OMIS

OMIS (43° 26'N; 16° 42'E), town (pop. 6,079 in 1991) and harbour at the mouth of the Cetina River.

Approach: Landmarks include the steep cliffs flanking the Cetina gorge, a red metal structure mounted on the monastery wall (red light) and a white, round tower with a column exhibiting white green sector light on the molehead. Vessels making and approaching from the W at night should keep S of the cylindrical lightbuoy (in front of the Dugi Rat) till reaching the red sector of the light on the monastery wall. Course should be shaped for the harbour only after coming into the green sector of the light on the molehead. By day after having passed S of the light buoy fronting Dugi Rat course should be shaped towards the harbour so that the two red cylindrical buoys marking the E edge of the big sand bank at the river mouth are left to port.

Mooring: The harbour is exposed to bora. It can be especialy dangerous during a tramontana. S winds also raise a heavy sea. Summer storms with winds blowing from the SW may be dangerous. Yachts drawing up to 3.5m can lie alongside the inner end of the L-shaped mole in the harbour. They can also lie alongside the newly constructed quay on the E side of the river mouth (extending to the SE from point Dugi Rat). Anchorage for deeper drawing yachts may be found S of the monastery (depths 3035 m). During a strong bora it is advisable to anchor with lines secured ashore, bows to NE.

Facilities: Harbour master's branch office, post office, medical service and chemist's. Cipal Fishing Club. Provisions at local shops and on open market. Water from hydrants on the waterfront. Fuel at the petrol station on the Adriatic highway, across the bridge.

Minor repairs to yacht hulls at a privately owned boatyard for wooden craft.

Sights: Sv Petar chapel (St Peter) in Priko on the right bank of the Cetina (old Croatian architecture, 10 C, remnants of the town fortifications and tower on the Fosal promenade, Sv Ivan Nepomuk church (St John 17 C), medieval tower Stari Grad (Fortica, Mirabela) on a cliff, 311m above the town. Regional Museum (Zavicajni muzej), collection of objects of cultural and historical interest in the house of the Radman family. The Ruskamen area, SE of town, has been declared a nature reserve on account of its geomorphological features. Up the Cetina River lie the islet of Sarin and ancient water-mills, Radmanove mlinice, an excursion centre and nature reserve. Further upstream, near the village of Zadvarje, the river forms the Gubavica waterfalls.

Each year at the end of July Omis hosts Festival dalmatinskih klapa, a competition of Dalmatian popular singing groups.