Weekend Hike to Mosor, Croatia from Split
Our weekend hike to Mosor quickly became one of my favourite day trips from Split. It's fun, affordable and a great way to appreciate some of the beautiful scenery along the Dalmatian coast. A highlight for us was the local lunch we enjoyed at a mountain lodge in the middle of a forest and today we're sharing all you need to know when planning your hike to Mosor.
HIKE TO MOSOR: GETTING THERE
From the Split bus terminal SukoiΕ‘an near the police station, take bus #28 to the village of Gornje Sitno. Bus schedules are posted at the terminal and can also be found online at Promet Split site in Croatian. The bus ride is about 35 minutes and is very scenic once you leave the city. Since Gornje Sitno is not the last stop on this route (Dubrava is), double check with the driver so that you know when to get off. Bus tickets are 17 kuna (January 2017) and can be purchased straight from the bus driver.
The hiking trail starts about 5 minutes from the bus stop. Once you get off the bus, you'll see a sign by a large headstone. If you're facing the memorial, make a left and head uphill. The area at the top of this hill becomes a parking lot of sorts and that's where the trail starts.
SCENERY AND HIKING TRAILS IN THE MOSOR MOUNTAINS
From the moment you get off the bus, the scenery is beautiful. All along the rocky trail you can enjoy great views of the mountain range and the city of Split before continuing on into an equally impressive forest. The thought of seeing animals didn't even cross my mind so we were taken aback when we bumped into a couple of friendly donkeys.
I can't say the signage is all that clear on the hike to Mosor but when we saw the red and white trail markers, we just kept going. I knew we were looking for a lodge called Umberto Girometta but the signs that we saw along the way only seemed to show the names of the hiking trails and not the lodge. Luckily, since it was a sunny winter day, there were quite a few locals out so we pretty much just followed the crowd and made it to where we wanted to be right at lunchtime!
MOUNTAIN LODGE FOOD IN MOSOR, CROATIA
I won't even lie... the part I was looking forward to the most on this hike was lunch. Nestled up in the Mosor mountains is a small lodge called Umberto Girometta. A hearty lunch is served Saturdays and Sundays and their paΕ‘ta faΕΎol came highly recommended.
It was probably about 1pm by the time we reached the lodge and it was packed. There were several people eating outside on the picnic tables and a long line of people were waiting inside for their food. We patiently waited in line for nearly an hour and as we got closer to the service counter we saw a menu posted on the wall. The most popular dish seemed to be the bean pasta but they serve other things like sauerkraut, cured meats, bread and even alcoholic beverages. On busy days, it's quite common for the kitchen to run out of certain foods which was the case by the time we arrived. In hindsight, I'd say early bird gets the worm here.
Wes and I got nice bowls of delicious bean pasta for only 15 kuna each, shared some bread and treated ourselves to a beer. It's a cash only lodge but the prices are very reasonable and the service was amazing. Washrooms are available and you can also get your water bottles filled up if you ask at the service counter. There are a few tables in two different sections of the lodge and several picnic tables outside where you can enjoy your lunch surrounding by nature.
For those looking to explore more of the Mosor mountains, you can actually reserve a room for the night and stay at Umberto Girometta. Apparently this option is only available on Saturday evenings and arrangements should be made in advance:
Umberto Girometta Phone: 021 394 365 Address: 21251 Gornje Sitno
TOTAL COSTS OF HIKING AT MOSOR MOUNTAIN
Our hike to Mosor once again proved that you can have fun on a budget while travelling. In total, we spent 69 kuna each (around $13 CAD) for the day trip which included our lunch at Umberto Girometta and our return bus tickets from Split to Gornje Sitno. We would have spent less by packing a picnic but the local food at the mountain lodge was delicious and exactly what we needed to recharge for the rest of the day.
MOSOR MOUNTAIN - TAKEAWAYS
We left Split at 11am and were back in the city by 6pm. The hike to the mountain lodge normally takes about an hour there and back but we found it took a bit longer on the way up because of the icy paths. Between waiting an hour for our meal and stopping every chance we could for photos, I'd say our day went by fairly quickly. If you're an avid hiker, there are quite a few more options to continue hiking around Mosor. You can easily make a full day of it or even stay overnight at the lodge or find accommodations in the nearby villages.
Definitely bring water with you and also pack a lunch/snacks if you're going up during the week since the lodge only serves food on the weekends. Neither of us have hiking boots but the trail is quite rocky at some parts so definitely wear appropriate shoes for this.
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