April 15, 2022 - The Easter holidays are approaching, the weather is getting warmer and more pleasant for outdoor trips, and the Vranjača cave in the Kotlenice settlement of the Dugopolje Municipality has opened its doors to visitors! 

This natural pearl of Inland Dalmatia is located in the central part of the Mosor mountain, on its northern side, only half an hour drive from the city of Split and only ten minutes away from Dugopolje, the highway exit to Split.

The cave consists of two parts, the first entrance without cave decorations and the second, full of stalactites and stalagmites, discovered in 1903.

Due to its uniqueness and rich cave pillars and arcades, Vranjača was declared a protected geomorphological monument of nature in 1963 and was first opened to tourists back in 1929, when electric lighting was introduced. The unique feature of the cave is the constant temperature of 15 degrees Celsius, which can be attributed to its depth of as much as 107 meters.

Organizing visits to the cave, protecting, and caring for the cave is done by the Punda family from Kotlenice. All visit lasts about an hour, and ticket prices are 50 kuna for adults and 25 kuna for children under 12 years. The cave is open every day from 10 am to 6 pm, and the last entrance to the cave is at 5 pm.

Along the county road Dugopolje-Kotlenice-Dolac Donji there is a tourist sign for the cave, and on the plateau above the cave, there is a parking lot and a rest area with benches and tables, making it a foolproof spring outing in nature. 

The natural pearl of the Mosor mountain is now open to visitors, so why not take advantage of this pleasant spring weather to dive into one of Croatia's most unique geomorphological natural monuments?

For more on travel to Croatia and Inland Dalmatia, check out our dedicated travel section.

May 3, 2021 - An ancient iron mine in Dugopolje has been discovered near the settlement of Kotlenice! 

At the foot of the Mali Mosor hill near the settlement of Kotlenice (Dugopolje municipality), there is an underground mine in which iron was mined during the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was likely mined for the needs of the Roman legion in Trilj's Tirulija, reports Dalmacija Danas.

Saša Sapa Stojanović

However, as the Romans forcibly occupied these areas, it is assumed that they took it from the Illyrians.

Saša Sapa Stojanović

The history of this mine is increased by three entrances and dozens of trenches. The lowest point of the mine is about 35 meters below ground level and branches almost a kilometer in all its directions.

"We urge you not to enter the mine without equipment or expert guidance due to the danger of getting lost or injured by the collapse of fragile material," says the author of the video "Ancient mine - secrets of the underground labyrinth in Kotelnice," Jurica Galić Juka.

Saša Sapa Stojanović

At the end of this instructive and interesting video, speleologists gave a great example of how to protect the heritage of their homeland. Namely, the truck tire thrown into the mine was taken to the surface and then deposited in a container.

For more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

June 6, 2020 - Good news for Inland Dalmatia - Vranjaca Cave is open again!

A gem of the Dalmatian hinterland since it first opened to the public in 1929, the Vranjaca Cave has officially reopened for all tourists, caving enthusiasts, and nature lovers to see. 

Just 30 minutes from Split and only 10 minutes away from Dugopolje by car, the easily accessible Vranjaca Cave is situated in the heart of Inland Dalmatia, in the village of Kotlenice.

The cave is located at the foot of the central part of the Mosor mountain, on its north-facing slope, and consists of two parts. The entrance has been known to locals since ancient times, while the other part was discovered in 1903 by Stipe Punda, the owner of the land where the cave is located. 

A small natural passage leads from the entrance chamber to a chamber composed of 9 smaller parts full of cave decorations in all shapes, sizes and colors. A specific feature of the cave is that its interior maintains a constant year-round temperature of about 15⁰C. Full of stalactites and stalagmites, pillars and arcades, Vranjaca is a true pearl of the karst landscape that was declared a protected geomorphological natural monument in 1963.

Check out a video of Vranjaca Cave by the Dugopolje Tourist Board below:

Today, the Punda family from Kotlenice manages the organization of visits to the Vranjaca cave and is responsible for all maintenance.

If you're interested in exploring this masterpiece of nature, contact Marko Punda at +385 (0)98 749 000. Ticket Prices for adults are  HRK 50.00, and children HRK 25.00. Vranjaca Cave is open throughout the year, from 9 am to 7 pm, and the last tour enters the cave one hour before the end of the opening hours!

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

February 7, 2020 - The Dalmatian trail league, a year-round mountain running competition consisting of a total of 11 races, will have its premiere this year in Dugopolje.

The Marjan Trail - Dugopolje edition is a mountain race in the northern and western parts of Mosor, which will be held on Saturday, February 8, in two categories: Let's Move (approx. 9.5 km) and Stronger Maniacs (approx. 24 km). There will also be a race for the dog lovers - Canicross (approx. 9 km). The race organizer is the Strka Trail and Trekking Club, and the sponsor of the race is the Dugopolje Tourist Board. The Secret Mosor Trail will introduce all its competitors to some exciting and unknown locations just twenty minutes by car from Split.

Let's Move about 9.5 km long

Starting point next to the Church of Our Lady at the bottom of the field in Dugopolje, from where the old Roman road runs along the west side of Mosor to the Kraljeva peć cave. After passing through the cave, through the settlements Balići-Džakići and Smodlaka, it descends into the field and along the small road through the hamlets Križani and Kutska strana, and continues to the finish in Kotlenice on the plateau above the Vranjača cave. The course is not physically demanding and is adapted for both recreationists and beginners. Parking will be provided next to the Vranjača Cave (where the finish is). Also, all participants will have organized transportation to the start as well as transportation from start to finish.

Stronger Maniacs, 23.3 km long

The race begins in the Majdan area (Solin). Through the Klis field, it rises to the old road above Mravinci and Kucin. The trail continues along the hiking trail above Žrnovnica, from where it rises to Debelo brdo, the westernmost tip of the Mosor. From Debelo Brdo, a marked hiking trail descends to the north side of Mosor towards Kraljeva pec and Balići-Dzakici. It then continues across the hamlet of Smodlaka and descends into the field and along the small road through the hamlets of Krizani and Kutska strana. The trail then proceeds to the finish in Kotlenice on the plateau above the Vranjača cave. The trail is for more advanced runners and requires better physical fitness. Parking will be provided next to the Vranjača cave (where the finish is). Also, all participants will have organized transportation to the start as well as transportation from start to finish.

Canicross (race with dogs), about 9 km

The track is identical to "Let's Move" except that competitors with dogs will not enter Kraljeva peć cave.

Schedule:

Start of the Let's move race (9.5 km): 10:45, next to the church of Our Lady at the bottom of the field (Dugopolje)

Start of the Stronger maniac race (24 km): 9:30, Majdan (Solin)

Start Canicross dog race: 10:15, next to the church of Our Lady of the Field (Dugopolje)

First place in all categories: 1:30 pm, on the plateau above Vranjača (Kotlenice)

The Vranjača Cave will be open to all visitors from 11 am to 3 pm.

Detailed information for all guests and competitors can be found on the Strka Trail and Trek Club Facebook page.

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

September 19, 2019 - The first-ever Dugopolje Beer Fest will take place this Saturday!

The month of September is special for residents of the Dugopolje municipality. It is the month in which they celebrate their patron saint, St. Michael, and the day of their municipality. 

This year, September is exceptionally vibrant thanks to various events, and one that is certainly attracting attention is the Dugopolje Beer Fest, which will be held on September 21 at 5 pm at the Homeland Thanksgiving Square, organized by the Association DAR.

"The very idea of organizing an event like this came about very spontaneously. Namely, the beer festival originally called Beer Fest is increasingly present in cities all over Croatia. This is supported by the fact that until ten years ago, there were three styles of beer and a dozen breweries, and today there are over seventy breweries in Croatia, and the styles are no longer counted. Also, Beer Fest is an event that entails good music, even better food, and as a product of that - a guaranteed top-notch party," said Ivan Čulin, a DAR volunteer.

The breweries presenting at the first Beer Fest in Dugopolje are Dragon Brewery, Crafter's Brewery, Medvedgrad Brewery, Barilo Brewery, Tap B Brewery, Sibenik Brewery, LAB Split Brewery, and Familia Craft Brewery. To further guarantee the ultimate entertainment, guests will be entertained by the bands Iluzija and Go Lilly, and stand-up comedian Josip Skiljo will be the presenter of the evening.

As for the food, visitors will have the opportunity to try homemade sausages, hot dogs, chili with meat, various salty pastries, and soparnik. Other associations from Dugopolje will assist in the preparation and serving of food, and in addition to the entertainment and fun, the Dugopolje Beer Fest will also care for the environment. 

Namely, as part of the EU project "Thinking Eco-logically", DAR has provided glasses and cutlery made from biodegradable materials, thus marking ecology and recycling throughout the evening. The event is sponsored by the Dugopolje Municipality and the Dugopolje Tourist Board.

To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

September 13, 2019 - The Municipality of Dugopolje has announced a program to celebrate the Municipality Day, which generally lasts for the whole of September, with an emphasis on the end of the month, i.e., September 29 and 30, when the feast of the patron saints, St. Michael and Jerome, is celebrated.

After a memorial football tournament was held last week, the sports program continues with a children's football cup organized by NK Dugopolje, a football tournament for veterans and a handball and basketball tournament for children and youth.

The cultural program has already hosted the 5th edition of the Literary Evenings ''Voice to the Word'' and an exhibition of academic painters of the Studio-21 Gallery, organized by the National Library in Dugopolje, but we can still look forward to the fourth Klapa meeting on September 28th. 

Regarding the religious program, on Saturday, September 14, the traditional Holy Mass will be held at the Chapel of Croatian Martyrs, in the Šatorak area on Mount Mosor, and on September 29 and 30, beginning at 10 am, the feasts of St. Michael and Jerome will be celebrated. 

The folk festivities for the Municipal Day on Sunday 29 September will be marked with a concert by singer Jole and a vibrant gastronomic program organized by associations from the Dugopolje area.

As for the new developments in comparison to previous years, on September 18, on the slopes of Mount Mosor, the second stage of the international mountain trail running race “Dalmatia Stage Run” will be held, and Saturday, September 21 is reserved for the EU project 'Thinking Ecologically' while marking a car-free day in Europe. The evening program continues with the Dugopolje Beer Fest, presenting small Croatian craft breweries with an accompanying gastronomy and music program.

August 26, 2019 - Dugopolje prosciutto producer Smjeli was named the best at the 6th International Prosciutto Festival in Drniš.

At the 6th International Prosciutto Festival in Drniš, which was held from August 23 and 24, the championship title was taken by Smjeli prosciutto from Dugopolje, the Croatian Chamber of Economy (HGK) announced on Saturday, pointing out that HRK 150 million has been invested in the production of prosciutto in five years.

The two-day International Prosciutto Festival brought together gastronomy enthusiasts in Inland Dalmatia and exhibitors from Croatia and the region.

"Although the current production of prosciutto does not even meet 50 percent of the needs of the domestic market, it is encouraged by the fact that over the past five years more than HRK 150 million has been invested in new prosciutto production plants," said HGK Vice President of Agriculture and Tourism Dragan Kovačević at the opening ceremony of the event on Friday in Drniš, reports N1.

Kovačević points out that prosciutto is the key to the Croatian tourism we strive for, and is an added value for guests with higher purchasing power. Namely, guests in Croatia are looking for an authentic experience and learning about lifestyles and traditions through the wine and gastronomy offer, and products with the protection of geographical origin can achieve twice the price on the market.

At the EU level, Croatia has as many as 21 traditional indigenous products protected by geographical indication or designation of origin, including four different Croatian prosciutto types from Istria, Krk, Drniš, and Dalmatia. 

“We believe that the prosciutto producers, especially the large ones, will better organize raw material production through the cooperative system, and that in the future we will meet the needs of our industry from our own pig breeding. Good raw materials, with standard production technology, is a key prerequisite for superior quality prosciutto,” Kovačević said.

The organizers of the 6th International Prosciutto Festival are the Tourist Board of Drniš with the City of Drniš, and the Association of Drniš Prosciutto Producers. 

The festival aims to encourage the production and promotion of indigenous and traditional products, handicrafts based on tradition and originality, other cultural and traditional content, and the development and promotion of the overall tourist offer of the town of Drniš with an emphasis on gastronomy. Namely, besides prosciutto, which was awarded over the weekend, producers of cheese, wine, honey, and other local products were presented at the Drniš festival.

The prosciutto festival is also an opportunity to get to know the natural and artistic beauty of the Drniš area, the Krka National Park, the Čikola Canyon, and the works of Ivan Meštrović, in addition to gastronomy.

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

July 24, 2019 - After the public bikes arrived in the city Split, the first municipality in Inland Dalmatia has received a public bicycle system. Two weeks ago, the municipality of Dugopolje announced a new system of public bicycles, a project co-financed by the Ministry of Tourism, which encourages the development of cycling tourism infrastructure in less developed tourist areas.

The public bicycle system allows users to rent classic city and electric bikes in two locations in Dugopolje - at Franjo Tudjman Square in front of the House of Culture and the parking lot in front of the Croatian Knights football stadium. Currently, four classic city bikes and four electric bikes are available to users, and bicycles can be borrowed and returned to any of these two locations. The Nextbike franchise system of public bicycles is the first and the largest of such a system in Croatia and neighboring countries, and Nextbike bikes are used in more than 250 cities around the world. Instructions for use, price lists, and other information are available at the bicycle stands and can also be found on the official Nextbike website. 

The Dugopolje Tourist Board hopes that these public bicycles will be of use to residents of Dugopolje, as well as to employees in the economic zone, and to local and foreign tourists who are increasingly visiting this part of the Dalmatian hinterland.

Note that the municipality of Dugopolje, with the co-financing of the Split-Dalmatia County and the Ministry of Tourism, has so far built three bike rest areas equipped with bicycle services, mobile chargers, and one even has free wireless Internet. The fourth rest area at Vranjača Cave in Kotlenica is underway.

April 16, 2019 - Over the last 15 years, the “First Steps" tournament has grown into one of the largest international football tournaments for youth in this part of Europe. This year's edition begins on April 17th and lasts until April 20th, and following the great interest of foreign clubs, there is a significantly larger number of participants in Dalmatia. 

Over four days, more than 2,000 young footballers will compete on fields in Split, Trogir, Klis and Dugopolje and play around 290 matches in five age groups, from U8 to U12, with a direct broadcast on Planet Sport.

"Apart from numerous Croatian clubs, led by HNK Hajduk, NK Osijek, NK Rijeka and GNK Dinamo, football giants including FC Bayern, AS Roma, FC Red Bull Salzburg, PSV, FC Perugia and many others from 10 countries around the world will play in the tournament. Everyone is from Europe, and there is one Australian club - the Melbourne Knights, a club that raised some of the greatest Australian and Croatian footballers,” said Franko Bogdan, President of NK Adriatic, a Split Club who is also organized the tournament.

Wednesday's first U-10 match will be the first official match on the new, redone Trogir stadium, where the hosts will face AS Roma’s ten-year-olds. Still, the strongest competition comes to the "Croatian Knights" stadium in Dugopolje, the most beautiful football pitch featured in the “First Steps" tournament. The Dugopolje stadium is reserved for the games of the U-12 category, where hosts Hajduk and Dinamo will face Bayern, PSV, Red Bull Salzburg and others. In Dugopolje on Saturday, at 16:30, the closing ceremony and award ceremony will be held.

The opening ceremony of the "First Steps" tournament, which will include a vibrant entertainment program, will be held on Wednesday at the Mall of Split at 18:30.

April 12, 2019 - Does your bike need repairs? Don’t fret - there’s a free bike repair workshop this Saturday in Dugopolje for all interested parties! 

Namely, on Saturday, 13 April from 10 am to 3 pm on the premises of DVD Dugopolje (Fire Station), the Tourist Board of the Dugopolje Municipality has organised the first spring bicycle workshop.

Volunteers from “Popke" will help you repair your bike to make it more functional and safer - and they’ll even pass on some of their knowledge of bicycle maintenance to you. 

The bicycle repair workshop concept aims to teach participants how to fix minor bicycle repairs independently. And don’t forget to bring the spare parts for your bike with you!