It’d be a shame to visit Dalmatia and not find out about some of the specialities that make it so unique but which you might not come across while browsing the internet or flicking through tourist brochures.
You may not think much of those ice cubes that make your cocktail so refreshing in midsummer heat but did you know that in the early days of tourism on the Makarska Riviera, ice was hand-harvested from caves hidden deep inside the Biokovo mountain range? Towering spectacularly above the coast, the mighty massif has hundreds of high-altitude caves, many of which hold eternal snow and ice due to year-round low temperatures.
Back in the day, long before freezers, local people used to descend into these deep caves at night to collect the ice using tree trunks as ladders. They would then wrap up the ice blocks with beech leaves and goat-hair fabric and load up donkeys and mules to transport the precious commodity down to the coastal hotels and their ice-eager guests.
How many highlights can fit into a 53-kilometre stretch of coastline that's only 3 kilometres wide? Way more than you'd think. Backed by the stunning Biokovo mountain on one end and the sparkling sea on the other, the majestic Makarska Riviera packs a punch with its soft-pebble beaches that consistently win 'best-of' awards, former fishing villages of storybook beauty, dense pine forests, old-growth olive groves and scenic vineyards.
The area has been settled since ancient times, so you'll find remains from different eras, from Roman ruins and Baroque churches to Franciscan monasteries. From the beloved Punta Rata beach, with its iconic round rock jutting out of the sea, to the lesser-known Topići village on Biokovo's mountain slopes that's known for its delicious bread under peka and magnificent views of the island-dotted sea, the Makarska Riviera showcases a spectrum of standout attractions.
What do almond cakes, Saxon kings and secret recipes have in common with Makarska? In 1838, Friedrich August II took a trip to Biokovo on his visit to Makarska. When they brought him lunch, with it came a tasty almond cake that the Saxon king loved. Delighted with this sweet energy bomb, he wanted to know who made the cake and what it was called, but nobody knew.
So to honor the place that produced such deliciousness, the king named it Makarana. Today, Makarana cake is a traditional delicacy protected as cultural heritage of the Makarska region. A rich combo of almonds, eggs and sugar made according to a secret centuries-old recipe, the cake is served for special occasions such as weddings, holidays and festivities, cut into rhomb-shaped pieces. There’s even an annual Makarana cake-making contest, where you can have your cake and eat it too.
You know the feeling when you just can’t be bothered to do anything at all, when you’re too tired to even lift a finger? In Dalmatia, that feeling has a name: it’s called fjaka. A unique Dalmatian state of mind and body, often felt the most on summer days when it’s piping-hot out, fjaka is a sweet nothingness of sorts, a lethargy often used in Dalmatia as an excuse for chilling out.
In fact, if you’re seen rushing around or get stressed out about life when in Dalmatia, you’re bound to have someone tell you: “Pomalo.” Translated, that means “Take it easy….no rush.” Everything’s going to be all right, just relax… pomalo. And don’t forget to enjoy life, for it’s all about moments of gušt, a Dalmatian way of saying „pleasure“ or „satisfaction“. What a gušt to be in Dalmatia, a place where people are so easy-going and life is filled with simple pleasures.
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Valamar Riviera d.d. has accommodation facilities in the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Austria, where it operates through its branch Valamar Riviera d.d., Zweigniederlassung Austria, Gamsleitenstraße 6, 5563 Obertauern, FN 583355 a (Landesgericht Salzburg), VAT ID: ATU 78289647. Additionally, Valamar is a management company that, based on contracts, manages the tourism segment of the business and offers accommodation services in the facilities of Imperial Riviera d.d., Republic of Croatia, Rab, Jurja Barakovića 2, OIB: 90896496260 and HELIOS FAROS d.d., Republic of Croatia, Stari Grad, Naselje Helios 5, OIB: 48594515409. The term Valamar properties includes accommodation facilities of Valamar Riviera d.d., in Croatia and Austria, as well as accommodation facilities of other companies it manages.