Skywalk and Interpretation Center Veliki Kaštel – new tourist attractions in Makarska
The coastal town of Makarska, located at the foot of the mountain Biokovo, is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Croatia. The reasons for this are kilometers of sandy and pebble beaches, clear blue sea, mountain Biokovo, Biokovo Nature Park, Botanical Garden Kotišina, Interpretation Center Veliki Kaštel…
Throughout history, Biokovo has protected the population of the coastal area from attacks from the sea, and provided protection from the invaders from the land from behind. Today, Biokovo is a popular picnic spot, full of endemic plant species and rich fauna, and you can explore it using marked hiking trails.
In the Biokovo Nature Park, visitors can enjoy a beautiful view from the lookout: the Trail, Skywalk, Štrbina, Vošac or St. Jure which is located on the highest peak of Biokovo.
You will be especially enchanted by the “Skywalk Biokovo” – a lookout in the shape of a horseshoe that extends beyond the cliffs with a glass surface for walking.
In the park itself, you can choose several educational trails for an easy walk, and along the way, with the help of information boards, you will learn something about the area where you are.
To get to know the flora and fauna of this area, visit the Biokovo Botanical Garden Kotišina.
Biokovo Botanical Garden Kotišina is located in the village of the same name, at the foot of the mountain Biokovo. It stretches over about 3.5 ha, and in part it is located within the boundaries of the Biokovo Nature Park and is designed as “Biokovo in miniature”. This is not a botanical garden in the classical sense, where each plant is introduced according to certain rules, but natural forms of vegetation with native flora are retained. In a small area there are a variety of habitats such as rocks, grindstones and high/steep rocks, arable land and the canyon Proslap with a waterfall that comes to life during heavy rains, and most of the year is dry. In the garden, which is protected as a monument of park architecture, about 250 plant species have been recorded, from typically Mediterranean to mountain, and in some parts exotic, agricultural and medicinal plants have been planted. Visitors can visit it on footpaths with educational boards, and the plants are marked with the name of the species family .
If you want to learn something about the history, way of life in this area and natural heritage, visit Kotišina.
Admire the impressive remains of the Veliki Kaštel, the best-preserved fortification on the Makarska coast, built in the 17th century during the Candian War. Today, the fortress houses the newly renovated Interpretation Center Veliki Kaštel. It has been renovated and equipped thanks to the project “Revitalization of cultural and historical heritage of the hamlet of Kotišina” which is funded by the European Structural and Investment Funds. The Interpretation Center is the central place for the interpretation and presentation of the cultural and natural heritage of Kotišina, through three themes of the exhibition: archaeological, ethnological and natural heritage.
Ethnological stories present the way and style of life of the population with special emphasis on the connection between the actions of man and nature. However, most of the center is dedicated to the natural heritage and the phenomenon of great plant diversity in the wider local area, especially the heritage of the Biokovo Botanical Garden Kotišina and the legacy of its founder, Fr. Jure Radić.
