The Malačka Mountaineering Society from Donje Kaštela celebrated its 29th birthday in the most beautiful way possible last weekend - with hiking, socializing, inspiring stories, thanking veterans, and, of course, the inevitable mountaineering beanie, which this year proved to be - too small a challenge for the too big heart of Malačka.
The celebration began on Saturday, July 17, in a packed home on Malačka, where HPD members Mosor, Mirela and Ivana, presented their travel experiences from the legendary Camino de Santiago. The two hikers told how, during the summer of 2025, they walked more than 800 kilometers of one of the world's most famous hiking and mountaineering routes - the "real and original" Camino.
The audience followed their impressive descriptions, anecdotes and jokes with great interest, in which a strong emotional note was clearly felt. Their story, supported by a long-standing desire, good preparation and a completed general mountaineering school at HPD Mosor, inspired many present to dare to take this journey of life themselves.
The train we were eagerly waiting for didn't know what awaited it.
Sunday morning began – according to good old custom – with the gathering of hikers at the train station in Kaštel Stari, from where hikers traditionally take the train to Labin. However, this year the train quickly realized that it had underestimated Malačka's birthday.
The number of participants exceeded all expectations, so some of the hikers had to "develop an alternative arrival strategy." Guide Snježana recounted it with a laugh:
- We traditionally start our hiking year in January, because that's when the company was founded, in 1997. The birthday tour gathers more and more people every year, but when we arrived at the train station and saw how many of us there were, it was clear that the train - no matter how much goodwill it had - wouldn't be able to accommodate everyone.
Despite the guides' efforts and pleas to the Croatian Railways, someone had to give in. Around 150 hikers remained on the train and headed towards Labin with long-time guide and member Rosa, while the rest of the team, led by head guide Matej, improvised – in a mountaineering way:
- We decided to follow the 'Footsteps of Filip Balić' trail to Malačka, and then continue towards Botići where we met up with the team again. And, of course, we opened the buried champagne – because a birthday is a birthday - added Snježana.
Guide Kristina explained this special tradition of Malacca:
- For years, we have been burying champagne bottles that children happily dig up on field trips. It is a special experience for them and one of the reasons why they are happy to join us. We are sorry that this year some of the team could not take the train, because that is also something that makes the children especially happy, but when we all got together again and had a toast together – everything was easier.
On some parts of the trail, the scenes were reminiscent of the waterfront at the height of the season – hikers were walking in both directions, and in total around 400 hikers participated in the event, a number that no one expected.
Upon returning to Malačka, a wreath-laying ceremony and candle-lighting ceremony were held for the fallen veterans from the Kaštela and Kaštelanska Zagora areas. Mirko Sušac, coordinator of veterans' associations, who led the wreath-laying and candle-lighting ceremony under the large cross, also spoke with words of gratitude, and then Don Nikola Bodrožić Selak prayed for absolution.
The event was also attended by the Deputy Mayor of Kaštela, Antonio Budimir, and the Director of the Tourist Board, Nada Maršić. A holy mass was held in the chapel of St. Alojzije Stepinac, after which came the most awaited part of the day: Fažol.
As the Society says, after distributing 400 portions, they realized that – simply – it wouldn't be enough. Caretakers Mara and Marko Topić did their best, they cooked more, stirred more, because it had never happened before that someone from Malačka left hungry.
This kind of successful improvisation is also possible thanks to the large number of hiking trails on Kozjak, which are maintained by three Kastelan hiking societies. Guide Ivana Perica pointed out:
- The safety of hikers is always our top priority. We have an active trail marking section that takes care of marking and maintaining trails, and we can boast a large number of well-maintained paths throughout Kozjak. The unity is especially evident on the 'Three Societies' excursion, when we hike trails across the entire Kozjak and connect our three lodges.
A sunny day, exceptional views of Kaštela and the panorama, laughter, walking, gratitude and togetherness – these are all reasons why the 29th birthday of the Malačka HPD will be remembered for a long time. And next year… maybe a bigger train. Or at least a bigger pot of beans.
"Thank you to everyone who came. Without you, our birthday wouldn't have been nearly as great," the Society concluded.
Photo: Ivana Topić/ HPD Malačka
