Pirates of Omis battle Venice on a spectacular night in Dalmatia

Croatia's varied tourism season continues as pirates take to the high seas to battle Venice in the annual re-enactment in Omis. Central Dalmatia's impressive summer of historical re-enactments continued on August 18, 2014, as the annual pirate battle in Omis packed the small coastal town, and tourists and locals were treated to an impressive - and loud - display of piracy in the harbour of Omis, an event witnessed by Digital Journal.

Piracy was rife throughout the centuries on the Adriatic, no more so than in Omis, whose pirates were able to escape up the Cetina River with all its hiding points to store their loot. This important period of history is marked each year with a reenactment of battle between the Venetians and the pirates from the 13th century. The Venetians refused to pay for safe passage so the Pirates, who were led by the fearless Malduk. They kidnapped Leonarda, the daughter of Aconcius (the Pope's representative). But Leonarda and Malduk's son Ivan fell madly in love, the battle was fought, the pirates won, the Venetians vowed to pay and true love prevailed. As previously reported on Digital Journal, the most famous pirate of them all, Johnny Depp was invited to take part in the battle in previous years.

Perhaps best known for its endless beaches, pristine Adriatic and picturesque islands, Central Dalmatia is a region rich in diverse tourism options, and its centuries of history and tradition, coupled with its remarkable heritage, are brought to life each year through various impressive spectacles. Digital Journal recently attended the Battle of Klis re-enactment, as the Ottoman attack of 1532 was repelled at the impressive Game of Thrones filming location of Klis Fortress; the annual Sinj Alka knights' tournament is one of Croatia's most important cultural events, attended each year by notable dignitaries; and Split's 1,700-year association with the retirement home of Roman Emperor Diocletian is celebrated each August with Days of Diocletian.

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Oznake: omiš

Simply stunning: Such is the pristine nature of Croatia's scenery

First, you are taken out by boat, to a floating platform, where they slice open fresh oysters and mussels, pulled straight from the water. Then you are ferried back to the jetty, where, beneath the dangling nets and ancient brick arches of the Bota Sare restaurant, you are served fish broth and Pošip, a white wine produced from grapes grown on nearby Korcula.

This is one of the 12 little-explored Elaphiti Islands, which, like so many of the spots around Dubrovnik, are both unspoilt and uninhabited (only three of them have a resident population). Somehow, then, this southernmost part of Croatia (it’s a seven-hour drive to the capital, Zagreb) has managed to avoid the excesses of over-development. Maybe the lack of sandy beaches has turned out to be a blessing.

Come nightfall, you can sit out at the Revelin Club cafe, overlooking the harbour, and the sounds coming up from the town are not those of amplified disco, but strains of a distant piano playing in one of the bars. That’s not to say that the 21st century doesn’t get a look in. The best view of the city is from the cable car that takes you from the historic, seven-foot-thick walls right up to the clifftop, where the enemy guns once stood. Recently a new breed of visitor has arrived, not to see the medieval frescos in the monastery, but to visit the locations where blockbuster TV series Game Of Thrones is filmed.

Local guide Lucija Podic not only works on the production, he also makes a living during the summer months, guiding fans around the key locations. The result, then, is a happy marriage of past and present, in a setting where the scars of war are now invisible, and the excesses of commercialism have yet to leave a mark. At least once the cruise ship crowds have left for the day.

Oznake: dubrovnik, elifati, Korčula

Incredibly idyllic: Croatia's Adriatic coastline has some truly splendid places for rest and relaxation

The same sea-views-for-all rule applies, even in the centre of town, to the 91 rooms at the towering, dark-glazed Hotel Bellevue and the 158 rooms at the handsome Hotel Excelsior (which has welcomed all kinds of famous guests over the years, from Sophia Loren to Che Guevara). And while you could happily spend a couple of days at any of these places, sunbathing by their pools, there is plenty more to do.

The most popular tour is to the neighbouring Peljesac Peninsula, an undulating collection of sea-lapped hills, devoted to the cultivation of wine and oysters. A two-hour drive takes you past a dozen little try-and-buy vineyards, of which the biggest by far is the Korta Katarina winery, on the edge of the bay at Orebic. This glorious white structure was built by American philanthropists Penny and Lee Anderson, who decided to put their wealth (they own 44 companies) towards re-constructing post- war Croatia.

Here you can taste their wines, including a very good rosé, which makes use of vast quantities of locally harvested Plavac Mali (meaning ‘little blue’) grapes, which grow all over the surrounding hills. An hour’s drive back towards Dubrovnik, and you’re in salt-flat country. The hills overlooking the little village of Ston are lined with huge walls, designed to repel invaders who came in search of the white gold that was salt, the sole method of food-preservation in a pre-refrigerator world. Half a mile down the road, you’re at the water’s edge, in Mali (Little) Ston.

Oznake: dubrovnik, pelješac