The Forgotten Croatian Tunnel You Won’t Find on the Map

May the 22nd, 2026 – There’s a forgotten Croatian tunnel in central Dalmatia that you won’t find on the map, yet it still lures and fascinates plenty of drivers to this very day. As Putni kofer writes, high in the rugged cliffs above the Cetina canyon near Omiš lies one of Dalmatia’s most unusual old roads. It’s a narrow mountain route carved directly through the rock, offering spectacular views, sharp bends and a glimpse into what travelling through coastal Croatia once looked like before moder

The old road connecting Omiš and the old village of Gata may no longer carry the strategic importance it once did, but it sometimes pops up as one of the Adriatic’s most atmospheric forgotten routes. At the centre of that experience is the old Croatian tunnel itself, and it’s one you won’t find on a map. The road above Omiš climbs steeply away from the coast toward the historic Poljica region and the village of Gata, located on the slopes beneath the giant Mosor mountain. Long before the construction of modern bypasses and large infrastructure projects around Omiš, this road served as one of the key inland connections from the Adriatic coast into the hinterland. Because of this very difficult terrain, engineers had little choice but to carve parts of the route directly into the rocky cliffs above the Cetina River. The result is a road that still feels dramatic even today. One of the most striking features is this small, old Croatian tunnel cut directly through the stone. Unlike modern Croatian road tunnels with wide lanes, lighting systems and heavy engineering infrastructure, this older passage feels raw and intimate, it’s actually much more like a mountain passage from times gone by than a modern transport corridor. Drivers emerge from the rock directly onto panoramic views overlooking Omiš, the Adriatic and the Cetina canyon down below. For many visitors, the contrast between the dark stone tunnel and sudden open sea views lit up by the blinding Dalmatian sun is what makes the route so unforgettable. pre-motorway dalmatia was an entirely different world Before Croatia’s ultra-modern motorway network transformed travel times, roads like this were standard throughout Dalmatia. Driving along the coast and into inland villages often meant narrow cliff roads, sharp turns and slow mountain climbs.

Key points

• The old road connecting Omiš and the old village of Gata may no longer carry the strategic importance it once did, but it sometimes pops up as one of the Adriatic’s most atmospheric forgotten routes.
• At the centre of that experience is the old Croatian tunnel itself, and it’s one you won’t find on a map.
• The road above Omiš climbs steeply away from the coast toward the historic Poljica region and the village of Gata, located on the slopes beneath the giant Mosor mountain.
• Long before the construction of modern bypasses and large infrastructure projects around Omiš, this road served as one of the key inland connections from the Adriatic coast into the hinterland.
• Because of this very difficult terrain, engineers had little choice but to carve parts of the route directly into the rocky cliffs above the Cetina River.