Location
XY Suites – Design Apartments is in Šibenik, a historic stone town on the Dalmatian coast of Croatia. Here is our guide to the old town, the national parks, day trips and beaches – and to getting here.
Distances and driving times are approximate, by car from Eugena Kvaternika 15, and depend on traffic and the route you choose.
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Šibenik
Šibenik’s historic centre climbs a hillside beneath St Michael’s Fortress, so much of it is a maze of stone lanes and stairways – the city counts some 2,800 steps. At its height in the 17th century Šibenik was the largest city in Dalmatia, which is why its old town is larger than you might expect.
Republic of Croatia Square, with the cathedral and the loggia, has been the heart of city life since the Middle Ages. Nearby are the Square of the Four Wells, once the city’s largest public cistern, and the Medieval Garden of St Lawrence, tucked away among the steep streets of Gorica. Below, the waterfront promenade is lovely for an evening walk.
Šibenik has its own word for a hearty mid-morning meal: marenda. Local cooking blends Venetian, Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian influences with ingredients from the islands, the hinterland and the fields around the city – from small fried fish to slow-cooked stews.
Built between 1431 and 1535 entirely of stone – even its roof is made of large stone slabs – the cathedral blends Gothic and Renaissance forms into one harmonious building.
Look for the frieze of 71 sculpted human heads – a gallery of faces from the 15th century. UNESCO inscribed the cathedral on the World Heritage List in 2000.
Šibenik is a city of fortresses: three on the hills above the old town and one at sea. Opening hours change with the season – check the Fortress of Culture website before you go.
The oldest fortress, on a 70-metre cliff directly above the old town. Today it is a summer stage for concerts, with views over the city, the channel and the islands.
How to visit: On foot, climbing up from the old town to the south entrance, or via the north entrance near the fire station.
Built in 1646 on a 90-metre hill in just 58 days by the people of Šibenik themselves. It has a café with wide views, a playground and a summer programme of jazz and open-air cinema.
How to visit: On the hill above the old town. A ticket for Barone also covers St John’s Fortress, and vice versa.
The highest of the four, on a 120-metre hill. Built in 1646 together with Barone, it helped Šibenik withstand a month-long Ottoman siege in 1647.
How to visit: Reached by an access path to its single entrance on the south side. One ticket covers St John’s and Barone; a combined ticket covers all three land fortresses.
A Venetian sea fortress on a small island at the entrance to St Anthony’s Channel. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site “Venetian Works of Defence” (2017).
How to visit: Currently accessible only by boat. You can also see it from the St Anthony’s Channel promenade.
A coastal path of about 4.5 km from Paninkovac Bay to the islet of Školjić, opposite St Nicholas Fortress. Walking the whole way in one direction takes about two hours. Viewpoints along the route look back at Šibenik and out to the archipelago, and the path is lit at night.
Four national parks are within reach – Krka on Šibenik’s doorstep, the others for longer day trips.
Seven travertine waterfalls, the island monastery of Visovac and the remains of medieval fortresses along the river canyon. Skradinski buk, the best known of the falls, is the longest travertine barrier in Europe. The park is open all year.
Half-day or full-day trip. Entrances include Lozovac and Skradin.
Lozovac entrance: about 17 km · 20–25 min. Skradin entrance: about 22 km · 25–30 min.
An archipelago of 89 protected islands – the densest and most indented island group in the Mediterranean, with sheer cliffs dropping into the sea and some 330 km of dry-stone walls.
The park can only be visited by boat: your own or a rented boat, or an excursion run by boat operators licensed by the park. Excursions leave from several harbours in the area; Black & White Taxi can take you to the departure port of the excursion you choose. The boat trip and park ticket are booked separately.
Two dramatic canyons – Velika and Mala Paklenica – cut into the southern slopes of the Velebit mountain. A national park since 1949, with 150–200 km of trails and Croatia’s most visited climbing area.
Full-day trip for walkers and climbers. Entrance 1, Velika Paklenica, is near Starigrad-Paklenica.
Entrance 1 (Velika Paklenica): about 100 km · about 1 h 15 min–1 h 25 min.
Croatia’s largest national park: travertine barriers have formed a series of lakes, caves and waterfalls in a forested landscape. On the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1979, it lies far inland in the Lika region – not in the Šibenik area. Swimming is not allowed in the park.
A long full-day trip. The two main entrances are about 3 km apart; check park conditions and tickets before you go.
Entrance 1: about 190 km · about 2 h 30 min.
Three of Dalmatia’s best-known towns are an easy day trip from Šibenik.
Built around Diocletian’s Palace, a Roman emperor’s residence from around the year 300 whose remains are found throughout the city centre. Walk through the vaulted substructures to the Peristyle, see the medieval cathedral built using the emperor’s mausoleum, and finish on the Riva waterfront. UNESCO World Heritage since 1979.
About 80 km · about 1 h 10 min.
A small island town with a street plan dating back to Hellenistic times. Don’t miss the Cathedral of St Lawrence and its 13th-century portal by Master Radovan, or the view from the Kamerlengo fortress. UNESCO World Heritage since 1997.
About 55 km · 50–60 min.
On Zadar’s waterfront, the Sea Organ plays music with the waves, and the Greeting to the Sun lights up after sunset – both designed by architect Nikola Bašić. The city’s Venetian defensive walls are part of the same UNESCO site as St Nicholas Fortress.
Old town (Sea Organ): about 90 km · about 1 h 15 min.
From city beaches with a view of the old town to seaside villages along the coast. Facilities and services can vary with the season.
Šibenik’s public city beach, about a 10-minute walk from St Michael’s Fortress. Fine pebbles, a seaside promenade and a superb view of the old town, the fortresses and the cathedral.
A beach on the Srima peninsula, right across the water from the old town, within a protected park. In the summer months it is connected to the city by a boat line.
A pebble beach of about 300 m in Brodarica, some 6 km south-east of Šibenik, looking across to the island of Krapanj. Popular with families.
Šibenik’s historic city beach, opened in 1922 at the mouth of St Anthony’s Channel, about 14 km from the old town – with the old lighthouse and views of St Nicholas Fortress.
A sandy Blue Flag beach in the Amadria Park resort, next to Hotel Jure. Day visitors can use the beach; according to the resort, sun loungers and umbrellas are available for a fee and some facilities are reserved for hotel guests.
A seaside village about 10 km south of Šibenik. Its long main beach has fine pebbles and a sandy, gradually deepening seabed – good for children – and a car-free promenade along the shore.
A quiet seaside place on the Srima peninsula, so close to Vodice that the two have long since merged – ideal for a calm day by the sea.
A lively resort town with several beaches: the long, shallow Blue Beach (Plava plaža) for families, the quieter, pine-shaded Vićevica, and Olympia, known for its beach clubs.
A picturesque old town on a small peninsula, crowned by the Church of St George. On the Raduča peninsula, Velika Raduča offers pebbles and pine shade, while Mala Raduča looks across to the old town – lovely at sunset.
Šibenik has no airport of its own, but it lies between two international airports.
Busy all year, with the most flights in summer – for many travellers the most convenient choice.
About 55 km · about 55 min.
Particularly well connected with Germany, the UK, Ireland, Scandinavia and Central Europe, especially in summer.
About 75 km · about 1 h (via the A1 motorway).
Our own taxi service, Black & White Taxi, can take you from either airport to XY Suites and drive you to all the land destinations in this guide.
Clicking a link opens the Black & White Taxi website – it does not book a ride. Your trip is confirmed only once Black & White Taxi confirms it. Prices are agreed directly with them; park tickets, guides and boat excursions are not part of the ride and are booked separately.
The official Šibenik tourist board has much more on the city, events and the surrounding area.
Facts in this guide come from official tourist boards, national parks and UNESCO. Photos of Šibenik on this page were taken by the owner of XY Suites.
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