The Statue of Mila Gojsalić – The Heroine of Poljica

Driving down from the direction of Gata towards Omiš, you pass through scenery that takes your breath away!

The cliffs here drop vertically for hundreds of metres towards the Cetina river, and through the cleft of the canyon the sea comes into view. This is the place where the legendary Odysseus lost his fleet trying to break through the heavily defended entrance to the Omiš hinterland.

On a rise next to the road above the chasm, the statue of a female figure is visible. There is no parking spot, but if you drive down about another 50 metres, just before the picturesque tunnel there is a small pull-out that fits one or two cars. If there is room, definitely stop, because this is a special location and a monument to a remarkable heroine.

A 340 m cliff, a cleft with a view of the sea, a 130 m waterfall, one of our most beautiful rivers far below, and a bronze statue — the perfect ingredients for a drama next to which Hollywood is a small baby 🙂

The early 16th century was a grim time. The Turks had gathered a large army intent on conquering the region of Poljica, which stretched from Žrnovnica (a suburb of Split) in the west to Blato na Cetini and Omiš in the east. Ahmed Pasha, the commander of the assembled army, abducted a local girl (Mila) to keep him company in the military camp on the night before the great battle. In revenge, just before dawn, while everyone was asleep, the girl set fire to the gunpowder depot. The huge explosion took the pasha and many Turkish soldiers to their deaths along with her. Emboldened by the destruction of the camp, the Poljica men attacked and drove off what remained of the Turkish army.

Since then, Mila Gojsalić has been deeply etched into the memory of the local people and has become a symbol of resistance and freedom, and the story of her heroism spread far beyond the borders of Poljica even in distant times.

August Šenoa, Jakov Gotovac and Ivan Meštrović are just some of our great figures inspired by the persona and deeds of this heroine.

Ilinac Waterfall

From the viewpoint where the statue of Mila Gojsalić stands, there is a view of the Ilinac waterfall, which bursts out of the cliff face on the left. At 130 m high, it is the tallest waterfall in Croatia. It is seasonal in character and can dry up during the dry part of the year. After the rainy season, the torrent of the stream that forms in Dubrava plunges down above Zakučac, and sometimes its droplets, carried by the Bura, end up as far away as Omiš.

At 130 m, the Ilinac waterfall is the tallest in Croatia!