Trail to the Spring

The track to the Spring

A well-maintained gravel walking track, suitable for children and adults, starting at the mouth of the Žrnovnica river, passing by Peta Peruna (1.7 km), and ending in the centre of the Žrnovnica townlet (about 3.5 km), leads from the sea coast into the depth of the mountainous hinterland. Besides introducing us to a noticeably different terrestrial world, the track also leads us into the world of ancient religious beliefs, with the highest point at Perunsko peak and the lowest at the Zmijski kamen rock.

The Snake Rock

In the Snake Rock (Zmijski kamen), rock once much longer, ancient Croats saw Veles, the Perun's snake opponent, winding towards the Perun's throne on the hilltop, initiating a "divine battle" with him. According to their belief, the world is in order as long as Perun is above and Veles below, but when this balance is disrupted, the ordered world falls into chaos. The site is protected as a cultural-historical monument from the earliest period of Croatian past.

The flora

The Žrnovnica river, just 5.2 km long, is a relatively calm karst river, with only a few rapids and small waterfalls in its upper course. Of the original flora along its banks, ranging from rocky and stony terrain near its spring, through willow and poplar forests along its banks, to sandy estuaries – the so-called Mediterranean marsh-plant area, the best preserved is the original vegetation along the coast, provided with a gravel promenade.

Peta Peruna

Even when the Žrnovnica regularly dried up in summer, under the Peta Peruna locality, there was always a small spring that never ran dry. According to the old Slavic worldview, the spring was named Perunić and was a sign of the Perun's power to control waters even in times of severe drought. Downstream from that point are Rakite and Blato, places that, according to the same belief, belong to Veles, who "blocks the waters."

Green Grove

Green Grove (Zeleni lug) is the site of the mysterious meeting of the Perun's children, Jarovit and Mare (Morana). The tradition describes it as a "meadow by the river band" or "place where the river curves". Jarovit and Mara, also known as Juraj and Mare in the folk tradition, are bearers of the mythology of annual fertility, existing in many cultures, who with their marital encounter initiate the springtime.

Žrnovnica – the tracks starting point

Located in the hinterland of Perun and cut off from the sea coast, the Split environs settlement Žrnovnica is perceived as a separate organic entity. Several thematic tracks and promenades start from its centre, allowing visitors to explore the townlet and its surroundings. In the immediate vicinity is the parish church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, with the relief Divine Battle, while the archaeological site of Gračić and the Church of St. Michael (Sv. Mihovil) are about 1.5 km from the townlet centre.