Sinj
An inland town that has held a lance-and-ring tournament every August since a victory in 1715.
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UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
In August 1715 a garrison of about seven hundred defenders in Sinj held out against an Ottoman force many times its size, and the town has marked the anniversary ever since with the Alka: riders in eighteenth century dress gallop a course and drive a lance through a small iron ring suspended on a wire, scoring by which part of the ring they hit. It runs on the first Sunday of August with two rehearsal runs before it, is open only to men from Sinj and the surrounding Cetina district, and was inscribed on the UNESCO intangible heritage list in 2010. A purpose-built museum in the town covers the tournament and the siege.
What you actually see
- A tournament since 1715 - marking the defence against the Ottomans.
- Lance through a hanging ring - scored by the part of the ring struck.
- On the UNESCO list since 2010 - as intangible heritage.
- A museum of the Alka - purpose-built in the town.
When to go
The first Sunday in August, with rehearsals in the preceding days. Half a day.
Honest expectations
Seating at the Alka is limited, sold and booked well ahead; the town is full that weekend. Outside August the tournament is only in the museum. Sinj itself is a plain inland town.
Nearby
The Cetina spring is upstream; Klis fortress is on the road to Split.
What to pack for Sinj
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.