Historical Šibenik visited by the #TravelingTalleys

Posted on June 16, 2018 by Nicolette & Clinton Talley

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Welcome back, and enjoy this last post about our trip to Europe!

We had already planned all our flights and Airbnb/hotels for the trip, and because of this we were able to do whatever we wanted in whatever city we were in without thinking through the major travel movements. One thing I had planned was our trip to and from Zadar. Ryanair is very convenient, but like its American counter park Allegiant, it is sometimes a struggle to plan a trip based on dates. We decided it would give us the best reach of time if we flew into Zadar on a Tuesday, and left from Split on a Saturday. Split is another major city that is only about 2 hours away by bus. To help timing wise, we planned to stay in Šibenik the night before our flight out of Split to Amsterdam, which is halfway between Zadar and Split.

Šibenik is the oldest native sea side Croatian city. Mentioned in 1066 in the Charter of the Croatian, it was chartered in 1167. Heavily fought over between Italy and Hungary (the country changed hands many times) ended in 1412 when Venice prevailed. The city became part of Napoleons rule during the Napoleonic Wars and was eventually absorbed by the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Like Zadar, after World War I it became part of Italy. The Croatian War of Independence was fought between Croat forces who had declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. Today, Croatia is an independent country with a distinguished culture and academic future. There are plenty of great sights to see while visiting, such as the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St Jakov, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000.

We arrived in town around 5 p.m. after visiting Krka National Park and met up with our Airbnb host. I have to say – the Airbnbs in Croatia are amazing. Not only are they well taken care of and have an excellent vacation, but the hosts are super knowledgeable and really have a passion and love for their city. It was evident in Zadar and was definitely evident in Šibenik. We were pretty tired, so we decided that we would take our hosts suggestion and head down to the waterfront and have dinner. We ate a delicious meal at Tomaseo Konoba, and with the great location were able to see the sunset as well. We walked around the town for a little bit before heading to our hotel.

One of the main reasons I wanted to stay in this particular city is the approximate distance from Krka National Park and Split. I wasn’t sure how our plans would pan out in getting to the airport, but I knew they would be easier if we were in a closer city. Being so close to a lovely National Park I think only helps as it was a quick bus ride from the park entrance to the city, and from there a quick walk through the town. The city takes patience at is is small, not well navigable, but very picturesque. Though we were only able to stay one night, and not much time walking around during the day, I still think this city was very pretty, had gorgeous sunset and sunrise views, and had excellent food. Easy access to major transportation and a lovely National Park was a plus!

The next day, before we headed out we were able to take a nice stroll and eat some breakfast before we caught our bus to the airport. We flew to Amsterdam, where we were able to stay one more night before getting onto our international flight home. While we had some trouble actually getting home when inclement weather in the US cancelled our flights, the fantastic time we had when we were exploring Europe heavily overshadowed any negative times we may have had during our journey.

We hope that you had as great a time reading about our adventure as we had experiencing it! I suggest you take some of our reviews and start planning a trip of your own. There is so much to learn around the United States and Europe. I hope this blog encourages you to get our there, #FindYourPark, learn more about other cultures, and have a few adventures of your own! Until next time.