January the 21st, 2026 – If you know much about Dalmatia, you’ll know there are quite a few “Kaštelas” to contend with – 7 in total – but how much do you know about them?
As Putni kofer writes, located on the coast of the Kaštela Bay, between Split and Trogir, Kaštela is the second largest city in all of Split-Dalmatia County. It’s also very special. It developed around seven places, or seven castles, each of which tells its own story. They are, in order, from west to east: Kaštel Štafilić, Kaštel Novi and Kaštel Stari (Donja Kaštela) and Kaštel Lukšić, Kaštel Kambelovac, Kaštel Gomilica and Kaštel Sućurac (Gornja Kaštela).
In essence, the castles, or fortresses, were part of a group of a total of sixteen fortresses (castles) that nobles from nearby towns, such as Trogir, built to defend themselves against the Ottoman forces. Around seven of them, the aforementioned settlements developed, which today stretch along the coast between Trogir and Solin, and form their own unique administrative-territorial unit.
This is just a short and concise guide to the area, because it could be explored for days, but also much longer if all the hiking and cycling trails leading, for example, to the 780-metre-high Kozjak or the 647-metre-high Opor are included, not to mention the gorgeous beaches there.
In Kaštel Štafilić, the former development of the town began with the Rotondo fortress, which was built way back in 1508 by the local Trogir lord Stjepan Štafileo, high atop a sea cliff. However, one of the main stars of the town is the somewhat younger Nehaj tower, from 1548. Its construction was started by the Lodi brothers, but it was never completed and was built only up to the level of the first-floor windows. It is assumed that this building was named in memory of Nehaj in Senj, because the area was settled by Senj families. During the high tide, it can look as if it is swimming in the sea.
Kaštel Novi, as a settlement, developed around the castle of the nobleman Pavle Antun Ćipik, and the place is known as the homeland of Kaštelanski Crljenak (American Zinfandel). Several vines of this grape also grow in the local Bible Garden located in the churchyard, which was founded on the eve of the arrival of Pope John Paul II to Croatia. Kaštel Stari, on the other hand, developed around the castle of the Trogir nobleman and writer Coriolanus Cipico. Hiking enthusiasts could head from this place to the Malačka pass, which is about 480 metres high, to enjoy the beautiful view of the sea and islands, or continue on up to the very peak of Kozjak.
The most famous building here is the Vitturi castle, which was constructed by the Trogir noblemen Nikola and Jerolim Vitturi. The castle was built in the style of a Renaissance palace, completed in 1564, and consists of residential buildings with access to the sea in case of emergency, two defensive towers and a bridge that was once movable. The castle has been renovated and houses the Kaštela City Museum, as well as other cultural institutions, which is why it is also known as the cultural heart of the city. In its immediate vicinity there is also a park of the same name, from the second half of the 18th century.
However, Kaštel Lukšić is also known for the Croatian version of Romeo and Juliet, which goes like this: Miljenko Rušinić and Dobrila Vitturi were madly love, but their fathers had a fight, so they had to see each other in secret. When their love became public knowledge, they were immediately separated – Dobrila was placed under the strict supervision of her mother, and Miljenko was sent over to Venice. Soon after that, it was arranged that Dobrila would enter into a marriage with an older nobleman, which Miljenko found out about and returned from Venice just as the vows were being said. Since the wedding was spoiled, Dobrila was sent to a monastery, and Miljenko ended up in prison on the island of Visovac on the Krka River.
After a series of plot twists worthy of an extensive novel, Dobrila’s father finally came up with a new trap and informed the couple that the families had reconciled and that he would organise their wedding. They did get married, but Dobrila’s father ended up killing Miljenko on their wedding day, and Dobrila died of grief a few months later.
Kaštel Kambelovac was literally teeming with fortifications, which is highly unusual for this particular area. For example, there the brothers Jerolim and Nikola Cambi constructed a cylindrical castle, the only one of its kind in the whole Kaštela area, and in 1525, two castles, Velika and Mala Piškera, were built by peasants from the village of Kruševika, which was a unique case in that area.
Kaštel Gomilica can also boast of a unique story. The settlement there developed around the Kaštilac fortress, which was built by the Benedictine nuns from Split on a sea cliff called Gomilica. Kaštilac dates back to 1545, and earlier on during the 12th century, they also built the church of St. Cosmas and Damian, in front of which a 700-year-old oak tree still grows. Legend has it that the Croatian king Zvonimir also rested under it.
In Kaštel Sućurac there is the oldest defensive tower in the area, built in 1392 by the Archbishop of Split A. Gvaldo with the aim of protecting the inhabitants of the settlement of Putalj, which developed around the church of St. George on the slopes of Kozjak. Of the old parish church built in the 16th century, only the bell tower remains. If we fast forward to today, Kaštel Sućurac is the administrative centre of Kaštela.
