Since its very beginnings due to its geographical position, cultural,and historical importance Makarska has been the centre of the Croatian micro-region known as the Makarsko Primorje.It is situated in a naturally protected harbour closed by the Osejava cape from the south-east and St.Peter's peninsula from the north-west. The town spreads like an amphitheatre towards the slopes of Biokovo. The town was already well-known for its sights, ordered urban life and natural beauty, at the beginning of the 20th century when the seeds of what is now known as tourism were sown. Thanks to tourism Makarska (pop.13,000) is today the true cultural, economic and sporting centre of the region. Findings from ancient times on St.Peter's peninsula, the central town square, near the Franciscan monastery and along the Lower Harbour testify that the town has grown up on the site of an earlier Roman and, possibly, prehistoric settlement. An act of the Salonan Synod of 4 May 533 A.D. referred to Mucrum as the founding place of a diocese. During the 7th century A.D. Croatian tribes settled along the coastline area between the rivers Cetina and Neretva. In the mid-10th century Constantine Porphyrogenet's work "De administrando imperio" called them Arentas (Neretvans) and their country Pagania. The same source referred to the Mokro County as "keeping vessels near the sea". This prompted the Venetian Doge Peter Candian to arrive at Mucules on 18 September 877 where because he had lost a naval battle , Venice had to pay tribute to the Neretvans for the free passage of its ships on the Adriatic. The power of the Neretvan principality slowly waned in the 13th century. The following centuries saw the Bribirian dukes, Bosnian-Herzegovinian rulers, Hungarian-Croat kings, and the republic of Venice take turns in the struggle for power. While in the times that followed most Dalmatian towns prospered under Venetian protection, Makarska became the confrontation line between Venetian and Turkish interests. Makarska was first mentioned by its present name in a document in 1502by Muhamed Musin, the cadi of Foča. To protect the town from Venetian attacks, it was fortified in the mid-16th century with three towers linked by protective walls. These are shown in a piece of graphic art dated 1572 by G.F.Camuti, a Venetian cartographer: it is also the oldest preserved picture of this town. It shows St.Peter's peninsula with a church of the same name. On the eastern side, outside the town walls there was already a Franciscan monastery with the Church of St.Mary. The nobles and people of Kraina recognized Venetian power back in 1646. The foundations of the future town were laid under the centennial rule of the Venetian lion. The Italian travelogue Alberto Fortis who admired the beauty of the new buildings and the three towers gave the best testimony of the appearance of the town at that time. At the end of the 17th century St.Peter's church underwent restoration in the baroque style. First mentioned in sources in the 14th century , it was later destroyed by the Turks. It was to experiece further destruction in the future (1962), but this time by an earthquake. It was not rebuilt or restored until 1992. The Franciscan monastery also underwent restoration and expansion. During the episcopate of Nikola Bijanković, to whom the town is indebted most for its modern appearance, began work on St. Mark's Cathedral which was consecrated in 1766. In front of it a large square was designed, and a late baroque well in 1775. The church and oratory of St. Filip Nerio were erected on the sea front in 1758. Owing to the growth of trade and the acquisition of property Makarska also spread westwards. The new nobility had luxurious houses and palaces built in the Dalmatian baroque style. One should mention the Ivanišević family's baroque palace in the eastern part of the town centre, and the Tonolli family's palace that now accommodates the Town Museum. Under the Campoformio Treaty of 1797 Makarska was transferred to Austrian rule, but in 1805 passed to French rule under the Presburg Treaty. The French attempted to raise the level of education, economy and infrastructure by the introduction of new measures. An obelisque in honour of the French Marshall Marmont, now at the town's western entrance, has been preserved from those times. In 1813 Makarska reverted to the Austrian crown. In the mid-19th century the freedom-loving spirit of the Makarskans accepted the ideas of the Croatian national revival movement. It was not by chance that precisely in Makarska, among the first in Dalmatia, the Croatian People's Party rose to political power both at the elections and in public life on 24 October 1865 which is now celebrated as the Town's Day. The people's aspirations to unite Croatian lands had their climax at the celebration in 1890 on the occasion of the completion of a monument devoted to the Croatian poet Father Andrija Kačić Miošić, by Ivan Rendić, a Croatian sculptor. During the 19th century reading rooms and libraries were the focal point of the social, public, and political life of the coastal towns, and hence of Makarska as well. Under Archbishop Antun Kadčić, Makarska was the first in Dalmatia to have a public municipal library as early as the mid-18th century. Subsequently cultural and public life also developed from this tradition. The existence of a theatre, philharmonic orchestra, dramatic players', and singers' societies attest how active the social life of the time was. The Municipal orchestra developed from the philarmonic orchestra and with the first years of the 20th century came the establishment of a number of sports societies (rowing, mountaineering, football etc.). During the Austrian rule new houses and public buildings were built. Designed as a Glagolithic religious school, a classicistic "old school" building built in the second half of the 19th century rises above St.Mark's church. Today it accommodates the Antun Gojak Town Gallery, the Town Library, the elementary musical school, the editorial board of the municipial journal "Makarsko Primorje" and a local radio station "Makarska Riviera Radio". In the Mala Obala quarter, the Marineta, is the palace of the noble Peko Kačić family dating from the end of the 19th century with the Romanesque form of a fortified neo-Renaissance castle.

Culture Makarska abounds in cultural sites, both those of historical importance (which are described in the previous text about the history of the town) and in those that preserve the cultural heritage. The greatest curiosity is certainly the Malacological Museum in the Franciscan monastery which holds one of the largest collections of shells and boasts of several thousands of shells from all the world's seas. This museum was founded and opened for the public by Friar Jure Radić in 1963. Beside the rich collection of shells in the museum you can see a very rich herbarium of herbs from Biokovo Mountain, as well as a smaller paleontological collection. The Museum is situated in the old part of the Franciscan monastery which itself is protected as a cultural monument. The work of the museum is coordinated as part of "The Mountain and the Sea" Institute by the female curator Dr. Marija Edita Šolić. During the season the museum is open daily from 10:00-12.00, and 17.00-19.00. The Franciscan monastery of St Mary was founded by friars from Bosna Srebrena in 1502. By the church a four-story baroque belfry was also built in 1715. A monumental oil-painting "The Last Judgement", is kept in the church, the work of the Venetian painter Antonio Molinari, from 1680. The monastery has a very rich library and archives with around 50,000 books and magazines.

Climate This warm Mediterranean paradise is warmed by the sun for more than 2750 hours a year which makes Makarska one of the sunniest places on the Mediterranean. The average temperature from June to October is to 20°C. The beautiful clean sea has an annual average temperature higher than 20°C. The sea temperature in the summer season is between 25°C and 27°C. Makarska has very lush vegetation, not only on the two beautiful forested peninsulas - St.Peter and Osejava - but also on the Biokovo Mountain that protects it from the breakthrough of the colder continental climate. The Biokovo Nature Reserve is rich in endemic and protected plants that most likely succeed only in the favourable conditions of this unique clime. The winters are exceptionally mild and sunny, the summers are long and warm with a refreshing maestral, the wind that unobtrusively brings the natural refreshment from the sea which one needs during the hot summer days. The other winds are the Bora (the north wind), which brings cold weather; the Jugo, a humid and warm wind from the South, adored by admirers of water sports such as sailing, surfing, kite-flying.

Biokovo. This mountain is interesting for its landscaped parks, mountains valleys, pits and meadows; it abounds in endemic flora, and is also rich in antlered game (chamois and mufflon), which has made the tradition of hunting possible for tourists. The sub-Biokovo villages: Veliko Brdo, Puharići, Makar, and Kotišina are attractive excursion sites due to their natural wealth, fortifications, sacral, and rural buildings, and the preserved traditional life style. From there neat marked routes take one towards the Biokovan peaks.

Croatian Sanctuary of the Virgin Mary of Lourdes - Vepric is located at the town's western entrance. In a harmonious natural environment, on the slopes of the afforested hill at whose foot a little brook murmurs, visitors can feel the peace and the spirituality of the surroundings. The sanctuary was founded 1908 by Bishop Dr. Juraj Carić who was buried here. The natural cave and the whole landscape with its hills, bushes and the brook resembles the Lourdes pilgrimage site. The altar was built inside the natural cave, in the fissure of the rock and attracts numerous visitors. All along the sanctuary there are several statues and the Stations of the Cross. Throughout the year this place of pilgrimage is visited by chance travellers and pilgrims from all over the world who come to admire the really unusual cultural and natural phenomenon.

Sport Makarska abounds in sport fields for various sports, and because of its specific climate it is a favourite destination for numerous sporting clubs that come here to prepare themselves, for both for professional players and amateurs At the "Sports Centre" sports complex on the Osejava cape, there are two football and rugby playgrounds, basketball ( indoor and open-air courts ),volleyball and handball courts, tennis courts, facilities for athletics , boules, four-track bowling, plus a sports hall for minor sports. The "Posejdon" tennis centre in the western part of the town has 9 open-air and 2 indoor tennis courts. The complex in the shade of pine trees includes the tennis bar where you can refresh yourself after a match, and workshops where you can have your equipment repaired. Once a year the Makarska Open Tour for female tennis players takes place. If you set out on a pleasant ten-minute walk from the hotel you will arrive at tennis courts set in really beautiful surroundings. If you want to give yourself to the fascinations of diving the licensed diving instructors in the "More Sub" diving centre will introduce you to the wonderful world of the sea through PADI or SSI courses. "More Sub" is located approx. 100m from the "Rosina" Hotel towards the town centre, and its location immediately on the sea shore and the possibility of parking provide for the transfer of your equipment or other items without any problem. For lovers of extreme sports there are some other sports available such as paragliding ( flying with a parachute and a kite ), parasailing (a parachute on the sea pulled by a speed boat), jet skis, and of course wind surfing.The landscape is ideal for rock climbing , mountain-climbing, and mountain-biking . If you like caving the "Alpine speleo team" will make it possible for you to explore the Biokovan caves safely. It is planned to build a modern and attractive ski centre on Biokovo to provide a complete range of sporting activities in the winter time. Of the famous sportsmen from the Makarska region one must mention the football player Alen Bokšić who was one of the original "fiery ones" (the Croatian national squad), and the female tennis players Silvija Talaja and Mirjana Lučić.

The Biokovka rehabilitation centre, provides for treatment and holidays, including a modern fitness centre, and offers a wide range of medical services: hydrotherapy, kinesitherapy, massage, magnetotherapy, inhalation... Everything takes place under the watchful eye of expertly trained staff.
Marea- rehabilitation and recreational centre. Diagnostics, kinesitherapy, hydrotherapy, lymph drainage, massage, reiki. Of the recreational programmes, beside the standard ones such as fitness and aerobics, they offer a programme of gymnastics for children, relaxation, shaping, and stretching, preventive convalescent programmes against pains in the back and neck, as well as a programme for the prevention of the consequences of osteoporosis. It is the only place in this region with the use of BIODEX - the most effective system for diagnostics and rehabilitation of the upper and lower extremities, intended for everybody: amateur and professional sportsmen, , those with serious problems, as well as those who want to have treatment or to have a diagnosis for any reason. Marea is situated in the immediate vicinity of our hotel.

Excursions As Makarska lies at the crossroads of inland and sea routes, there are regular excursions during the tourist season (April-November) to the islands of Hvar, Brač, and Korčula islands, as well as to Split, Dubrovnik, and Međugorje. Trips to tranquil coves are made daily on smaller boats.

Entertainment During the summer months in all places on the Makarska Riviera a wide variety of events take place - cultural, entertainment, sports, recreational...These are the days of traditional popular festivities when the people celebrate the patron saints and the days of their glorious history. Beside saints' days and public festivities, "Fishermen's Nights" are often organized and other entertaining and sports events that take place in the ports, on the beaches, or on the terraces of the hotels. In Makarska all these events are included in the traditional Makarska Summer Cultural Festival, the most popular being the "Fishermen's Night", the "Summer Carnival", and the "Kalalargo Night". Numerous other events: concerts of classical and popular music, Dalmatian singing groups (Klapa), singers and folk performances from Croatia and abroad, which usually take place on Kačić Square, on the promenade, and also in other convenient stages, such as in front of St. Peter's church on the peninsula of the same name. At your disposal there is also the "Casino Adriatic", located in vicinity of our hotel, where you can relax in a top-level sophisticated environment and with friendly staff. The town has many restaurants, wine cellars and other catering facilities with a rich choice of traditional foods and beverages. Sheltered by the Biokovo and open to the sea , our town has the pleasure of opening its gates to all who have decided to make it a place for their rest, entertainment, and recreation.