Croatian cultural heritage - Business - Hrvatska turistička zajednica

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is an important part of Croatian history. It was the centre of
the early medieval Croatian kingdom, where Croatian princes
and kings ruled from the 9th century until the unification
with Hungary in the 12th century.
Thus, unlike most Dalmatian cities which were erected on
the foundations of ancient cities, Šibenik was the first original
major Croatian coastal city. It was founded in the 11th
century at the time of King Petar Krešimir IV and many still
call it Krešimir’s city. At the time of King Zvonimir the capital
city of Croatia was Knin, which we call Zvonimir’s city even
today.
The best known and most valuable cultural monument of the
Šibenik part of Croatia is the Šibenik Cathedral, protected as
a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. There is also the picturesque
town of Primošten with its vineyards, and a number of
ancient archaeological sites, particularly on Bribirska Glavica
in the vicinity of Knin. Among religious buildings, the Franciscan
monastery on the island of Visovac (1) is of exceptional
beauty. It has a unique position on a small island in the
middle of the lake near the expansion of the river Krka. Not
far away is the Orthodox Monastery of St. Archangel in the
canyon of the river Krka (3), which is, with the already mentioned
Krupa Monastery, considered to be the most valuable
monument of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Croatia.
A sort of trademark of this part of Dalmatia are a number
of fortresses, a testimony to the tumultuous past. In Šibenik
there are three monumental forts that stand out, Saint John,
Saint Anne and Šubićevac (2), and the only entry into Šibenik
from the sea, is through the narrow passage of Saint Anthony
(8), where the monumental 16th century fortress of St. Nicholas
is located (9). An interesting newly constructed church in
the village of Kijev, located at the foot of the Croatian Dinara
Mountains (6), is a testimony to the suffering endured in recent
wars.
The Šibenik area is known for its many picturesque places,
such as Skradin, along the river Krka (5) or Prvić Šepurine
on the island of Prvić (4). There are also picturesque villages
in Dalmatian Zagora, from which the most famous Croatian
sculptor Ivan Meštrović originates. For his last place of rest
he chose his native village Otavice, where he built a unique
mausoleum (7).
The most important cultural monument of the Šibenik part
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