measure up against a force of nature. During a heavy storm in 1988, the top of the fortress was struck by lightning and the medieval fort was almost completely destroyed. Luckily, dedicated restorers gathered and reused every last peace of stone in the long process of restoring the fortress back to its original form. Mirabela stands today as one of the most popular landmarks of Omiš, attracting tourists with its  accessibility and the one of a kind view  over the entire town offered from the top of the fortress. You can reach Mirabela by a set of stairs leading up to it directly from the entrance to the Parish Church of St Michael.....

FORTICA - If you are spending more than a day in Omiš, a short climb up to the Fortica fortress is something you should by no means miss. A well-marked path leading from the very centre of town will take even the ones not exactly in top form up to the fortress in less than an hour, and once there, you’ll be richly rewarded for  your efforts  by one of the most magnificent views in all of Dalmatia. Once you set foot onto the more than 500 years old fortress, you’ll understand in an instance why the medieval inhabitants of Omiš hauled the heavy stone blocks all the way up to the top of the mountain in the first place. The one of a kind view over the islands of Brač, Hvar and Šolta, the Cetina canyon and a good portion of Poljica offered from the top of the fortress will prove itself as reason enough for such labour. Fortica was, in fact, primarily used as a lookout, and whatever the direction the enemies approached from, the watch guards would be able to spot them early enough to warn the inhabitants of Omiš of danger. This is why precisely the Fortica fortress is said to be one of the most important reasons for the town of Omiš remaining unconquered throughout its entire history. Other than as a lookaout, the medieval inhabitants of Omiš also used Fortica as a place of refuge. In case of imminent danger the people of Omiš would flee their houses along the coast and seek refuge in Fortica, and there where even plans to send huge boulders crashing down onto the town from the mountain top if the enemies ever came too close. Fortunately, despite the many battles the pirates of Omiš engaged in, this plan was never carried out and the numerous houses, narrow alleys and squares of the old town of Omiš still stand today. *

SOURCE: https://www.visitomis.hr/en/cultural-and-historical-heritage 18.4. 2022

(As  I explained, I have quotes the historical information about this fortress from site mentioned above. I haven't visited it myself yet, but we have taken a lot of photographs of it during the years)

Photographs of the fortress taken by my husband Gordan Džidić during the summer season. 

JOŠ PODATAKA O GRADU OMIŠU (PREUZETO SA STRANICE VISIT OMIŠ)

MIRABELA

Kao trajni podsjetnik na slavnu gusarsku prošlost tik iznad starog dijela grada smjestila se utvrda Mirabela - jedna od najpoznatijih omiških znamenitosti. Stari gusari Mirabelu su koristili kao vidikovac s kojeg su nadgledali Brački kanal, tako da bogati trgovački brodovi kraj Omiša nikako nisu mogli proći neopaženo. Sama utvrda izgrađena je u 13. stoljeću, a posebno je zanimljivo da joj je starost utvrđena zahvaljujući starom bizantskom novčiću koji je neki vizionarski nastrojen gusar ubacio u njene temelje te na taj način budućim generacijama olakšao proces određivanja starosti ove važne tvrđave, koja je kroz povijest vidjela mnoge bitke i ratove te nebrojeno puta odigrala ključnu ulogu pri obrani grada od mletačkih kubura. No, iako je stoljećima uspješno odolijevala raznim ljudskim silama, čak se ni Mirabela nije mogla mjeriti sa silama prirode. Tijekom jaka nevremena 1988. godine u vrh utvrde udario je grom te je gotovo do temelja razrušio. Srećom, predani restauratori prikupili su sve do posljednjeg komadića tvrđave te je u dugom procesu restauracije vratili u izvorni oblik. Mirabela je danas jedan od najpoznatijih omiških simbola, a posebno je zanimljiva turistima zbog svoje pristupačnosti, ali i zbog jedinstvenog pogleda na čitav grad koji puca s vrha utvrde. 

FORTICA

Ako provodite više od jednog dana u Omišu ili okolici, kratki izlet na Forticu nešto je što si definitivno morate priuštiti. Iz centra grada dobro označenom stazom do Fortice čak i oni u lošijoj formi stići će za sat vremena, a za nagradu će dobiti jedan od najljepših pogleda u čitavoj Dalmaciji.
Čim stupite nogom u više od 500 godina staru utvrdu, shvatit ćete zašto su stari Omišani nosili teške kamene gromade na vrh planine. S Fortice se, naime, pruža jedinstven pogled na otoke Brač, Hvar i Šoltu, kanjon rijeke Cetine te dobar dio Poljica. Iz kojeg god smjera da su neprijatelji dolazili, stražari s Fortice uvijek su ih mogli uočiti dovoljno rano da upozore svoje sugrađane na opasnost te je upravo ova utvrda jedan od razloga zašto je Omiš ostao nepokoren u čitavoj svojoj povijesti.

Osim kao vidikovac, Fortica je starim gusarima služila i kao sklonište. U slučaju neposredne opasnosti, stari Omišani bi iz svojih kuća blizu obale pobjegli u sigurnost Fortice, a postojali su čak i planovi da se, ako se neprijatelji dovoljno približe, na grad s vrha planine sruče velike kamene gromade. Srećom, usprkos brojnim bitkama koje su gusari vodili, ovaj plan nikad nije proveden u djelo te su brojne omiške kuće, kale i trgovi ostali očuvani do danas. Postoji nekoliko putova kojima je moguće doći do Fortice. Najlakši i najčešće korišteni put nalazi se u istočnom dijelu grada. Od tvornice tjestenine Prerada vijugavom cestom penjite se uzbrdo sve dok s lijeve strane ne vidite znak s natpisom Fortica. *

IZVOR: https://www.visitomis.hr/hr/kulturna-i-povijesna-bastina, preuzeto 18.4.2022

MY PREVIOUS POSTS ABOUT OMIŠ CITY:

https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2014/02/omis-fotografijaphotography.html

https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2013/02/presenting-omis-moj-pogled-na-omis.html

STANKA ZOVKO OZZ LILAC POLKA DOT SET 

Ozz is a local brand founded and run by fashion designer Stanka Zovko.

If you want to see more outfits featuring items from this brand, you're welcome to check the links below. 

1. https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2022/02/fashion-illustration-friday-stanka.html

2. https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2021/09/farewell-to-summer-from-mostar-city.html

3. https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2021/09/book-review-and-recommendation.html

4. https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2021/12/goodbye-2021-welcome-year-2022.html

5. https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2022/04/ozz-students-fashion-show-under.html

6. https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2021/08/a-matching-tea-green-set-from-designer.html

7. https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2013/03/modna-revija-stanke-zovko-fashion-show.html

8. https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2021/11/mirko-kovac-grad-u-zrcalu-obiteljski.html

9. https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2021/12/5-december-outfits-mini-fashion-recap.html

10. https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2013/10/fashion-show-stanka-zovko-modna-revija.html

11. https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2021/08/a-book-review-blackberry-wine-by-joanne.html

12. https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2023/07/purple-in-split-city-croatia.html

13. https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2023/08/a-tale-of-love-and-darkness-novel-by.html

Thank you for visiting! Hvala na posjeti.