Sveti Jure
1,762 m
Croatia
Also known as Heiliger Georg, San Giorgio, +1Also known as
Heiliger Georg · San Giorgio · Свети-Юре
- Elevation
- 1,762 m
- Prominence
- 1,164 m
- Difficulty
- 3/10
- Mountain hike
- Best Season
- May
- Routes
- 1
Summit not accessible
The highest point is fenced off around a TV transmitter; walkers stop at the fence by the chapel of St George.
trail.viadinarica.com
Routes
1Sources differ: Very hard (Jako teška) (planinarenje.hr)
The oldest and classic path up Biokovo's highest summit: almost 1,800 m of ascent from the village of Makar above Makarska, up hundreds of stone-built switchbacks to the Vošac hut (1,421 m), then through beech-filled sinkholes past the hut below Sveti Jure to the summit chapel and TV tower. About 6 hours up; very hot in summer.
This route ends at Planinarska kuća Sv. Jure, about 300 m from the summit, which is not accessible. Distance, ascent and times are to that point.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 11.4 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,751 m
- −181 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 1,591 m
- Time Up
- 7h 37m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 5h 31m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start in Makar (about 220 m), the hamlet directly above Makarska; park on the widened road below the cemetery and the chapel of St John. A short stretch of tarmac leads through the village to the start of a wide, stone-paved mule path that climbs the steep seaward face of Biokovo in long, then shorter switchbacks past the resting places of Donja and Gornja počivala. At Vrba there is a cistern and a small spring behind a metal door, the only water on the route. A gentler section through pine forest leads to the Kruška viewpoint and on to the Štrbina saddle (1,338 m); turn left here for Vošac. Makar to Vošac is about 3 hours and 1,200 m of ascent, the hardest part of the day. The Vošac summit (1,421 m) has a mountain hut and a huge view over the Makarska Riviera and the islands of Brač, Hvar and Korčula. From Vošac a well-marked path heads north into the high karst plateau, repeatedly dropping into and climbing out of beech-wooded sinkholes, to the hut below Sveti Jure (Planinarska kuća Sv. Jure, about 1,594 m), then climbs the last 170 m to the summit. The final section has a fixed rope. The highest point is fenced off around the TV transmitter; the chapel of St George stands about 50 m below. Planinarenje.hr gives 6 hours 9 minutes and 10.7 km for the ascent; Via Dinarica gives 5¾ hours from Makarska. The descent the same way takes 3–4 hours and is hard on the knees. In summer start before dawn and carry at least 3 litres of water per person: the south face is a sun trap. The Biokovo road reaches the summit, so it is possible to arrange a lift down.
Start
Makar19 m
- Buses along the coast to Makarska; Makar lies just above the town and is reached on foot or by taxi
- Parking at the trailhead
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Makar19 m
Park below the cemetery and chapel of St John
- Col: Štrbina1,315 m
- Hut: Planinarski dom 'Toni Roso' Vošac1,378 m
- Hut: Planinarska kuća Sv. Jure1,591 m
not on route line
- Waypoint: Planinarska kuća Sv. Jure1,591 m
Summit not accessible beyond this point
Key Passages
- Switchbacks up the seaward face from Makar to Štrbina
- Sinkhole terrain on the plateau between Vošac and Sveti Jure
- Rope-secured final climb to the summit
Equipment
0/6 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
The highest summit of Biokovo (1,762 m), rising almost straight out of the Adriatic behind Makarska. A tough, hot 1,800 m climb from the coast on a historic switchback path, or a narrow mountain road to the top, with views to the islands and on clear days across the sea to Italy.
Biokovo is a limestone wall that rises from the Makarska Riviera to a high karst plateau pitted with sinkholes, and Sveti Jure (St George) is its highest point and Croatia's second-highest summit after Dinara. The top itself is fenced off around a TV transmitter built in the 1960s; just below stands the small chapel of St George, the highest church in Croatia, and the end of the Biokovo road. The mountain lies in Biokovo Nature Park.
Few coastal mountains in Europe offer as much vertical relief from the sea. The classic path from Makar above Makarska climbs nearly 1,800 m on stone-built switchbacks to the Vošac hut and then crosses the beech-filled sinkholes of the plateau. It is technically easy but long, steep and exposed to the sun, with a single spring. Shorter routes start inland from Milići or the Turija tunnel.
The view takes in the Makarska Riviera, the islands of Brač, Hvar, Korčula and Pelješac, the karst interior towards Imotski, and on rare clear days the Apennines in Italy, about 250 km away. Many visitors drive up the narrow, one-lane park road, so expect cars and visitors at the top in summer.
Climbing Notes
From Makar allow about 6 hours up and 3–4 hours down, with roughly 1,800 m of ascent: a demanding day even for fit walkers. Spring and autumn are best. In summer temperatures on the lower face exceed 35 °C; start before dawn, carry at least 3 litres of water per person and refill at the Vrba spring. Strong bora winds can make the plateau dangerous and cold at any time of year, and fog makes navigation through the sinkholes tricky; stay on the waymarked paths.
The nature park sells entrance tickets online (EUR 10 low season, EUR 15 high season in 2026; EUR 7/10 for members of HPS, PZS or PSHB). The park is officially open from 1 April to 31 October; hours run from 06:00–20:00 (May–August) to 08:00–18:00 (October), with last entry an hour before closing. Driving the summit road is limited to 20 vehicles per hour on a narrow single-lane road; arranging a lift down is a common way to avoid the long descent on foot.
The Vošac hut and the hut below Sveti Jure make it possible to split the walk over two days or catch the sunrise; check opening locally before relying on them.
History
The chapel of St George is first documented in 1640 and may date from the 13th century. It was demolished in 1965 to make way for the Television Zagreb transmitter and rebuilt in 1968 a little further east; an annual mass is held on the last Saturday of July. The Biokovo road was extended to the summit for the transmitter in the mid-1960s and paved in 1979. The hut below the summit, built during the tower's construction, opened to hikers in 1983. Biokovo Nature Park was established in 1981.
Season
Best May- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Good
- May: Best (best window)
- June: Good
- July: Possible
- August: Possible
- September: Good
- October: Best
- November: Possible
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Park officially closed; snow and bora on the plateau
- Feb
- Park officially closed; winter conditions possible
- Mar
- Park officially closed; snow on the plateau
- Apr
- Park reopens 1 April; late snow possible near the top
- May
- Good temperatures, long days
- Jun
- Increasingly hot on the coastal face; start early
- Jul
- Very hot; dawn starts and lots of water essential
- Aug
- Very hot; dawn starts and lots of water essential
- Sep
- Still hot at low altitude; good later in the month
- Oct
- Cool, clear days; park open 08:00–18:00
- Nov
- Park officially closed; bora and early snow
- Dec
- Park officially closed; winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Permits
- Biokovo Nature Park entrance ticketRequired
Required for all visitors entering at the main entrance (Staza, on the D-512 Makarska–Vrgorac road); sold only online. 2026 prices: adults EUR 10 (April, May, October) or EUR 15 (June–September); HPS, PZS and PSHB members EUR 7/10 with membership card. The park does not say how hikers arriving on foot from Makar are charged.
pp-biokovo.hr
- Hut Booking
- Planinarski dom Vošac and Planinarska kuća Sv. Jure are club mountain huts; opening and booking details were not confirmed, so ask in Makarska before relying on them.
- Fees
- Biokovo Nature Park entrance ticket (see permits)
- Rules
- The summit itself is fenced off around the TV transmitter and closed to visitors
- The Biokovo road is a narrow single-lane road with two-way traffic; entry limited to 20 vehicles per full hour, no buses, drive at your own risk
- The park is officially open 1 April to 31 October; visitors may stay only within opening hours
- Follow the park's rules of internal order; stay on marked trails
- Getting There
Makarska
Split Airport (SPU)
- Bus from Split or Dubrovnik along the coast to Makarska; walk or take a taxi up to Makar
- By car: Makar is a short drive above Makarska; the park entrance for the summit road is at Staza on the D-512 Makarska–Vrgorac road
Hazards
- Weather
- Remoteness
Huts & Shelters
2- 1,421 m
Planinarski dom 'Toni Roso' VošacHut
- 1,594 m
Planinarska kuća Sv. JureHut
Built during the transmitter construction; open to hikers since 1983