Three exciting walks that will make you fall in love with the village of Kotišina near Makarska

Once a shepherdess, and today a milkmaid Mare from Kotišina will take you through her hamlet, a magical place. She will tell you interesting stories, some are instructive, touching, and some fun and scary. A small, magical and green village located at the foot of Biokovo, only two kilometres from Makarska, will tell you wonderful stories and awaken the explorer in you. 

If you like to live new experiences while walking in nature and get educated, then it is definitely time to visit Kotišina and choose one of the three thematic interpretive walks through which the shepherdess and milkmaid Mare will take you.

Kotišina is a place of inspiration

Visit to the heritage of Kotišina, ie the church of St. Anthony from the 17th century, the church of St. Martin from the 13th – 14th century, the Interpretation Center and the Biokovo Botanical Garden Kotišina will be spiced up by the milkmaid Mare. Milkmaid Mare, a Polish girl and a Makarska bride, a master of political science and a lover of Croatian history, is a licensed tourist guide and a certified Heritage Interpreter. Mare, real name Agata, the so-called storytelling works with a lot of love and passion, and most interestingly – costumed. As a “milkmaid Mare”, she delights with her appearance and is the best possible heritage promoter for the city of Makarska. On unusual tours, he tells stories about the Franciscans and former life in this area, about the world of plants as a perfect place for inspiration and about the history and tradition of the region. It will convey to you the messages of the custodians of heritage about the values of life of some ancient times

Treasure hunt

With this thematic walk, the milkmaid Mare tells historical curiosities, reveals the secrets of nature, culture and traditions of this area. Some of the facts that will introduce you are the stories about the character of Fr. Jure Radić, who laid the foundations for the Biokovo Botanical Garden Kotišina. Milkmaid Mare will introduce you to the “treasure” of the garden and learn to recognize medicinal herbs and their values in folk medicine. On this tour you will enjoy the intoxicating scents of wild plants of the Botanical Garden. The walk consists of a visit to the church of St. Anthony from the 17th century, fortress from the 17th century, the Interpretation Center and the Botanical Garden in Kotišina.

Church of St. Martin – shrouded in a veil of secrecy

Milkmaid Mare takes her visitors to the church of St. Martin by walking along the educational trail. The story of the mysterious life of a man who became a symbol of love, connects St. Martin with other parts of Croatia and Europe. It reveals the secrets of the spiritual life, folk traditions and the wonderful world of nature. Interpretation walks are certainly a wonderful way to discover the cultural, historical and natural heritage of this area, and in Makarska Agata is currently the only one who provides this experience.

All her programs have been prepared according to the Interpret Europe Heritage heritage interpretation method, and are based on scientific facts and historical literature, which Agata lovingly studies and continues to shape and pass on to her guests. Programs within this project take place in the authentic locations of the hamlet of Kotišina, and include the following facilities: the church of St. Anthony, church of st. Martin, Kaštel, Interpretation Center and Biokovo Botanical Garden Kotišina. The programs follow the theme of life in the hamlet of Kotišina, the comunity of the inhabitants, respect for tradition, understanding the context of the time, admiration for nature and respect for coexistence with it. The programs are ideal for younger or older children, groups and families. They are therefore adapted to all ages. They are available in Croatian, English and Polish. The programs are an author’s work and a real refreshment for the tourist offer in our country.

Thanks to the project “Revitalization of the cultural and historical heritage of the hamlet of Kotišina”, funded by the European Structural and Investment Funds,Kotišina has certainly become one of the favorite destinations for excursions.