What to do in Croatia - a bit of culture

This is another post in our series “What to do in Croatia“.
Other posts which you may like to read:
-What to do in Croatia – Gulet Cruise
-What to do in Croatia – a relaxing holiday
-What to do in Croatia – some things in life are free
-What to do in Croatia – Take a boat trip to Trogir

When you think of Croatia, and specifically Dalmatia, do you only think about sun, sea, sailing? Is this the kind of image that comes to mind?

sun, sea, sailing, Croatia

Don’t forget however that in Dalmatia you can find rich cultural heritage, for example just within easy reach of our house in Croatia you have many interesting places to visit, for example:

TROGIR – Unesco World heritage site (Historic City of Trogir)
Trogir is a “City Museum” with 2300 years of history, with influences from the ancient Greeks, Romans and Venetians.
In 1997 it was inscribed as a Unesco World Heritage Site, and this is an extract from the Unesco report:
"The orthogonal street plan of this island settlement dates back to the Hellenistic period and it was embellished by successive rulers with many fine public and domestic buildings and fortifications. Its beautiful Romanesque churches are complemented by the outstanding Renaissance and Baroque buildings from the Venetian period",

Trogir, a City Museum

SPLIT – Historical centre, with the Palace of Diocletian
- Unesco World Heritage Site
Split is the capital of Dalmatia and is situated on the Adriatic Sea. The city is centred around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian which was designated a Unesco World Heritage site in 1979, and the Unesco report states:

"The ruins of Diocletian's Palace, built between the late 3rd and the early 4th centuries A.D., can be found throughout the city. The cathedral was built in the Middle Ages, reusing materials from the ancient mausoleum. Twelfth- and 13th-century Romanesque churches, medieval fortifications, 15th-century Gothic palaces and other palaces in Renaissance and Baroque style make up the rest of the protected area."

The World Monuments Fund has been working on a conservation project at the palace, including surveying structural integrity and cleaning and restoring the stone and plasterwork.

Diocletian’s Palace – Split

Ancient City and ruins of Salona – (situated between Trogir and Split), during Roman times Salona was the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia.
Salona was initially a coastal stronghold and port of the Illyrian Dalmatians in close vicinity of Greek colonies Tragurion and Epetion. After the civil war between Caesar and Pompey in 48 B.C. Salona gained the status of a Roman colony and became the center of Illyrians, later province of Dalmatia.
The most monumental construction was the amphitheatre built in the second half of the 2nd ct., a Roman arena used for bloody contests between gladiators and beasts, it was built to accommodate almost 19000 spectators.

Amphitheatre at Salona (not one of my pictures, I don’t fly helicopters..)

City of Šibenik and the Cathedral (Croatian: Katedrala sv. Jakova)
Šibenik was founded over 1000 years ago, and is a city proud of its fortifications and towers. Take a stroll through its streets, alleyways and squares and some of the most precious works of art in Dalmatia will appear right before you.

The Cathedral of St.James (15th and 16th Century) was inscribed as a Unesco World Heritage site in 2000, and this is an extract from the Unesco report:
"The three architects who succeeded one another in the construction of the Cathedral - Francesco di Giacomo, Georgius Mathei Dalmaticus and Niccolò di Giovanni Fiorentino - developed a structure built entirely from stone and using unique construction techniques for the vaulting and the dome of the Cathedral. The form and the decorative elements of the Cathedral, such as a remarkable frieze decorated with 71 sculptured faces of men, women, and children, also illustrate the successful fusion of Gothic and Renaissance art."

Šibenik St James’s Cathedral

Renaissance Nucleus of the Town of Hvar and Fortress
Hvar is one of the main Croatian islands and is a magnet for the jet-set and the yachting fraternity, who sail to the island and stop in its coves during the summer months.

The city of Hvar has a long and distinguished history as center for trade and culture in the Adriatic. An independent commune within the Venetian Empire during the 13th to 18th centuries, it was an important naval base with a strong fortress above, encircling town walls and protected port. Cultural life thrived as prosperity grew, and Hvar is the site of one of the oldest surviving theatres in Europe, opened in 1612.The seven-century old walls still survive, as do many of the noble houses and public buildings from 15th - 17th centuries.

View of Hvar (source Wikipedia Roberta F.)

Spanjola Fortress Hvar
You can find an excellent post about this Fortress by clicking on fellow blogger
Victor’s Travel Blog.

Hvar Fortress (source Wikipedia – Marbax2)

We hope this small introduction to a few destinations in Croatia has whet the appetite of all you Culture Vultures out there!

What are you waiting for? come to Croatia!