Croatia is a small country, spanning considerably less than 60,000 square kilometres. On that small, very hard-won landmass with its globally famous glorious coastline, you can find 10 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In one city alone, there are two of them.
And no, it isn’t Dubrovnik, or Split or even Zadar.
If you fancy exploring coastal Croatia in a deeper way that will still keep you in very close proximity to the beaches, luxurious yachts and azure Adriatic Sea, getting better acquainted with its UNESCO World Heritage is a fantastic place to start.
Šibenik, bursting with history and culture
There’s nowhere better to do this than in the ancient Dalmatian city of Šibenik. This beautiful coastal city is one of the oldest cities founded by the Croats, having been mentioned for the first time in the 10th century.
It lies comfortably on its laurels each summer as countless numbers of foreign visitors pour into the city and its surrounding areas and islands from across the rest of Europe and indeed the world. Bursting with history and culture, Šibenik boasted the very first street lighting in the world, and is also home to what many consider to be Croatia’s finest dining experience – the eminent Pelegrini restaurant.
I could bang on and on about Šibenik, but it’s best I get to the point before this turns into a novel.
One cannot visit Šibenik, Croatia’s only city to boast two UNESCO sites, and not visit them. These extraordinary sites are St. Nicholas’ Fortress and the Cathedral of St. James.
The former was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2017, and was constructed n 1540 following the fall of nearby Skradin to the marauding Ottoman forces, and the latter was enshrined in 2000, and took 100 years to complete.
The spiritual and the martial
St. Nicholas’ Fortress a truly imposing Renaissance structure based on a design by esteemed Italian architect Gian Girolamo San Micheli. It naturally draws scores of visitors each and every year, keen to experience this formidable structure which symbolised the sheer power of the Venetian Empire.
Sitting solemnly at the entrance to St. Anthony’s Channel, it will send you travelling back in time to the rule of the mighty Venetians, who once governed over swathes of what is now Croatia’s stunning Dalmatian coast, as well as that of Istria.
The fortress was named after the Benedictine Monastery of St. Nicholas (Sveti Nikola in Croatian) which once sat on the same isle called Ljuljevac. This mighty structure acted as a stark warning to all enemies and would-be aggressors, protecting the powerful Venetian Empire’s once most important eastern Adriatic port – that of Šibenik.
Moving onto the latter, Šibenik’s St. James’ Cathedral is an example of architectural wonder, and is widely considered to be the most impressive architectural achievement in Croatia. If you’ve seen the wide array of significant architecture across Croatia, from high Austro-Hungarian class to socialist brutalism to ancient Dalmatian stone homes and Istria’s Italian-inspired style, you’ll know that is a very hard title to win.
Finding itself listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list at the turn of the century in the year 2000, St. James’ Cathedral is a triple-nave Catholic basilica and stands out for being entirely made of Dalmatian stone. It is the subject of countless photos per year by hordes of foreign visitors, and its Renaissance dome captures the interest of all who gaze up at it.
It suffered during Croatia’s War of Independence after Serbian paramilitaries supported by the JNA (Yugoslav People’s Army) shelled the city and its cathedral. Repairs were carried out until 1997, and no associated damage remains visible.
Built over a period stretching 100 years (with its actual construction beginning in 1402 following plans drawn up much earlier, in 1298), this cathedral had a starring role in “Game of Thrones,” as Šibenik played Braavos.
Croatia is home to 10 impressive UNESCO World Heritage Sites, with that list more than likely to continue expanding as time goes on. The best time to come and visit them is outside of the heart of the summer tourist season, when more comfortable temperatures allow for enjoyment, less crowds allow for proper exploration, and when the country starts to shed its summer costume for one more authentic to the Croatian people.
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Lauren Simmonds
Lauren Simmonds is the editor of Total Croatia News, the largest English language portal in Croatia. She lives in Zagreb, Croatia, and is a translator, content writer, interpreter and the co-author of "Croatia - A Survival Kit for Foreigners," which was published in 2022.
