Šibenik-Knin County: Islands, Nature and Culture

Islands and outdoor activities

Kornati National Park comprises a group of 125 islands, islets and reefs rising above the sea. Sailing among 89 islands, islets and reefs in the park is one of the visitor activities described. A valid ticket is required to travel through the national park. Daily tours are organised by ship owners and boat operators who are authorised to transport passengers and have a contract with Kornati National Park for these activities. If you choose Kornati as the focus of your trip, both the ticket requirement and the way tours are organised are useful points to bear in mind.

Visitors to Kornati National Park can also take guided walks, hikes or sightseeing tours with a professional guide; swimming and diving are also among the activities mentioned. Šibenik-Knin County offers excellent conditions for walking, hiking, cycling and scuba diving, on land and in the water. There are several ways to enter Krka National Park: on foot, by bicycle, by boat or on the national park bus. This lets you weigh up different activities and ways of getting around without combining them into a single excursion.

Fortresses and history in Šibenik

The fortresses also give the region a distinctive cultural character. Barone Fortress presents the history of Šibenik using augmented reality technology, computer-generated images and sounds. If you are interested in the connection between history and digital presentation, this offers a different way of exploring the past from the architecture of St. Nicholas Fortress.

St. Nicholas Fortress lies at the entrance to the St. Anthony Channel in Šibenik. It is a unique Renaissance work of Venetian military architecture and an outstanding World Heritage monument. In 2017, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the nomination “Venetian Defence System between the 16th and 17th Centuries.” St. Michael’s Fortress offers another point of reference: its north entrance is near the fire station, while the south entrance is reached by climbing up from the historic old town. These different historical themes and the locations of the entrances described may help you choose your excursions when planning your trip.

Cuisine, getting here and choosing the right holiday area

The cuisine also reflects the difference between the county’s coastal and island areas and its continental interior. Regional cuisine can be divided into these two areas. In the coastal area, fish, shellfish and various seafood form the basis of much of the cuisine; the continental area has its own distinctive cuisine. If local food culture is part of your holiday, you can take these two culinary traditions into account when deciding whether to visit the county.

The region is connected by several transport routes: the Adriatic Highway links it to the coastal region, a main road leads towards Knin and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and a motorway connects it with Croatia’s interior. An important railway line in the county runs towards Zagreb and Split. When choosing an apartment, you can therefore start by focusing on your preferred destinations and activities, then see which location within the county suits them. The key question is whether you want to focus your trip mainly on islands and water activities, nature or historical discoveries.

Other areas of the county

For further information, see the subpages for Tisno Municipality, Vodice Municipality, Kistanje Municipality, Šibenik Municipality, Rogoznica Municipality, Skradin Municipality, Ervenik Municipality, Biskupija Municipality, Drniš Municipality, Knin Municipality, Primošten Municipality, Ružić Municipality, Zirje, Promina Municipality, Kornati, Unešić Municipality, Kijevo Municipality and Civljane Municipality.

For the broader travel overview: Croatia.