Bat
1,508 m
Croatia
Also known as SvilajaAlso known as
Svilaja
- Elevation
- 1,508 m
- Prominence
- 1,060 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- Apr–Jun
- Routes
- 1
AdvisoryReported 1 Mar 2026
Croatia was officially declared free of known mine-hazard areas on 1 March 2026 after the last suspected areas were cleared. Residual risk from isolated devices cannot be excluded in former front-line zones such as central and northern Svilaja; stay on marked paths.
dalmatinskiportal.hr
Routes
1The only route in regular use: from the village of Zelovo (about 800 m) above Hrvace, a track and path lead to the Orlove stine mountain hut (1,065 m), then forest road and a marked path over bare karst to the saddle by Velika Kurja and the grassy summit. About 8.5 km and 850 m of ascent; roughly 3 hours up.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 9.6 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +833 m
- −138 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 1,508 m
- Time Up
- 4h 15m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 3h 28m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the Vrlika–Sinj road at Hrvace, a mountain road climbs to Zelovo (about 800 m); park in the village centre by the bus stop and the chapel of St Anthony. Follow the asphalt to the last houses, then a gravel road for 1.7 km and a cart track through field walls for 300 m before the marked path leaves it, crosses bare karst and enters pine plantation. Past a viewpoint with a table and benches (2.5 km) the path meets a gravel road; turn right to the Orlove stine hut (3.5 km, 1,065 m), set in a hollow below the Orlove stine crag with views to Biokovo, Mosor and Kozjak. On foot from Zelovo this takes about 1 hour 15 minutes; the hut can also be reached by car on the gravel road. From the hut continue on the gravel road. After about 400 m the Badnjevi variant forks left: a well-cleared, well-marked path that rolls through sinkholes and an area burnt by wildfire before emerging on bare karst. The other option, slightly easier, follows the road (the 'Šumski put') for about 3 km more to a widening at Kunčeve staje, where the waymarks turn left and climb steeply for about 30 minutes to the saddle between Velika Kurja (1,328 m) and Svilaja. The two variants join on the bare slope of Velika Kurja about 40 minutes below the top; then follow the waymarks north over open limestone for about half an hour, and a final quarter of an hour to the grassy summit with its damaged concrete survey pillar. Descend the same way (or make a loop using the two variants). The hut to summit takes about 2 hours. There is no water above the hut and no shade on the upper mountain. Do not wander onto the northern and central parts of the ridge towards Vrlika: they were front-line minefields in the 1990s.
Start
Zelovo808 m
- Buses on the Sinj–Vrlika road stop at Hrvace; Zelovo has a village bus stop, but services are infrequent.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zelovo → Svilaja (Bat) | 9.6 | 833 | 138 | 4h 15m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Zelovo808 m
Coordinates are the village area; start at the chapel in the centre
- Hut: Planinarski dom Orlove stine1,060 m
- Shoulder: Velika Kurja1,323 m
The path crosses the saddle and bare slope beside it; the summit of Velika Kurja is not climbed
- Summit: Svilaja (Bat)1,508 m
Key Passages
- Forest-road fork 400 m beyond the hut (Badnjevi variant or Šumski put)
- Steep climb from Kunčeve staje to the saddle by Velika Kurja
- Bare karst summit slope
Equipment
0/5 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
The highest point of Svilaja (1,508 m), the long karst ridge of the Dalmatian hinterland between Sinj and Drniš. A bare grassy dome above the treeline, reached from Zelovo via the Orlove stine hut in about three hours, with views from Biokovo to Dinara and the Adriatic islands.
Svilaja is the highest and longest mountain chain in the middle of the Dalmatian Zagora: together with its northern continuation, Veliki Kozjak above Kijevo, beyond the Lemeš saddle (860 m), it runs for more than 50 km parallel to the higher Dinara–Troglav chain across the Cetina valley. Its summit, Vrh Svilaje, is known on older maps as Bat. Alongside Dinara and Biokovo it is one of the few Dalmatian mountains with a true alpine-grassland belt above the forest: the steep north-eastern slopes over the Cetina carry beech and Italian maple, partly destroyed by fires, while the dry south-western flanks towards Drniš are scrub and stony pasture.
The top is a bare grassy knoll with a damaged concrete survey pillar and views in every direction: Dinara and the Sinj field, Biokovo, Mosor and Kozjak towards the coast, and the islands beyond. The south-eastern part of the mountain is well known to walkers; the central and northern parts remain almost unvisited except by shepherds, and were front-line minefields in the 1990s. A wind farm now stands on part of the ridge.
The usual ascent from Zelovo is a straightforward but hot and shadeless walk on karst, with a hospitable hut halfway. The mountain is rich in flowers, with about 700 recorded vascular plant species including many orchids.
Climbing Notes
Fitness for a 6-hour round trip with about 850 m of ascent is enough; the walking is easy but on sharp, uneven limestone (estimated T2). Start early in summer: there is no shade or water above the hut, and the karst radiates heat. Carry at least 2 litres of water, sun protection and a windproof for the bura. The Orlove stine hut is a good base for an overnight stay or a loop combining the Badnjevi path and the forest road. Stay on marked paths; although Croatia's known minefields were declared cleared in 2026, a residual risk from isolated devices cannot be ruled out in the former front-line zone of central and northern Svilaja. If you see a suspicious object, do not touch it, mark the place and call 112. In winter the summit is often snow-covered and very windy.
History
The summit was known in the past as Bat. During the Croatian War of Independence (1991–1995) the northern part of Svilaja lay on the line of separation and was mined; demining continued for decades, and Croatia was officially declared free of known mine hazards on 1 March 2026. The Svilaja wind farm, with turbines 186 m tall, was built on the ridge in recent years.
Season
Best Apr–Jun- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Good
- April: Best (best window)
- May: Best (best window)
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Good
- August: Good
- September: Best
- October: Best
- November: Good
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Snow and strong bura possible on the ridge
- Feb
- Winter conditions possible
- Mar
- Late snow on the top
- Apr
- Spring flowers; orchids
- May
- Best flowers
- Jul
- Hot and shadeless; start early; wildfire risk
- Aug
- Hot and shadeless; wildfire risk
- Nov
- Short days; bura
- Dec
- Snow possible; very windy
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Planinarski dom Orlove stine has rooms and a dormitory; contact the hut in advance for overnight stays.
- Rules
- Use only the marked routes from Zelovo: the central and northern parts of Svilaja (between Vrlika and Siverić, and around Maovice) were front-line minefields; all known mine areas were declared cleared on 1 March 2026, but a residual risk remains away from paths
- No fires: high wildfire risk in summer
- Getting There
Sinj
Split Airport (SPU)
- Car: Split–Sinj, then the Sinj–Vrlika road to Hrvace and the asphalt mountain road to Zelovo; gravel road on to the Orlove stine hut
- Bus: Split–Sinj and Sinj–Vrlika services stop at Hrvace; local buses to Zelovo are infrequent
Hazards
- Weather
- Remoteness
Huts & Shelters
1- 1,065 m
Planinarski dom Orlove stineHutStaffed
68 beds