Šibenik, the oldest Croatian city on the Adriatic coast, was added to my Croatia itinerary because it’s only half an hour from the Krka NP and it was also used in Game of Thrones as the decor for Braavos. Even though Šibenik has a rich culture and a great location (between the popular cities of Zadar & Split), it’s not crowded with tourists. The town has only one hotel (but there are quite some guesthouses you can stay at)!
This charming little town was ruled by the Venetians from the early 15th century until 1797 and you can still see this in the architecture of the old city center.

 

Everything you need to know about Šibenik

Getting there

You can fly to Zadar or Split airport and take the bus to Šibenik’s bus station, which is situated at the border of the old city center. Traveling by bus is the easiest and cheapest way to travel through Croatia. All busses have airconditioning and the seats are comfortable.
I was traveling from Plitvice Lakes National Park. The bus ticket costed me 128 HRK for the 4 hour drive. By car you’ll probably get there faster (but it’s more expensive), because the bus stops a few times. Bus tickets can be booked in advance via Bus Croatia.

 

Getting around

There’s only one way to explore Šibenik and that’s by foot. The streets are very narrow and often contain stairs. The size of the old city center is only about 0,35km².

 

What to see and do

• Climb the fortresses

  Šibenik has 4 fortresses that used to protect the city from various attacks through many centuries. Since you are not allowed to visit the St John Fortress (which was used as a background for scenes of Braavos in Game of Thrones) and the St Nicholas Fortress is too far from the old town, I visited the other two. St Michael’s Fortress is the oldest monument of Šibenik with a beautiful graveyard next to it. Barone Fortress offers a fantastic view of the whole city with the Kornati islands in the back.

• Cathedral of St James

  This gorgeous monument is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. What makes it special is that it’s only built with stone. No wood, nails, or other bonding compounds were used. A method of dry assembly of custom carved stone slabs was used to create this stunning piece of architecture. In my opinion, its portals were the most impressive. The makers of Game of Thrones must have thought the same because they used them in the series for the Iron Bank of Braavos.

• Explore the narrow streets

  Šibenik is very small and so are its streets. I loved turning into the alleys losing any sence of direction. All houses are made of grey stone and decorated by green doors and shutters. I felt like Arya walking around in Braavos.

• Medieval Mediterranean Garden of the St Lawrence Monastery

  This is a cosy colorful garden to visit. You can find medicinal and season herbs here.

• Walk to Banj Beach

  Take a walk among the many yachts, sail and fisher boats until you almost reach Banj Beach. You will get an amazing view of Šibenik.
  
  
  

Eat & Drink

I was told to make sure to try the Gambas a la Buzara. This dish consists of large prawns, garlic, tomatoes, saffron, shallots, parsley and white wine. The sauce was great, but I hated the prawns. Probably because they weren’t good. I wasn’t able to peel them. They didn’t want to open so I couldn’t eat them. After 10 minutes I was so angry at the dead shell fish in front of me that I quit trying. Don’t eat them at Kavana Medulic! At another place I’m sure they must be delicious. The restaurant at the Zlarinska square near the guesthouse was good and good breakfast can be found at the Obala dr Franje Tudmana at one of the many restaurants.

 

Where to stay

I stayed at the Guesthouse Merla in a small room with 2 separate beds. It was very clean and I loved the bathroom. It’s great for a short stay when you don’t need a lot of space. If you need more space I recommend to take the apartment. Its location is perfect; near the bus station in the old city center. I payed 165€ for 2 persons for 3 nights. (27.5€ per person per night)

 

Good to know

Šibenik has a rich festival culture. If you like your quiet nights I advise you to research when the festivals are. During my stay the Children’s Festival started and there was one night we couldn’t sleep at all. They partied in the streets until 4 o’clock. So be prepared! (I brought ear plugs, but they didn’t help very much 🙂 ) Also if you want to be able to take good pictures this is important to know. Because of the Children’s Festival they placed a tribune on the most beautiful square of Šibenik which ruined it totally.

 

Fun fact

Šibenik was the first place where electricity flowed through wires more than 120 years ago thanks to Nikola Tesla! Nowadays electric cars are named after him.

 

Day trip from Šibenik

If you have some spare time left during your stay at Šibenik I recommend visiting Krka NP. It’s a beautiful nature park with gorgeous waterfalls and you can swim there! (More about that here!)