In the 16th century, it was the biggest town in Dalmatia in terms of population. It is therefore unsurprising that Šibenik has the oldest town centre in Croatia.
The picturesque mediaeval town is surrounded by 4 forts, and its walls hide very old churches and charming narrow cobbled streets with a total of 2,851 stairs.
There are only 5 cities in the world with two UNESCO monuments. Šibenik is one of them!
The Šibenik Cathedral of St. James is a true architectural masterpiece that took more than 100 years to complete. The Gothic-Renaissance beauty that is protected by UNESCO was completed in the 16th century and boasts a 32-metre cupola and is deemed to be the biggest church in the world built entirely of stone – with no binding material and wood. It awaits you above the wide stairs at the entrance to the old town centre and will immediately mesmerise you with its grandeur and the decorated edifice.
There are few forts as picturesque and elegant as the renaissance Fort of St. Nicholas at the entrance to the beautiful St. Anthony's Channel that connects Šibenik to the sea. The fort was built in the 16th century in order to defend Šibenik from the sea and is one of the three such preserved forts in the Mediterranean. From here, we can sail under the Šibenik bridge into the interior towards KrkaRiver all the way to Skradin which has a marina and many authentic bars and restaurants. This is a great starting point for visiting the breathtaking KrkaRiver waterfalls that offer unforgettable experiences in an unspoilt natural environment.
If we take St. Anthony's Channel and go out to sea, we can sail to numerous inhabited islands such as Prvič, Zlarin, Kaprije, Tijat, Krapanj and many others where we find picturesque stone-built villages with ports and where we can enjoy the local cuisine and wines.
The town of Mandalina is located On the southern outskirts of Šibenik. This is where we find the Mandalina Marina which is one of the most beautiful modern marinas that also accommodates large yachts. The Mandalina Marina is also a domestic harbour that is a permanent home of our Glisse sailing yacht.