After travelling in Croatia for a month, the Omis Fortress Hike still stands out as one of the best viewpoints in the country. From finding the proper trailheads (yes this can be confusing) to tips for making the hike the best it can be, here is a complete guide on how to hike the Omis Fortress Hike (aka the Starigrad Fortress) in Croatia.
The city of Omis is located about 30 mins outside of Split and is the perfect destination for adventure lovers. There is an abundance of activities to get your blood pumping, from zip lining 150 metres in the air, white water rafting, hiking and more. And one of the best things to do in Omis is hiking to the Starigrad Fortress hike. AKA the Omis Fortress hike.
The Starigrad Fortress was built in the 15th century to defend against Ottoman invaders. It is perched on the highest point directly above the town, reaching 262 metres high. As a result, the Omis Fortress hike provides the highest viewpoint over the city.
You’ll have great views of the striking mountains, the town below, and the ocean filled with nearby islands. The fort is also a great piece of history to explore. You can enter inside and climb up a unique set of stone steps to the top.
Before starting the hike, we experienced some confusion on where to go and which was the right place to start. By reading this post you won’t have to deal with any of the confusion that we did and will have everything you need to know before hiking to the Starigrad fortress. You’ll find information on where the trailheads are, which path is best to take and why, when to go (especially during high season), and what to expect.
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How to Hike the Omis Fortress Hike: Everything You Need to Know
Which Trail to Take on the Starigrad Fortress Hike
There are actually two different routes you can take to the Starigrad fortress. They are known as the easy and the hard trail. Now right away, I’m sure you’re thinking, why would I choose the hard path when theres an easy route available? Well I’ll give you some info on both and then I’ll tell you why.
The Hard Route
The hard route will take you about 45 minutes to reach the Starigrad Fortress. This is including time for a couple short stops and breaks. It is a steep trail and entirely uphill, with no flat or downhill sections whatsoever. There is a short “scramble” section near the top. If you are a quick hiker then you can even make it up in just 30 minutes.
The trailhead can be found behind the first parking lot you come across on the other side of the big tunnel in Omis. On google maps you can find it as “Nordroute zum Fort Starigrad“.
Don’t be confused by the “Starigrad Fortress Trailhead” that you will also find on Google Maps. This is not the trailhead. This is the start for the Mirabela Fortress hike, a completely different place. This was what confused us the most when we started out on our hike.
The Easy Route
The easy route is less steep than the hard route. It is still entirely uphill though. The trail is estimated to take about 1.5 hours to get up to the Starigrad Fortress, but most people complete it in an hour. There are amazing views of the city from this trail and it is a very enjoyable walk.
You can find access to the easy trail by following the signs for Starigrad fortress in the city. The trail starts with a walk through the city streets and along the road. After a short time, you will come across a dirt trail that winds its way uphill towards the fortress. The trail is not too steep and the terrain is not much of a challenge.
The Best Way to Do the Starigrad Fortress Hike
The best way to do the hike to and from the Omis fortress hike is to take the hard trail up and the easy route back down. It is considered the best for multiple reasons:
- Doing it this way, you’ll be protected by shade while hiking the uphill portion.
- You’ll get to do a round trip loop instead of hiking there and back on the same trail.
- It is really nice to get the hike up over with so you can enjoy the fortress and a leisurely stroll back down with the amazing views.
- Hiking down the steep trail can be hard on the knees.
The easy trail is estimated to take about 45 minutes going down. However, you can definitely do it quicker than this.
When to Hike to the Starigrad Fortress
If you are hiking during peak season then you’ll want to start on the trail early in the morning or late in the afternoon/evening for two reasons. For one, this is the best way to avoid any crowds. And most importantly, it is the best way to avoid the crazy summer heat. For such a physically demanding hike, the extreme heat is super draining. By starting early before the peak heat of the day or in the evening when the sun is starting to cool down, it’ll make a huge difference for your enjoyment of the hike.
We started the hike at 8:30am and thought it was a great time to start. There were very minimal people on the trails and at the fortress.
If you are visiting during off season, then you likely won’t come across these problems as much and can go anytime during the day.
What to Expect While Hiking to the Starigrad Fortress
Entrance Fee:
There is a small entrance fee to visit inside the fort. It is only 30 kuna each and you will need to pay with cash. There is a man who sits near the entrance inside the fortress grounds. When you pass by he will come to tell you the fee and take the payment. I have heard that he is not always there in the off season, but it is better to be prepared with cash just in case.
Sturdy Shoes:
This is not a hike where you can get away with flip flops or sandals. The hard route trail is quite rocky and steep so a sturdy pair of running shoes or hiking boots is highly recommended. Walking down the easy route, sturdy shoes will help with not losing your footing on the dusty dirt trail.
Be Prepared:
It is important to note that there is nowhere to buy water around the fortress. You will need to bring your own with you for the journey. And you will definitely need some with how steep the trail is and how hot it can get. There are also no bathrooms at the top either, so this is good to keep in mind before you leave for the hike.
How Long Will the Omis Fortress Hike Take All Together
If you decide to take the recommended route I mentioned above then you can expect approximately 45 minutes there and 45 minutes down for the hiking portion. As for how long you are likely to spend at the top, well that can be different for everybody. However, I will say that aside from some cool view points, the fortress itself does not have much to explore. We spent maybe half an hour to 45 minutes at the top and we were really taking our time.
Don’t Mistake the Mirabela Fortress for the Omis Fortress Hike
When we first arrived in Omis, we could see a fortress towering over the city. We were confused because it didn’t look as high up as we were expecting. Upon further research we realized that there are actually two fortresses and the Mirabela is on a much shorter hill that only takes about 15 minutes to walk to the top.
If you have the opportunity, I would definitely add the Mirabela fortress to your itinerary as well. It is really cool to explore and this fortress has views of the mountains that are next to the city centre. The views you’ll get from this fortress will be completely different than the ones you get from the Starigrad Fortress so it is definitely worth doing both. You also get to climb up a cool ladder to get to the top.
You can access the fortress by following clearly marked signs pointing towards it in the city. It is not hard to find, especially with it being pretty visible up above the city.
Final Thoughts on How to Hike the Omis Fortress Hike (AKA Starigrad Fortress):
The Omis Fortress hike to Starigrad Fortress is an absolute must when visiting Omis, Croatia. The trail is not particularly hard due to the shorter length and the views you get at the top are absolutely breathtaking. They were some of the best views I saw in the whole month I spent travelling around Croatia.
The trail is very easy to find and access if you know what you are looking for. With this guide, you have ALL the information to easily complete the hike to Starigrad Fortress with no confusion. I have included everything that I would have loved to read before completing the hike myself.
If you have any questions or things to add, please feel free to comment below! And hit that subscribe button to show some support.
Happy adventuring!
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Read More About Adventure Travel in Croatia
This hike looks super cool! Thanks for sharing, I will be sure to save this for my Croatia itinerary.
WOWOW how breathtaking this hike looks! Great tips now I must add this to my bucket list. Thanks for sharing
I love when hiking guides include hard and easy routes. This is so helpful when hiking with groups. Thank you!