Croatia's Second Highest Peak Offers View of Italy & Can be Reached by Car

February the 10th, 2026 – Croatia’s second highest peak offers absolutely stunning panoramic views, with Italy seen across the Adriatic – the bonus is that it can be reached by car.

As Putni kofer writes, the highest road in Croatia leads to Croatia’s daunting second highest peak. For centuries, it has proudly been adorned with the highest church in the country, located at 1,762 metres above sea level. It is often referred to as the roof of coastal Croatia and the protector of the entire Makarska Riviera. This is Sveti Jure, the highest peak of Biokovo and the second highest mountain peak in all of Croatia. Croatia’s second highest peak is special and unique in many ways, and one huge plus is that it can be reached by car.

Sveti Jure is one of those peaks that you will definitely notice from afar, your gaze will fall on it while swimming in the sea or driving on the highway through the Dalmatian hinterland. It’s a place where sea and stone, wilderness and accessibility, asphalt and paths made by mountain goats all collide.

croatia’s second highest peak – or is it?

It holds the “title” of Croatia’s second highest peak because in the entire country, only Sinjal on Dinara (1,831 metres high), is higher. Dinara has even higher peaks, but most of them are located on the Bosnian side of the border, so there is still controversy about the potential second place today. The Croatian Mountaineering Association places Sveti Jure in third place, behind the Dinaric peak Žrvanj/Jančiji vrh, but many believe that this makes no sense because the above are located in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Whether second or third in Croatia, Sveti Jure is undoubtedly the highest peak in all of coastal Croatia, given that Dinara is deep in the hinterland and on the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the very top there is a telecommunications transmitter, which gives it a somewhat space-like appearance, and for a more romantic impression of the mountain, there’s the Church of Sveti Jure, an old Dalmatian stone beauty from which a beautiful view of the sea and the entire surrounding area extends.

What’s truly special about Biokovo and the peak of Sveti Jure is the fact that a road leads all the way to the very top, and you won’t be surprised to read that it is the highest road in the whole country. It’s the Biokovo road, a spectacular and challenging route that begins its ascent from the direction of Makarska towards Vrgorac, and the key moment comes near Gornji Tučepi. Knowing you can enjoy the views from Croatia’s second highest peak and get there by car is likely ideal for many.

At first glance, it may not seem impressive: a single-lane road that is only 3 to 4 metres wide in some sections. However, its uniqueness lies precisely in this simplicity. Driving along this road is both adrenaline-pumping and meditative, and the views that open up around every bend are absolutely breathtaking.

larger vehicles are prohibited

From the entrance to the Biokovo Nature Park to the very top of Sveti Jure at an altitude of 1,762 metres above sea level, a 23-kilometre winding road leads to the peak. The Biokovo Road is open to private cars, motorcyclists, cyclists and hikers, while buses and heavier vehicles are prohibited. Even for experienced drivers, driving along this road requires full concentration. The bends are narrow, the ravines are deep, and encounters with vehicles coming from the opposite direction are a challenge in themselves. Be sure to check the conditions on the road and in the nature park itself before arriving.

For hikers, Sveti Jure is a serious but alluring goal. There are several access points, and most often you start from Podgora, Makarska or Gornji Tučepi, depending on the chosen route. The climb on foot means hours of walking, great altitude differences and encountering the true face of Biokovo, karst, silence, wind and a feeling of complete isolation. There are no water sources or mountain huts on the way, so you need to be extremely well prepared for the climb, both physically and mentally. Setting out without being accompanied by an experienced guide is not a good idea whatsoever. Biokovo has claimed many lives and one wrong move could be fatal.

In addition to hikers, the climb to Sveti Jure is also a challenge for cyclists. Of course, they must be in perfect shape. Biokovo does not forgive laziness. A long climb, a huge amount of effort, but for those who can handle it: it’s one of the most beautiful and most challenging routes in all of Croatia.

Whether you’re an experienced and physically fit hiker and cyclist, and you intend to conquer the peak of Sveti Jure with the power of your own legs, or you’ll opt to travel up by car the encounter with this incredible place will etch a mark deep into your soul. In good weather, the view extends out across half of Dalmatia, over the islands and down to the open sea towards neighbouring Italy.