February 24, 2019 - At the invitation of the I'Mamutzones de Samugheo - Ethnic Cultural Group, on February 16 and 17, members of the Carnival Association "Didi s Kamešnice” - Gljev participated in the carnival parties of Oristano and Samugheo in Sardinia.

As part of the carnival festivities, Inland Dalmatian Carnival Association "Didi s Kamešnice" - Gljev, presented the carnival customs of the villages below the Kamešnica mountain on two significant events in Sardinia.

The visit is the result of seven years of close collaboration between the Alka Knights Society and members of Sa Sartiglia from Oristano, who happily visit one another each year for the Sinj Alka and Sartiglia, one of the last Medieval games with knights and horses in the Mediterranean region. 

To further exchange traditions and cultural heritage, at the event "Aspettando la Sartiglia" in the city of Oristano, the carnival association "Didi s Kamešnice - Gljev" participated and presented a segment of Inland Dalmatia’s rich intangible cultural heritage of the carnival customs of the villages below the Kamešnica mountain, which are on the list of non-material cultural assets of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia.

The second presentation of the "Didi” was in front of 30,000 curious viewers at the 24th carnival "Su Carrasegare Antigu Samughes" in Samugheo, Province of Oristano, Sardinia.

The kind hosts organized a vibrant and exciting cultural and entertainment program including numerous carnival groups from all over Italy, and the performance of our ”Didi” did not leave anyone indifferent. 

This tour of the carnival association was a great way of promoting the rich tradition and customs of the City of Sinj and the Cetinje region while exchanging knowledge and possibilities for enriching the tourist offer. 

The visit to Sardinia, realized with the valuable support of the Ministry of Culture, the Split-Dalmatia County, the City of Sinj, the Tourist Board of the City of Sinj and Don Josip Dukić, is the basis for further cultural exchanges between Oristano and Samugheo on one side and Sinj and Gljev on the other.

To read more about Inland Dalmatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

The Inland Dalmatia or ‘Zagora’ part of Split-Dalmatia County takes up a small slice of the tourist cake in the region. With even more opportunities to be realized, year after year, tourism in this part of the county is growing, reports Slobodna Dalmacija on February 15, 2019. 

The Croatian Tourist Board even recognized this. Thus, the area that borders Vrgorac, the Imotski and Cetina region, Dugopolje and Klis were declared the most successful destination for rural tourism in Croatia in 2018. Just one year before, that same destination was in the final fight for this prestigious award.

Last year, Inland Dalmatia deservedly ruled regarding rural tourism in Croatia. And it remains a destination of unexplored beauty.

The leading Croatian tourism workers have long realized that the sea and the sun, which is in abundance along the Croatian coastline, is no longer sufficient for a more attractive tourism clientele.

Not far away, Croatia’s coastal neighbors are an example that you don't need a beach holiday when you can visit the country’s Tuscany. 

The Inland Dalmatia region of the Central Dalmatian County - which includes the towns of Sinj, Trilj, Imotski, Vrgorac and Vrlika, and the Dugopolje and Klis municipalities - abounds in the richness of historical and cultural heritage and still unexplored, almost virgin natural beauties such as karst fields surrounded by mountains, adorned with crystalline rivers and lakes. Tourist experts also keep this area for the adventurers who want to enjoy native cuisine.

In this area, the traditional heritage has been recognized in the world as valuable with protection through UNESCO, such as klapa singing, Inland Dalmatian folk dancing “kolo”, Inland Dalmatian folk singing “ojkanje”, Sinj Alka, and medieval tombstones.

The comparative advantages of Inland Dalmatia as a rural tourism destination is the distance of only half an hour by car from Split Airport and major coastal tourist destinations such as Split, Makarska, and Trogir.

All of Inland Dalmatia also boasts excellent road connections with the state roads and Dalmatia. Of the public tourist infrastructure, it is indeed worth mentioning the MEDPATHS trails. In Sinj, there are three cycling and two trekking trails with a total length of 145 kilometers.

Trilj has built one wine, five bicycle and two trekking trails with a total length of 126 kilometers, and in Vrlika, there are three cycling, four hiking and one pedestrian trail with an entire length of 131 kilometers. Particularly marked is the pilgrimage trail named Sinjska Staza in the length of 148 kilometers, connecting Solin, Sinj, Livno, Tomislavgrad, and Rama.

There are also camps, the thematic walking route of the Roman road, the walkway around the Blue and Red Lake with a viewpoint, and the new thematic trails around Peruća lake and in the areas of Dugopolje, Imotski, Klis, Sinj, Trilja, Vrgorac, and Vrlika.

Inland Dalmatia as a tourist destination still has modest accommodation capacities: 707 beds in six hotels, of which five boast 3 and one 4-stars, 11 beds in the only hostel, 32 camping spaces, 13 beds in two OPG, and in 360 private homes, 2261 tourist beds.

The growth is indicated by the fact that in 2017, compared to the previous year, the number of accommodation facilities increased by 60 percent and the number of beds by 37 percent.

In particular, the Imotski region already has more than 200-holiday houses with swimming pools whose occupancy is equal, and in some cases higher than hotel capacities along the coast and on the islands.

Through 2017, Inland Dalmatia recorded 84,100 tourist arrivals, which generated 204,973 overnight stays. Compared to the previous year, the number of arrivals increased by 61 percent and the number of overnight stays by 44 percent. Among foreign guests, Germans visit the most, followed by guests from Korea, Poland, and Spain. 

There are 54 restaurants, eight family farms and five wineries available to visitors in this part of the region. 

This is all great potential for tourism as a branch of business, and could even contribute to stopping the demographic downfall the area. Because if the trend of emigration continues, tourists will not have anywhere to visit. That is why the recognition of Inland Dalmatia as a leading destination for rural tourism in 2018 should also be understood as a demographic stimulus that is needed for this economically underdeveloped space.

Translated from Slobodna Dalmacija

To read more about Inland Dalmatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

February 12, 2019 - Sinj and the Cetina region have long been attentive to unique and interesting events, but their Carnival celebration certainly belongs to a separate category. 

This year, the Jubilee 5th Carnival will be held on March 2nd. Numerous Carnival (or ‘Mačkare) groups will have the opportunity to present themselves to the public in the same place - resulting in a lively, cheerful and noisy procession which speaks to a long and colourful tradition according to carefully and strictly established rules. The Carnival groups are the best connoisseurs and custodians of traditional customs in the region, and the fact that they are on the list of protected immaterial cultural goods of the Republic of Croatia is also testimony to their grandeur. 

Željko Zrnčić

In the villages of Gljev, Han, Obrovac Sinjski, Bajagić and Gala, the Carnival groups have a unique and original way of displaying ancient customs, complete with the sounds of bells and other accompanying rituals. In the municipality of Otok, each hamlet has its own Carnival group (Jelašce, Priblaće, Živinice, Gala, Ruda, Udovičići, and occasionally groups from Glavičica-Priblaće, Ovrlje and Koritā), while in the municipality of Trilj, you can find Carnival groups from the villages of Grab, Jabuka, Košute, Vedrine, Vrpolje, Čačvina and Velić. 

Nikola Belančić

The layout of the Carnival parade is based on traditional rules, irrespective of any changes, with only men allowed to participate. 

The most attractive and impressive part of the procession is the ‘didi’ (old men), who carry the fleece of sheep on their heads, standing tall at a height of up to 1.5 meters, with bells around their waist. They are dressed in old clothes with colorful fringes sewn on. The 'didi' symbolize the ritual battle of good spirits in winter, and chase them away by making noise and jumping.

The 'Didi' from Kamešnica will observe the customs and rich traditions beyond the borders of Croatia. Namely, on February 16 and 17, they will be guests of the 24th edition of the carnival "Su Carrasegare Antigu Samughesu" in the city of Samugheo, in the province of Oristano, Sardinia. This important visit is the result of seven-year of cooperation between the Alka Knights Society Sinj and the members of Sa Sartiglia from Oristano, who happily visit each other during the Alka celebration and Sartiglia, one of the last Medieval games of chivalry with knights and horses in Mediterranean area. With the valuable support of Don Josip Dukić, this opportunity was realized. 

Željko Zrnčić

An exceptionally valuable publication "Didi from Kamešnica” was promoted on January 31 in the Alka courtyard in Sinj. In the issue of the Croatian Photo Alliance - youth for youth - a visually appealing publication is the result of a series of photography collections for children and youth held from 2014 to 2018 in cooperation with the Carnival Association Didi from Kamešnica. With the promotion of the publication, the exhibition of photographs of the same name was opened, as well as an exhibition of Carnival masks by the elementary school students Ivan Mažuranić from Obrovac Sinjski. The main goal of familiarizing the children with the culture and customs has been completely fulfilled - and the heritage in the Cetina region lives through all generations.

Nikola Belančić

To read more about Inland Dalmatia, follow TCN'as dedicated page. 

February 11, 2019 - Inland Dalmatia is one of the fastest growing tourism areas in Croatia. Find out why in this new promo video.

Of all the tourism regions in Croatia, I have the biggest soft spot for inland Dalmatia, a magnificent region a short drive behind the mountains from Split and the Makarska Riviera. A region that has been largely ignored by tourists until the last few years. These days tourists are learning that Inland Dalmatia has a wealth of treasures which can be easily explored in a day trip (or longer) from the beach. 

My soft spot for inland Dalmatia stems from my first connections with the region. An invitation for lunch and tour of Sinj by the then Sinj Tourist Board director led to other invitations and the realisation that here was an absolute jewel that people needed to hear about. The local tourist board directors were all very supportive of an idea to connect all the potential into one English-language website, and the website Total Inland Dalmatia was born. It was the first time that any tourist board had supported any of the Total projects.

And it was truly a job to tell the world about. Some people were saying I was a great writer, full of fascinating stories. In truth, I was just telling people what was available to visit, often for the first time in English. There were other favourable factors too, such as HBO choosing Klis Fortress to be a key filming location for Game of Thrones, and the opening of the tunnel from the Makarska Riviera to the hinterland has revolutionised tourism in the region, particularly Imotksi, which has probably benefited most from all this positive change. 

What makes inland Dalmatia so special for me, apart from the friendliness of the people and lack of tourist crowds, is the sheer variety of things to see and do - nature, adventure tourism, heritage, tradition, food and wine. And can I mention nature again? There is SO much to see and do there, and the local tourist boards have worked hard in recent years to bring their various towns together to present one cohesive product. It is also a fabulous team building destination, as TCN writers found out a couple of years ago. 

And then a beautiful video from AS Media, uploaded this morning to the Trilj Tourist Board Facebook page, encapsulates much of the magic. 

To learn more about the inland Dalmatian region of Zagora, here are 25 things to know. An incredible region.

The City of Sinj was a sponsor of the Split Wedding Fair for the first time this year, which showed their initiative to promote the city as a romantic destination for wedding ceremonies, reports HRTurizam on February 9, 2019. 

The idea of the Split Wedding Fair is the development of a so-called “wedding destination", that is, a form of tourism that is evolving rapidly. With that in mind, the City of Sinj hopes to push itself as an ideal destination for couples to choose for their big day. 

This form of tourism would also promote small crafts and businesses whose goal is to strengthen their competitiveness in comparison to other cities in Dalmatia, and transform Sinj into an elegant destination for numerous weddings, explained the City on their official website. They even revealed a slogan: "Say yes in the City of Sinj!"

Sinj offers a beautiful park and promenade, the natural beauty of the Cetina, a luxury hotel, top restaurants, street weddings, numerous wedding halls, beauty salons, flower shops, jewelry, and catering, as well as stunning and romantic city views.

“We came up with the idea of creating a project that would bring together all the small crafts and companies involved in wedding themes and present them through online and offline channels to develop entrepreneurship in the city of Sinj. Thanks to many natural, cultural, historical and traditional riches, the entire city has the potential to become a stage for weddings,” said Marija Knežević Gusić, project author and owner of Angelus Communications, Public Relations and Marketing Agencies. 

"The emphasis is on foreign guests, but we must not ignore the local ones as well. Sinj is unique because on one street there are five wedding salons and halls, but they need to be raised to a higher level to attract foreign guests."

In addition to traditional weddings in churches, Sinj offers alternative and adventurous weddings. 

"Peruća Lake, the Cetina River, and the surrounding area are ideal places for adventurous weddings that include activities such as horseback riding and quads,” says Knežević Gusić. 

As for accommodations, a new five star hotel is being built in the center of Sinj within the historical palace. 

"There are also private luxury villas with larger capacities, and smaller family hotels. We do not currently have the capacity for large weddings, but that is why we are ideal for more intimate weddings with around thirty guests. As far as further promotion of this form of tourism is concerned, the plan is to cooperate with local and foreign agencies for wedding planning and tourist agencies that bring guests. We also plan to create a website where we will present the entire offer,” explains Knežević Gusić.

"I think this is a big step forward in the development of this part of Croatia because we think we have the potential and an excellent offer for various types of weddings. This has been recognized by the City of Sinj and the Tourist Board of Sinj, and we are moving forward with them in this project,” concluded Gusić.

To read more about Inland Dalmatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

February 8, 2019 - "Split-Dalmatia County, as well as Croatia, has a significant natural and socio-cultural basis for the development of rural tourism. However, this foundation is not used in the right way, and despite the enormous potential, rural tourism in our county and Croatia, compared to that in the seaside, occupies a relatively small share and is still not sufficiently developed," said Nataša Bušić from the Croatian Chamber of Commerce Split at the panel "Rural Tourism 365 Split-Dalmatia County”.

The Panel, which was part of the Adriatic Gastro Show held on February 8th, was organized by HGK ŽK Split to look into the situation of rural tourism, and the potential of which we have the opportunity to vigorously develop this significant and insufficiently developed segment of tourism that can significantly enrich the tourism offer and extend the season.

The Croatian Association for Tourism and Rural Development "Village Club" is actively working on the development and promotion of rural tourism in Croatia. "We are carrying out numerous education for OPGs, projects - from cultural routes to branding, and actions, such as the organization of the Suncokret Rural Tourism in Croatia, to develop rural tourism," said the president of the Association Dijana Katica.

The Tourist Board of Imota is the only tourist community in the area of Split-Dalmatia County, and its director, Luka Kolovrat, said that the last few years achieved excellent results, i.e., an increase in the number of accommodation facilities and the number of overnight stays. 

"Several factors have led to this positive change and growth - the transport infrastructure and the tunnel of Sv. Illija is a great wind on our backs, and there is a prevailing trend for family homes, the pace of renters themselves, the emergence of several strong tourist agencies, media promotion and various incentives,” says Kolovrat.

The destination of Inland Dalmatia, which was declared the most successful destination of rural tourism in 2018, was presented by the director of the Sinj Tourist Board, Monika Vrgoč. 

“From year to year, we note the growth in the number of accommodation facilities. Between 2016 and 2017 the number of newly opened accommodation facilities increased by 60% and from 2017 - 2018, 40%,” Vrgoč said

The LAG Adrion, whose activities were presented by LAG manager, Ivanka Ribičić, is an aid to agricultural holdings when applying for projects. An excellent example of rural tourism development is Winery Matković, one of the LAG members. Domagoj Matković, the owner of the winery Matković, who has been operating since 1998, opened a wine tasting booth last year, which has already resulted in significant business results.

The first-hand experience in working with tourists, trends and demand was shared by Ivana Kapić from the Nova Sol Split Travel Agency. 

“Along with beds and a pool, today's guests in rural areas need to be offered additional facilities such as children's playgrounds, wine cellars and the like,” Kapić said.

Rural tourism in Split-Dalmatia County has shown growth in recent years, but overall, it is still at a low level. For its development, the critical cooperation of all institutions, the creation of a destination and a genuine tourist product, and the learning of those who have already done so, concluded the panel.

To read more about Inland Dalmatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

In a global quest for new cycling destinations, the world-renowned road cycling magazine Cyclist was thrilled with the scenes of the Makarska Riviera and the climb to Sv. Jure, the highest point on Biokovo mountain. 

For this reason, Cyclist featured the experience of climbing Sv. Jure and the enchanting landscape of the Makarska Riviera in the prime section of their upcoming edition - and Croatia's stunning scenes even got a shot on the cover, reports Dalmacija Danas on January 25, 2019. 

The Cyclist magazine team visited Dalmatia in September 2018 and cycled 136 kilometers through Imotski – Kamenmost – Zmijavci – Runovići – Slivno – Zagvozd – Rašćane – Gornje Igrane – Biokovo Sveti Jure – Makarska. Editor-in-chief Peter Muir was part of the team to travel the extremely demanding route, which is best explained by the fact that the total altitude difference rises to 3100 meters.

The article in Cyclist magazine will be released in February this year and is perfectly timed to when cyclists begin to plan their travel for the upcoming spring season and summer of 2019. The spread comes out to a total of 16 pages in the most attractive part of the magazine. The headline reads “Flying High in Croatia", while the article itself is titled "Slaying the Beast".

In the editorial column at the beginning of the release, called "Ed's Letter," editor Peter Muir marks the rise to Sv. Jure as a "Must Do”, and the climb to Sv. Jure is considered one of the best articles ever published in the journal.

Cyclist magazine has a tremendous impact on the global cycling community. Its influence is undeniable, and it is said to be the world's largest cycling "decision maker" and "trendsetter". Many readers around the world call it the “Cycling Bible”.

Apart from the cycling route itself, the article will present Makarska and the Imotski region as a perennial of Croatian cycling tourism, along with its accommodation and gastronomic offer. There is no doubt that after this article is released, the area should expect an increase in the number of international cyclists. 

Hloverka Novak Srzic, director of the Tourist Board of the City of Makarska, commented on the excellent promotion for Dalmacija Danas. 

“We are very pleased to appear in this ‘Cycling Bible’ that has a global impact with great ratings of top bicyclists. I cannot say anything but that I'm glad. This is the right time to present our destination on a global scale,” Novak Srzić said. 

Makarska certainly has huge outdoor potential. 

“Absolutely. What makes Makarska unique is the blend of the sea, the beach, and the mountains. You can be in the snow on Sv. Jure or smell the fresh mountain air in the summer, and on the same day, enjoy the Mediterranean climate in the beauty of our beaches. This is a great advantage to Makarska.” 

In December, Makarska had many more visitors than a year ago.

“True, 1,500 guests more. Hotel Park was open, last year we invested in Advent. We never had concerts like Željko Bebek and Mladen Grdović before. All the investments have come back. The numbers are the ones that speak best. Next year, Valamar will have a hotel that will be open all winter, and this will be an additional trump card for Makarska and added value to winter tourism.”

To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

January 14, 2019 - On the occasion of the Day of International Recognition of the Republic of Croatia, as part of the project "Meet Your Country", on Sunday, January 13, 2019, a free guided tour was successfully held in the city of Trilj.

The action was initiated by the Croatian Tourist Guides Association (ZDTVH) and supported by the Croatian Tourist Board. The Trilj Tourist Board, along with the Trilj Regional Museum, also joined the action. In all 56 participating cities in Croatia, free guided tours started at exactly the same hour - 12:00.

As part of the action, participants visited numerous cultural sights accompanied by the director of the Trilj Regional Museum Director Sanje Budić Leto. The tour of the Trilj’s natural beauties and cultural and historical heritage started from the Trilj Regional Museum from where, after exploring the museum, the group continued to the Tilurj Roman legionary camp and the church of Sv. Petra in the village of Gardun. 

After the tour of Gardun, the participants visited Vrpolje and the legacy of traditional architecture, the protected cultural heritage "Lokva" and the local medieval monuments that are located in the same area and are an integral part of the pedagogical path "Put bunara".

“We would like to thank all those who helped us realize this action, as well as all the participants who, despite the adverse weather conditions, came from various parts of Split-Dalmatia County," said Andriana Ivković, Director of the Trilj Tourist Board.

To learn more about Inland Dalmatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

January 14, 2019 - On the occasion of the Day of International Recognition of the Republic of Croatia, as part of the project "Meet Your Country", on Sunday, January 13, 2019, a free guided tour was successfully held in the city of Sinj.

The action was initiated by the Croatian Tourist Guides Association (ZDTVH) and supported by the Croatian Tourist Board. The Sinj Tourist Board, along with the Sinj - Osinium Association of Tourist Guides, also joined the action. In all 56 participating cities in Croatia, free guided tours started at exactly the same hour - 12:00.

As part of the action in Sinj, participants saw numerous city sights accompanied by tourist guide Ivana Vuleta. 

Dejan Poljak spoke about the significance of Gaja Laberija and gave all the participants a picture of him. At the Kamičak fortress, the group learned a lot of interesting facts about the numerous fortresses in the Cetina Krajina area and then continued to the Sinjska Alka Museum. The four-hour tour of the city ended with a visit to the Church of the Miraculous Lady of Sinj.

The Sinj Tourist Board thanks everyone who participated and assisted in the realization of this event!

To read more about Inland Dalmatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

January 11, 2019 - The results are in, and Vrlika tourism achieved a record year in 2018!

Namely, in 2018, 2,988 overnight stays were realized, which is 84% more than the previous year when there were 1,618 overnight stays. There were 721 arrivals in Vrlika, which is 83% more than in 2017 when there were 393 arrivals.

Most guests visited Vrlika from Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic, and guests stayed in the Vrlika area on average 4 days.

Particularly exciting is the fact that the share of foreign guests in Vrlika was 80%!

This year also expects to be even better than last year, as tourism numbers have only grown over the last four years in the Inland Dalmatian area. 

For more information about visiting Vrlika, visit the Vrlika Tourist Board official website. 

To read more about Inland Dalmatia, visit TCN's dedicated page.