ŠIBENIK & ZADAR REGION

ŠIBENIK

This „must see“beauty built in stone is among best representatives of European Renaissance is located just about in the center of the Croatian Adriatic coast, surrounded by one of the most beautiful karst in Croatia that wildly gorgeous river Krka flows into. As the oldest Croatian autochtonous town it was first mentioned in 1066 during the reign of the Croatian King Kresimir IV. The rich cultural and historical heritage of the city is visible in the impressive Cathedral of St. Jacob, under UNESCO protection and it’s artistic, cultural and historical value that will take your breath away.Numerous churches, monasteries, palaces and four fortresses ‘frame’ the city, and also testify to the perseverance, renunciation and faith of generations of people of Sibenik. It is a city of culture, the host to the only International Children’s Festival as well as traditional events such as Dalmatian chanson Evenings.

ZADAR
Zadar is an ancient Mediterranean city-monument, surrounded by historical ramparts. The old town is located on a peninsula which is connected with a new, urban part by a bridge, one of the symbols of the city. The old town is full of archaeological treasures and monuments dating from the ancient, medieval and Renaissance periods. This is visible by a numerous sacral and architectural monuments – the church of St. Donatus, Roman Forum, Kalelarga – the longest and widest street, Cathedral of St. Anastasia, Archaeological Museum with its exceptional treasures and many other monuments of cultural and historical heritage (town gate, Arsenal, churches, museums…). It may be that the loveliest inscription of Zadar´s exceptional sunset was written by the famous Alfred Hitchcock. On the occasion of his visit to Zadar, in May 1964, while observing the luxurious game played by the sun, he said: »Zadar has the most beautiful sunset in the world, more beautiful than the one in Key West, in Florida, applauded at every evening.«

THE GREETING TO THE SUN

SEA ORGAN

NATIONAL PARK KRKA
The largest part of this amazing river’s course is the national park, which in addition to its natural phenomena abounds with cultural and historical monuments. The most outstanding of these is the Franciscan monastery on the tiny island of Visovac, set in the middle of the lake widening in the river like a precious stone. Within the monastery there is a picture gallery and a church, origins of which are traced back to the 14th century. The old mills, which have been transformed into small ethnographic museums where one can see how wheat was ground in the olden days, are a popular attraction for visitors. Heritage interpreters are dressed in traditional folk costumes, which is particularly interesting and entertaining for children, who are frequent visitors of the park. However, the main attraction of Krka National Park lies in its seven waterfalls.

Hedona´s tip:  Combine the visit to this park with a visit to a near by Ethno village. Ask us how !

NATIONAL PARK KORNATI
According to a legend, Kornati, a maze of sea passages and islets, were created from a number of rocks God had left over after creating the world. He tossed them into the sea, looked at them, and decided nothing else needed to be corrected. The Kornati archipelago consists of 140 uninhabited islands, islets and reefs. They are famous for the peculiar shapes of reefs and crags but particularly for their high cliffs. The main island Kornat is accounted for the largest part of the park and the whole island group is named after it. Due to the dangers involved in sailing through this maze of stone and sea, there are many old lighthouses on Kornati islands. The biggest admirers of Kornati are yachtsmen, who find in this area, that which they seek most: a sun soaked warren of sea and islands set in unspoilt nature.

PLITVICE LAKES
Plitvice Lakes, a natural phenomenon and a jewel of inestimable value, is the oldest national park in Southeast Europe and the largest national park in Croatia.  The waters flowing over the limestone and chalk have, over thousands of years, deposited travertine barriers, creating natural dams which in turn have created a series of beautiful lakes, caves and waterfalls. These geological processes continue today. The forests in the park are home to bears, wolves and many rare bird species. There are 16 large and a lot of small lakes which are connected by small, medium and large waterfalls. Due to the natural beauty of the waterfalls, cascades, caves and rocks, which offer a beautiful mosaic of colors, sounds and shapes surrounded by high mountain forest terrain, Plitvice Lakes and its surroundings were in 1949 declared a National Park, and since 1979 have been under the UNESCO protection.