10 things that you cannot miss out if you do a call in Šibenik

The Šibenik cruise port is located north of the Dalmatia region, washed by the waters of the Adriatic Sea and a few kilometers from the Krka River, its extraordinary location allows you to visit national parks, beaches and enjoy nature. In addition, the weather is mild, with mild temperatures throughout the year, which makes it an ideal port for stopover during your Adriatic cruise.

Šibenik is also one of the cities with the greatest historical and cultural legacy in Croatia, so you can stroll through the historic centre and discover fantastic religious buildings, chapels or soak up the beauty of the white and medieval streets.

To do a cruiseship wtih stops in Croatia allows you know places as fascinating as this one.

If your cruise stops in the city of Šibenik you are in luck, as you will enjoy a wonderful medieval city where you can visit from cultural places such as the Cathedral of St. James or the Šibenik City Museum or enjoy nature in the city. Krka Natural Park or Banj Beach. These are our advices if you visit the port of Šibenik:

1. St James Cathedral, World Heritage

The Šibenik Cathedral of Santiago was declared, in the year 2000, a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is a tourist attraction without a visit to the interior, since the building is decorated by about 75 faces of women, men and children sculpted in stone by the sculptor Juraj Dalmatinac. These figures represent fear, insecurity, seriousness and other concerns of the Šibenik inhabitants of the time. The architecture and decoration of the Cathedral are an example of the fusion between Gothic and Renaissance art. You can visit the Cathedral every day for a price of 20 kunas (€ 2.70) or attend mass for free.

View from the Cathedral of St. James, World Heritage from the UNESCO.

2.  Republic´s Square

The Republic Square was the centre of Šibenik’s activities and social life in ancient times as it contains historic buildings such as the City Hall Palace or the Cathedral of Santiago. This square was destroyed in 1943 by bombings during World War II, but it has been rebuilt and it is possible to visit it today. The old buildings surrounding the square today house picturesque local businesses. It is an ideal place to visit quietly, visiting the shops or relaxing on the terraces of the restaurants.

3. Garden of the medieval monastery of St. Lawrence

The medieval Mediterranean garden of the monastery of St Lawrence was abandoned for more than 100 years, but after a complete restoration and rehabilitation by landscape architect Dragutin Kis, it was reopened in 2007. This beautiful garden has a medieval-inspired design , cross-shaped roads surrounded by numerous plants and a fountain in the center. Visitors to the gardens can find numerous different plants and flowers, among which the great variety of Mediterranean herbs used for cooking, as well as medicinal herbs and aromatic roses. In addition to enjoying a wonderful walk in the garden, cruise passengers can take a break in the cafeteria or restaurant or enjoy the Medieval Nights in which the staff disguises themselves and serves local culinary specialties

4. The museum of the city Šibenik

The City Museum is located in the Palace of the Duke and opened in 1925 to celebrate its 1000th anniversary. In 1975 the total transformation of the Palace into a Museum was completed and archaeological, cultural and historical relics can be found, in addition to other relics of Šibenik’s modern history. These relics include everything from archaeological finds to photographs, postcards, weapons and other heritage objects. The Museum has a total of 150,000 exhibitions and depending on the season of the year in which you visit, tourists can enjoy temporary exhibitions and some cultural events. The building is very close to the Cathedral of Santiago and the city center, making it a perfect place to visit during your stopover. The opening hours are morning and admission costs only € 3.80 for adults from 12 years and € 1.50 for students.

5. Fortress of St. Nicholas

The fortress of St. Nicholas is situated at the entrance of the San Anthony canal that leads to the port and was built in 1540 to defend the city of Šibenik from the naval attacks of the Turks during the reign of the Ottoman Empire. The fortress served for many centuries to protect the city and the army during numerous wars, until 1979, when it was abandoned. It is said that the fortress of St. Nicholas is the best preserved of the entire Dalmatian coast, since despite being abandoned almost 40 years ago, remodeling has been carried out. The island on which it was built is known as Ljulvejac, where previously was the Monastery of San Nicolás. The fortress can be visited throughout the day and admission is free, to visit it tourists must make a 950 metre road by sea.

6. National Park of Krka

A few kilometres from Šibenik are the waterfalls of the Krka River, a Natural Park full of vegetation and where you can see peregrine falcons, ospreys and even golden eagles. In addition to wildlife, the clear and crystal clear waters of the falls and the lake also attracts attention. It is the only Natural Park of fresh water in Croatia where bathing is allowed, another reason to visit this park since in addition to enjoying nature, visitors can bathe in the lake.

7. Banj Beach

Banj Beach is urban and it is located a few minutes walk from the centre of the city of Šibenik. It was built in 2012 and has all the necessary services for the whole family. The beach has a playground for children, sun loungers and parasols to relax, dance floor, bathrooms and showers, as well as Wi-Fi, as well as a bar, cafeteria, pizzeria and pastry shop. The most sporty visitors can enjoy numerous activities such as kayaks and canoes, beach volleyball court, swimming, snorkeling, boats, water polo and other water sports. For visitors who prefer to relax and enjoy the wonderful views, the beach has an attractive view of the historic center, the Cathedral of St James, the fort of San Michael and the San Anthony canal. Banj beach won the award for Best Beach in Croatia, awarded by the Croatian Tourist Office in 2016

8. Sokolarski Raptor Centre

For animal lovers, Šibenik is a fantastic destination since a few kilometers from the city is the Sokolarski raptor recovery centre. It is not very well known and that is why it is an ideal place to visit since there will pleanty of space for you to enjoy. The entrance fee costs about € 14, but it is worth it since the visit is made with the owner of the center. The owner will explain the operation and mission of the center, in addition to the characteristics of the birds they own. One of the activities carried out during the visit is the feeding of the birds, which allows them to approach them and be able to enjoy them in a more special way.

9.  Stages in Game Thrones in the sourrindings of the city of Šibenik

Šibenik is a perfect destination for fans of the famous Game of Thrones series as some scenes from the season 5 of the series were recorded in this city. Tourists can take a small tour of the Iron Bank of the Seven Kingdoms, set in the Cathedral of Santiago or the streets of Braavos, where Arya Stark flees from the Temple of the God of Many Faces, set in the wide white streets of Šibenik and in the square in front of the Cathedral of Santiago. In Šibenik the scenes of entry by sea to the city of Braavos were also recorded, where you can see in the background the Fortress of St. Nicholas and other buildings of the city of Šibenik. Another scenario in the series is the Krka National Park, in which some scenes of West landscapes were recorded.

10. Festival de la Infancia  Cildhood festival

If you travel during the months of June and July, Šibenik is a perfect destination for families as it becomes the city of children with this Children’s Festival. The streets of Šibenik will be available for children’s creativity with musical presentations, creative activity workshops and educational programs in the form of a symposium.

If you want to know more about Croatia as a cruise destination, you can visit our blog other posts like these:

 

10 culinary specialties that you can not miss during your Croatian cruise

River cruise stopover in Vukovar: discover the cuisine of a Croatian city

Dalmacia: destino sostenible y protagonista de Newsweek.com

 

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