Tradition&Heritage
Walk along Makarska’s Riva and, sooner or later, a bronze couple stops you in your tracks. One figure is a relaxed young local man; the other, an elegant female tourist clearly on holiday. Between them is one of the most photographed spots in town, and a story about summer romance that Makarska never quite let go of.
What is the Monument to the Tourist in Makarska?
The Monument to the Tourist is a bronze sculpture on Makarska’s waterfront promenade, officially titled “Ukorak s vremenom” (In with the Times). Made by academic sculptor Nikola Šanjek from Varaždin, it stands around 205 centimetres tall and shows a local young man, a “galeb”, keeping easy company with a stylish female tourist.
The story behind the bronze
The word “galeb” means seagull in Croatian, but in Makarska it also had another meaning: a charming local young man skilled at the art of “galebarenje“: winning over visiting women during their holiday, often in the space of a single summer. It was a local tradition that went back to the earliest days of tourism on this coast, and the monument was raised as a tongue-in-cheek tribute to it, and, more broadly, to every tourist who has ever fallen for Makarska.
That is also why the sculpture carries two nicknames alongside its official title: “Spomenik turistu” (Monument to the Tourist) and “Spomenik ljetnoj ljubavi” (Monument to Summer Love): both point to the same idea, a bronze wink at the region’s long history of holiday flings.
Good luck, if you believe the legend
Local legend has it that touching the bronze woman’s chest brings good luck in love; and the noticeably polished patina on that one spot suggests plenty of visitors have tested the theory over the years. Whether or not it works, it is one of the most reliable photo stops on the Riva.
Frequently asked questions about the Monument to the Tourist
Where is the Monument to the Tourist located? On the Riva, Makarska’s main waterfront promenade, in the heart of town.
What is the monument’s official name? “Ukorak s vremenom” (In Step with the Times), though it is far better known locally as Spomenik turistu (Monument to the Tourist) or Spomenik ljetnoj ljubavi (Monument to Summer Love).
Who made the Monument to the Tourist? Nikola Šanjek, an academic sculptor from Varaždin, cast the bronze statue at around 205 centimetres tall.
What does “galeb” mean in this context? Literally “seagull,” but locally it also describes a charming young Dalmatian man known for winning over visiting tourists — a tradition called “galebarenje.”
Why do people touch the statue? Local legend says touching the bronze woman’s chest brings good luck in love, and the polished patina there shows how many people have tried.
What other monuments are there? Plenty! Here, we’ve selected a couple of interesting ones.
Half tribute, half inside joke, the Monument to the Tourist sums up something true about Makarska: a town that has spent over a century falling for its guests, in step with the times, one summer at a time.
