Sibenik, Croatia – never on our bucket list but finding ourselves on a Mediterranean cruise we had the chance visit this charming medieval city.
Before landing at Zadar we were faced with what tours, if any, to do in the Port of Zadar, Croatia. (Life’s tough sometimes!)
Why go on a tour at all you ask? Well for starters you have a local guide who offers such interesting snippets of information you will never find in a brochure. Plus of course, you can’t ask a brochure a question!
The bus ride to the UNESCO heritage listed city of Sibenik from the Port of Zadar takes about 1.1/4 hours which goes quickly because the countryside is so picturesque.
The city is more than 1,000 years old and we spent an hour or so wandering the fascinating cobbled streets that could tell many interesting stories of war and peace. (Make sure you wear flat shoes). It’s actually the oldest native Croatian Town on the eastern shores of the Adriatic and truly takes you a step back in time.
Sibenik on the Adriatic Coast
If you visit in the last week in September (which we did) the streets of the Old Town are alive with colourful bright flags to celebrate St Michael’s Day – he’s the Patron Saint of the City. They are criss-crossed along just about every street and gives the old city a party atmosphere. (There are 18 other festivals through the year though so the odds of seeing one are pretty good).
The celebrations for St Michael’s Day are described as a “Fair for inhabitants and peasants, masters of old Handicrafts and gastronomic specialties”.
Damn and blast, we were a week too late, because I’d have been happy attending an event as a peasant to enjoy the gastronomic treats!.
The town was alive with colourful flags for St Michael’s Day
Table of Contents
St James’ Cathedral – Sibenik
Snap happy people outside St James Cathedral
Our tour took us past the City Hall and Baroque Orthodox Church into the town centre. Here we found the most famous building of Sibenik, St James Cathedral known as “the crowning architectural glory of the Dalmatian Coast”. The entrance to the cathedral was guarded by two rather fierce looking lions. (Sculptures of course).
As I’m a fan of gargoyles (the stories behind those sculpted heads are so fascinating), I was intrigued to see 74 small heads representing famous Sibenik citizens. They create a lot of interest to the Cathedral’s exterior that, by the way, was a little slow to get off the ground.
Gargoyles of past Citizens
Construction of this masterpiece started in 1431 the completion date wasn’t until 1536! (Definitely wouldn’t conform to the modern building code of final certificates!) But, if Gothic and Renaissance architecture is your thing make sure you go inside, it’s magnificent.
St Michael’s – a Fortress with a View.
Rather than diving for a coffee shop we used our spare time to walk up the hill towards the old fortress of St Michael’s. Well we didn’t actually get there, because about 500 metres from the top a man popped out of his sentry box and wanted to charge us to walk further.
Don’t get me wrong, we would have willingly paid the small amount but time was running out to get back down the hill to the bus. Managed a couple of photos of the spectacular and craggy Dalmatian coast from that height though.
As it was we almost got lost coming back down to the town because Sibenik signage is almost non-existent – as is my sense of direction!
How to get lost in one easy lesson!
The advantage to getting semi lost meant we came across the Medieval Mediterranean Gardens of St Lawrence Monastry. Such a warm and welcoming green haven complete with a coffee shop to encourage visitors to stay and enjoy the peaceful surroundings. I’m always interested in monasteries and how lives were lived in days gone by – honestly I’d have been hopeless in medieval days. (Again – no time for a coffee – getting lost had taken up what was left of our time).
Inviting Cafe in the gardens of St Lawrence’s Monastery.
Another photo of St Lawrence Gardens – so high up in Sebinik
The walk back down through town took us past local homes that are hundreds of years old and still as strong as the day they were built. No concrete rendered slab walls in this UNESCO town!
Alleys and Old Homes
Note to self: Come back to Croatia on a driving holiday and book one of these old homes through Airbnb. Many have magnificent views and the hosts apparently cook up the specialty Dalmatian fritters for breakfast!
Trivia
Apparently, Sibenik was the first city to have eletricity more than 120 years ago. The inventor was Nikola Tesla…the famous name behind the (expensive) electric cars we have today!
Electricity wires in Sebinik Alleyways
So, in a nutshell that’s the small medieval city of Sibenik, definitely not to be missed if you are on a mediterranean cruise or road trip through Croatia.
Then, in the blink of an eye, we were back on the bus, heading up into the hills of Primosten towards the hamlet of Jurinovi Dvori to eat, drink, be merry and entertained in true Croatian style…
TIPS
- Get a town map from one of the shops when you first arrive at Sibenik.
- Forget morning tea because lunch is only a couple of hours away and you miss out on too many interesting sights.
- Wear flat shoes for walking on cobbles.
- Walk up to St Michael’s Castle.
- Handy to have small change – currently it’s the Croatian Kuno – not every shop likes to take a plastic card for small items.
Useful Croatian Words:
- Please: Molim
- Thank you: Hvala
- Yes: Da
- No: Ne
- How Much is it: Koliko kosta?
- (Although a smile and a point at an item also works!)
