The oldest Croatian city on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, the best-preserved original medieval city, one of the few cities in the world that has two monuments under the protection of UNESCO, one of the most beautiful in the entire Mediterranean and a fortress city - all this Sibenik.
In addition to their stunning appearance, Šibenik's fortresses offer their visitors numerous facilities that make visiting these buildings a real experience. Four beauties still guard this fantastic city today, and we suggest you visit them all.
Fortress of St. Mihovila
Built on a steep rock, about seventy meters above sea level, fortress of St. Michaelmas it is the oldest of the four city fortifications and one of the most beautiful places in Šibenik where you will enjoy a breath-taking view of the city. This medieval fortress is the source of the city, which was first mentioned in history in 1066. Simply put - if there was no fortress of St. Mihovil, there would be no city of Šibenik. It was built to control and defend the Šibenik lagoon and the mouth of the Krka river, as well as other extremely important corridors to and from Dalmatia. It owes its name to the church that has been inside the walls since the 12th century.
Due to its interesting appearance and attractive location, today it is recognized as one of the most prestigious stages in the region. A few years ago, a summer stage with over 1.000 seats was built on the fortress. Numerous events such as concerts, musicals, theater festivals, plays and film screenings are held there. It is available to visit every day throughout the year, and a daily visit will give you the most beautiful view of the blue sea and the fairy-tale islands scattered on it, but also a walk along the restored walls and a tour of the underground parts of the fortress where there are two cisterns from the 15th century, a bread oven and stone cannonballs.
Fortress Barone
Located 90 meters above the sea on a hill formerly called Vidakuša, Barone fortress it is one of the three land fortifications that protected Šibenik from the enemy. Bad relations between the Ottoman Empire and Venice, and the outbreak of the Candian War in the middle of the 17th century, brought the enemy within reach of Šibenik. That's why united residents built this beautiful building in just 58 days. Not long after the construction of the fort, the biggest attack on Šibenik in history followed - the Bosnian pasha Tekieli arrived in front of the city with 25 to 30 thousand soldiers. Baron von Degenfeld was the commander of the defense thanks to which the attacks were repelled and the enemy retreated with heavy losses. Grateful citizens named the fortress after its builder and hero - Baron.
Barone Fortress is a unique regional cultural attraction. With the revitalization, it has become a place where, with the help of the most modern technology, you can look into the past of Šibenik. Learn about the defensive strength of the city and the impressive stories of its inhabitants in the innovative, interactive museum which brings to life the sights and sounds of that time through augmented reality technology. One of the things you can learn on this walk is the destructive power of cannons, replicas of which can be found in the half-bastions of the fortress today. Barone will take you on an unforgettable journey into history, but also on an eno-gastro journey through the Šibenik region if you head to Gastro-cultural center which offers a specific offer of selected delicacies and wines from the Šibenik region, which promotes the local gastronomic offer.
Fortress of St. Ivana
In the same period when the Ottomans were at the gates of Šibenik and when the Barone fortress was built, in less than two months the fortress of St. Ivan. The fortress was built by the people of Šibenik with their own hands and resources, according to the design of the engineer from Genoa, Fr. Antonio Leni. It is located above the old Sibenik city center at an altitude of 115 meters. During its existence, it was reshaped and strengthened several times. In modern times, this star-shaped building served as an attractive scenery for the world-famous series Game of Thrones.
376 years after its construction, the fortress of St. Ivana was opened to visitors this year after a long and demanding renovation. Inside the centuries-old ramparts, it is modernly decorated and equipped campus, with the aim of being a place that will gather people eager for knowledge from all over the world. It is intended for creating, learning, exchanging ideas and celebrating creativity. The idea is to use the space inside the ramparts all year round, as a future center for cultural and creative industries where knowledge is created and exchanged and tradition and modern technology are combined, but also to introduce various contents, attractions and products through which visitors will learn everything about the history of this wonderful building , as well as the city of Šibenik. The outdoor area will host festival-type events that will host craftsmen, artists, archaeologists and many others.
Fortress of St. Nicholas
Approaching Šibenik from the sea side, the first thing you will see is impressive fortress of St. Nicholas because of which the city was never attacked from the sea. It was built on the islet of Ljuljevac, in the place where once upon a time the Benedictine monastery of St. Nicholas was located. The fortress is a unique building of the Venetian Renaissance fortification architecture and is a monument of world architectural heritage in the Mediterranean. It is the only Venetian military fort located exclusively on the sea. Its floor plan is triangular, which at that time in Europe - except in Italy - was a real rarity. After Skradin fell under Ottoman rule in 1522, the Venetians had to strengthen the defense of the port of Sibenik, which was strategically the most important port on the eastern coast of the Adriatic. The construction of the new fortress, according to the project of Gian Girolamo Sanmichelli, began in 1540, and already in 1544 it received its first crew.
With its fascinating history, inspiring architecture and interesting story, it will take you to the era when the Ottomans conquered some of the Dalmatian cities in the hinterland and dangerously threatened the cities on the coast. It was considered that the one who holds the city also holds the eastern Adriatic, so the rivals, thanks to its impressive and terrifying appearance, never conquered it.
On the UNESCO World Heritage List
Fortress of St. Nikole is a unique monument of world architectural heritage that was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2017, and has opened its doors to visitors since June 2019.
It is a special experience to visit this authentic building from the sea side. All visitors have the opportunity to tour the fortress by boat that departs daily from the Sibenik waterfront. In this unique cultural and historical experience, the hosts will tell you interesting details about the fortress, the canal and the church of St. Anthony, as well as the sea tunnel 'Hitler's eyes' and the former barracks in Minerska bay.
The boat ride is accompanied by companions, as well as multimedia guides on tablets that provide information about the location in eight world languages at certain places. If you are traveling with children, the video games and animations will be a fun experience for the whole family.
Cover photo: Tourist Board of Šibenik
