Kaštela

Kaštela is a town in Croatia that showcases its history through 16 fortified castles with drawbridges. Seven settlements developed around the defensive fortresses - Sućurac, Gomilica, Kambelovac, Lukšić, Stari, Novi, and Štafilić, which eventually merged into the town of Kaštela. Don't miss the natural oasis of Mount Kozjak, which overlooks the Riviera of Kaštela. Here, you'll find the Biblical Garden adorned with plants mentioned in the Bible and sculptures such as Noah's Ark. On the slopes of Mount Kozjak, above Kaštel Novi, grows the indigenous grapevine called Kaštelanski crljenak, which is the ancestor of the well-known Californian Zinfandel variety.

The Riviera of Kaštela has a natural monument - a huge olive tree over 1,500 years old - located in Kaštel Štafilić, where the last castle, the unfinished Nehaj, is also situated. The horticultural monument, Vitturi Park, with its unique 18th-century garden architecture, adorns Kaštel Lukšić. Visitors will also enjoy the botanical garden, which features over 1,400 indigenous and exotic plants and even 45 different olive varieties. The most attractive summer event, the Kaštela Cultural Summer, includes exhibitions, theater performances, numerous concerts, folklore performances, sports competitions, and various festivities. This fun and cultural event takes place in all settlements of the Riviera of Kaštela.

The Evenings of Dalmatian Songs, which celebrate Dalmatian tradition and the best singing groups every summer, are held in Kaštel Kambelovac, a settlement with a unique example of a fortress built by peasants, not nobles. Romantic summer awaits visitors to Kaštel Lukšić, where they'll hear the story of the Kaštela Romeo and Juliet from the 17th century. Performances of the tragic love story of Miljenko and Dobrila are held in the settlement where Dobrila's former castle, Vitturi, was turned into the Museum of the Town of Kaštela.