Region in Croatia
Dalmatia – Šibenik
- Best time to go
- May, June, Sept, Oct
- Part of
- Croatia
The Šibenik region sits in the middle of the Dalmatian coast, where the Krka river runs down through waterfalls and a long estuary into the sea.
Šibenik itself is a stone city of steep lanes and fortresses with a cathedral built entirely of stone, and two national parks, Krka and Kornati, are within easy reach. Along the coast are Primošten and Rogoznica, offshore an archipelago of small, quiet islands, and inland the dry hills of Drniš and Knin. It is often skipped on the way between Zadar and Split, which is a good reason to stop.
Things to do
Don't miss in Dalmatia – Šibenik
- See the Cathedral of St James in Šibenik, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built entirely of stone, with a frieze of 71 carved faces around its apses.
- Take a boat across the channel to St Nicholas Fortress, the Venetian sea fort at the mouth of the Šibenik bay, also on the UNESCO list.
- Walk the boardwalks past Skradinski buk and the other waterfalls of Krka National Park; arrive by boat from Skradin for the prettiest approach.
- Sail out from Murter to the Kornati, a national park of bare, stony islands that are best seen from the deck of a boat.
- Visit Krapanj, one of the smallest inhabited islands in the Adriatic, where sponge divers have worked for centuries.
- Photograph the vineyards of Primošten, whose dry-stone walls form a pattern of small plots on the hillside, and try the local Babić red wine.
- Taste smoked pršut and cheese in Drniš, and climb to Knin Fortress, one of the largest in Croatia.
Getting there
How to get to Dalmatia – Šibenik
Split Airport is about 50 minutes from Šibenik by car and Zadar Airport about an hour. The A1 motorway passes just outside the city, with exits for Šibenik, Skradin and Krka. Šibenik's bus station is on the waterfront below the old town. Small ferries and passenger boats run from Šibenik to the islands of Zlarin, Prvić, Kaprije and Žirje, Murter is joined to the mainland by a swing bridge at Tisno, and Krapanj is a few minutes by boat from Brodarica.