The impression every visitor has on seeing the mountains of Dalmatia is one of an immense, bare, rocky terrain, a true kingdom of karst the like of which is not often to be found. The Dalmatian mountains form part of the Dinaric mountain range, or Dinarides, forking off here into several parallel chains. The largest chain is made up of Ilica, Dinara, Troglav and Kamešnica, while Promina and Svilaja stretch across Dalmatinska Zagora. For mountaineering and excursions the most interesting and accessible is the seaside mountain chain: Kozjak, Mosor, Omiška Dinara and Biokovo.

Each of these massifs is a rich treasure-house of diverse morphological, speleological, climatic and natural phenomena, where great contrasts can be experienced at small distances. One special feature of these mountains in terms of tourism is their proximity to the sea, which makes it easy to combine swimming on lovely beaches and climbing to the top of a nearby mountain for unhindered views of the surrounding islands and hinterland.

MOSOR is the most popular massif in Dalmatia, rising from a broad plain like a lonely island. It stretches 25 kilometres from the Kliški Prijevoj pass along the Cetina River, whose canyon describes a semicircle around the massif. The starting point for an ascent of Mosor is the mountain village of Gornje Sitno, which is located 21 kilometres from Split. The destination for most excursions is the Umberto Girometta mountain lodge (900 m), which may be reached in one hour along marked trails.

The western part of Mosor extends from Klis to the Ljubljanski Prijevoj pass; the highest peaks here are Debelo Brdo, Plišivac and Kunjevod (1,077 m). This part of Mosor is quite popular due to its proximity to Split and good transport connections, as well as the Lugarnica mountain lodge (867 m) with its century-old tradition. In front of the lodge is a plateau with splendid views of Split, the islands and the Kozjak massif.

POLJICKA PLANINA This 14-kilometre-long mountain ridge between Mosor and the sea rises above the town of Omiš, dividing the areas of Srednja Poljica and Primorska Poljica. It is 500 metres high, with a pronounced crest and two slopes. The sea-facing slope is very popular among sport climbers, who have marked out more than a hundred attractive routes.

OMISKA DINARA is the natural continuation of Poljicka Planina in a south-easterly direction. These two rocky massifs are separated by the Cetina River, which has formed an outlet to the sea here. On the sea-facing side, a gentle climb from Omiš leads straight to the top. In the hinterland are the sheer rock walls of the Cetina River canyon, at the bottom of which is a trail leading to the Radmanove Mlinice restaurant. Excursion boats may be rented there for tours of this attractive canyon and beautiful river. On returning, you can visit the Radmanove Mlinice restaurant and sample unique regional specialties such as grilled eel and kruh ispod peke (bread baked in an oven dish). On the western side of the mountain are some hard-to-reach medieval ruins, below which, near Omiš, is the eye-catching Mirabela Fortress.

BIOKOVO Nowhere does the gigantic Dinaric mountain range come closer to the sea, and yet rise so high, as at Biokovo. Viewed from the shore, this imposing mass of rock creates a profound impression. The richness of this landscape, which begins with the blue sea and rises through the greenery

of the coastline to reach a thousand-metre-high stony ridge veiled by day in nuances ranging from grey to pink, and crowned by white peaks that jut into the starry sky, is one that surpasses all criteria of beauty. Yet however much amazement Biokovo causes, this fantastic massif is quite accessible. Its peaks may be reached along various trails, including an asphalt road leading to the highest peak, Sv. Jure (1,762 m).

The Biokovo Nature Park may be visited throughout the year, guaranteeing an unforgettable experience and innumerable impressions to be long remembered. The best way to reach the park is to follow the Adriatic Highway from Split to Makarska, then turn off at the road to Vrgorac. After six kilometres you will reach an entry gate with a reception area, where you can secure a map for better orientation on your visit.

KOZJAK The Kozjak massif has two different faces. It stretches from west to east for about 16 kilometres before reaching the Kliški Prijevoj pass. On the sea-facing side, it resembles a wall of rock rising above the coastline around Kaštela, while on the other side it appears as an undulating plateau. The most pronounced part of Kozjak’s relief is the rock face stretching along its entire length at a height of up to 250 metres, thus making it one of the longest in all of Croatia. From the edge of the plateau, above the rock face at a height of around 700 metres, there is a marvellous view of the sea and its islands, the seven Kaštela villages and the city of Split. Climbing from the sea, you pass through three different worlds: first, abundant Mediterranean vegetation with orchards, vineyards and fields; second, the steep limestone rock face; and third, the high plateau with its karst terrain. General accessibility, good transport connections, short climbs, easy orientation and well-marked trails make Kozjak an attractive excursion not only for mountaineers, but also for numerous sea-going tourists.

DINARA This imposing massif represents the natural borderline between Dalmatinska Zagora and Bosnia, dividing two different worlds - the Mediterranean and the continental - like an unbreachable barrier. This bulky mountain wall, 20 kilometres long and 10 kilometres wide, has played a very important, often even fateful role in Croatian history.

The name Dinara comprises three phenomena: the Dinara chain, the Dinara massif and Mt. Dinara itself (1,831 m), with the entire mountain chain consisting of Ilica, Dinara, Troglav and Kamešnica. Dinara also conceals the sources of Dalmatia’s two largest rivers, the Cetina and the Krka, which flow from opposite sides of the mountain. While on the Krka side the water gushes out into the huge Topoljski Buk waterfall, the largest in Croatia, on the Cetina side there is the entrance to the Gospodska Spilja cave, reaching a depth of no less than 2,980 metres.

Dinara’s most pronounced feature is the huge rock face on the south-western side, which rises up to its highest peak, Osljak (1,589 m), then drops evenly to Vrlicko Polje and the village of Kijevo. This massif offers fantastic possibilities for recreation, as well as discovering various natural phenomena, flora and fauna.

SVILAJA Like some great fold in the earth, Svilaja stretches from Sinjsko Polje to Petrovo Polje near Drniš, forming with the Kozjak massif a single whole divided by Lemeš Pass (860 m), through which runs the Vrlika - Drniš road. An ascent of Svilaja is possible from the road connecting Sinj, Vrlika, Drniš and MuÊ, while the way back leads toward Sinj. Svilaja is Dalmatia’s greenest massif, and is surrounded on all sides by villages, some of them as high as 800 metres above sea level. For this reason it is a very popular destination for excursions and mountaineering.

KAMESNICA The final massif in the Ilica - Dinara - Troglav - Kamesnica chain lies mainly in Bosnia, with its highest peak, Konj (1,856 m), located just 3 kilometres from the Croatian border. Extremely inaccessible, it abounds in springs, wells, pools and caves. It was once the source of life for inhabitants of the Cetina region. Thanks to the diversity of its flora, Kamesnica has lately been attracting botanists and natural scientists.