Discover Zagvozd: Nature, Culture and History

Zagvozd lies in a hilly area at 428 m between Biokovo and Imotsko polje. If you are looking for a hotel in Zagvozd, this location offers an initial geographical reference. Nature, cultural heritage and the theatre festival offer different points of focus for planning your trip—choose the one that suits your interests.

Kaoci, nature park and trails

The Kaoci area has an amphitheatre, three restored wells and rest areas for visitors. It also has a restored forestry lodge with an educational and information centre. Check the current condition of these facilities before your visit.

Information panels along the Kaoci trail cover the geography and geology of Biokovo, its plant and animal life, cultural heritage, forests and the history of the Municipality of Zagvozd. If you are interested in both nature and cultural history, you will find topics from both areas along the trail.

Biokovo Nature Park is open to visitors. The park plan designates Zagvozd (Milići) as a secondary entrance. Check the current operating rules before travelling.

Cultural history and events

The Church of All Saints in Zagvozd dates from the 17th century and was restored in 1973. The Church of Velike Gospe in Zagvozd also dates from the 17th century. Medieval stećci can be found in Župa Biokovska, Rastovac and Zagvozd; these include the sarcophagus Vukov greb. Zagvozd and the municipality thus offer a range of historical points of interest: churches dating from the 17th century and medieval tombstones.

The “Glumci u Zagvozdu” theatre festival has been held since 1998. The event on 26 June 2025 was the 28th theatre gathering. The programme includes theatre performances, concerts, folklore performances and exhibitions. If you want the festival to determine your travel dates, check the schedule for the edition you wish to attend.

A local development plan lists the Old Napoleon Road as a possible addition to the tourism offer. It names beekeeping, the cultivation of medicinal plants, blacksmithing, weaving, the making of stringed instruments and stoneworking as local traditions. The historic Francuska cesta was built during French rule; in Zagvozd, it turned towards Turija and Vrgorac.

Getting there and regional context

The Sveti Ilija Tunnel is on the connecting road between Zagvozd and Baška Voda; its main tube is 4,249 m long. The Municipality of Zagvozd also describes the tunnel as connecting Zagvozd with the Makarska coast. Check the current operating conditions before driving through the tunnel.

The A1 motorway runs through the territory of the Municipality of Zagvozd. According to the municipality’s description, the area is easily accessible by road from all parts of Croatia.

The Municipality of Zagvozd as a regional context

The Municipality of Zagvozd lies on the northern side of the Biokovo mountain range and comprises seven settlements. 43 percent of its territory lies within Biokovo Nature Park. These figures refer to the municipality as a whole, not just the settlement of Zagvozd.

In the wider destination of the Municipality of Zagvozd, the Church of Velike Gospe and the Ploča-Vukov greb archaeological site in Zagvozd, as well as the Church of the Holy Cross and the medieval stećci cemetery in Rastovac, are listed in the Croatian Register as protected cultural assets. Also designated as protected cultural assets are the Gradinica archaeological site in Krstatice, and the Church of St John the Baptist and the archaeological site in Župa.

Discover more destinations: Rastovac, Župa.

Back to the main travel overview: Municipality of Zagvozd.