History and Monuments of Šibenik
That Christmas in 1066, more than 950 years ago, remained forever written not only in historical books and manuscripts that preserve the heritage, but also in the hearts of all the people of Šibenik and all those who carried this city in their hearts throughout their lives, through distant and recent history, and of course all those who call themselves Šibenik today. He is loved and respected not only by those who are connected to him and his name by address, but also by all his friends scattered around the world, who constantly return to him and dream of returning to Šibenik for at least a moment of their lives every day about how they will return to Šibenik and live here by the sea, the sun, exploring its beauties, culture, monuments, streets and squares. Enjoying the moonlight that illuminates the waterfront, which illuminates everything old and valuable in it, but also the new that has been built in tourism development and which determines the guidelines in which Šibenik will, without a doubt, develop in the future and finally be what we are talking about now.
A city tailored to the needs of people, a place of culture and entertainment, of happy and satisfied, and most importantly, employed people. Of all generations. Buildings, monuments, fortifications, larger and smaller details remind us of the richness of Šibenik's tradition, culture, glorious and ancient past times at almost every turn. What makes it best recognized? Of course, by the Cathedral of St. James on today's Republic of Croatia Square. The cathedral that rises into the sky, and the heights of the steam lance the patron saint of the city, St. Michael, whose day is celebrated in September, exactly on the day when the summer heat subsides a little, and the sun still shines, so that is when Šibenik is perhaps at its most beautiful and pleasant. The cathedral was built throughout the 15th and 16th centuries and is one of the most beautiful buildings of its type in the rich European competition. It was the beginning of the Renaissance at that time, and the Renaissance in a figurative sense, for this city, continues. And it continues. Next to the cathedral is one of the most beautiful European town halls.
The most interesting beauties of this city to the eye of curious observers are certainly the Šibenik fortresses. There are four in total, three on land and one on the sea right at the entrance from the open sea to the St. Anthony Channel. Two land fortresses on the hills have been renovated, or rather revitalized. So on St. Michael's, where the old Šibenik cemetery of St. Anne is located, we have a summer stage that is difficult to find anywhere else in the world. Barone is a cultural and entertainment multimedia center with a museum and restaurant. St. Ivan is awaiting renovation and that will happen soon. The ravages of time and the human factor have been prevented from corroding the beautiful St. Nicholas, Šibenik's sea fortress that was protected by UNESCO a few years ago. And since that date it has been even more beautiful, shiny, clean and attractive. It is not just the cathedral and fortresses that tell the historical story of Šibenik. Every alley and square in the old town center attracts the gaze of guests and tourist groups. The voice of the tourist guides recounts numerous other facts, and those who listen develop fantastic impressions and remember them forever. We would say that all those who came here, to this part of the Adriatic, during the season or on their own vacation at any time of the year, leave Šibenik with love.
Tourism development in Šibenik
Šibenik actually began to develop in the early 1990s. Its transformation into a tourist gem began. The chimneys of the electrode and ferroalloy factory in the Crnica neighborhood were symbolically demolished. However, not everything started right away and full prosperity was still many years away. In addition to the industry that truly employed a large number of Šibenik residents and people from the surrounding area, thus feeding numerous families, Šibenik also had the weight of the former army. Surrounded by barracks, military training grounds, hangars on land, and armed warships at sea, Šibenik was a city that could not breathe the air of the beautiful nature that surrounded it, and tourists spent more time marveling at the smoke from the factories and the army than they could enjoy its beauty.
The story of the army and military facilities was solved long ago in theory, but the development and conversion of them into useful tourist facilities for Šibenik started quite late and progressed at a snail's pace. Only a few years ago was the military logistics complex in the Mandalina settlement demolished, and the city, with the money of Turkish investors, got a spectacular hotel on the very edge of the mainland in the form of a large tourist ship.
The view of the hotel, especially at night when it is illuminated, gives Šibenik an indescribable charm. In addition to the hotel, there is already a marina for luxury yachts and speedboats, and urban holiday villas have been built. Šibenik has highlighted all this as a city of elite and modern tourism for wealthy guests whose money will certainly contribute to the development and unstoppable economic boom of the city from season to season. It was a city without a city beach, if we do not count Jadrija, which is about twenty minutes away from the city center by land or sea and did not serve the tourist boom anyway, but was a bathing place almost exclusively for Šibenik residents and a few of their friends with addresses in other cities. That is why we highlight one of the most beautiful sandy city beaches in Croatia. Banj.
An exceptional facility has been created near the TEF factory, which we have already described. It is only a few minutes walk from the city center. Fantastically decorated, with a bar, sports equipment, showers. Most importantly, the sea is proven to be clean. It was precisely the appearance of Banj beach that transformed the Šibenik district of Crnica into a tourist resort. Once working-class industrial families have slowly switched to tourism and hospitality, and today Crnica looks more like a modern apartment complex, and the number of accommodation capacities is constantly increasing. And all this has raised the Šibenik-Knin County to an incredible 2.3 million overnight stays, not counting August and September, the results of which will certainly pleasantly surprise us again as soon as the Tourist Board of the City of Šibenik and the County announces the official results.
Of course, Šibenik is not the only place responsible for such high numbers. Numerous places in the surrounding area contribute to the increases every year. The best are Primošten and Vodice. Skradin, Rogoznica, and the entire island of Murter follow. One place on Murter has popularized the Šibenik area to incredible heights in the last few years. It is Tisno, where during July and August a huge number of young people from all over Europe and the world come to the Garden Festival, mostly from Great Britain. And the British are welcome guests wherever they appear. All this has also brought about the development of some other business opportunities in this area. In the past, taxi in Šibenik was only a luxury for individuals, and its existence was only formal, without any real opportunity for profit. Today, Šibenik taxi drivers work day and night and contribute to general progress with their professionalism. Taxi drivers in Šibenik really have countless places to take Šibenik guests. Whether it's destinations in the city, visiting one of the fortresses, going swimming somewhere near the city or a slightly longer trip to the surrounding places, the friendly drivers of taxi Šibenik will be happy to take you there at very reasonable prices. Šibenik taxi drivers are also proud of the entire offer, or rather the explosion of new offers that we encounter in Šibenik from year to year. There are also šibenik islands, several pearls of Šibenik and its surroundings. We are sure that one day you will set off from the waterfront by taxi boat towards Zlarin, Prvić, Žirje, Kaprije, maybe even to Krapanj. Because you must see and experience this untouched Mediterranean with its rich gastronomic and cultural offer. We will especially mention another island that has turned to elite tourism. It is Obonjan, which young people from a large part of Europe and especially from the USA have already declared a real little "paradise on earth".
Nightlife and popular places to go out in Šibenik
Apart from being a city of exceptional culture and art, Šibenik is also known as a city of entertainment and especially of song. We will not go deep into history and once again extract the rich Šibenik tradition of song, music or dance from mothballs. Today, in modern times, people are looking for a place to have fun and go out. In summer, the Šibenik waterfront is the most popular. There, restaurants, clubs and cafes are lined up literally next to each other, and during the season, and we would even say that it is constantly full for most of the year. The first tourists, or the first serious groups, in Šibenik stay in March, and it is no coincidence that in the nice weather provided by the beautiful Mediterranean climate, we notice a significant number of tourists even in November. The place in the city of Šibenik that perfectly, perhaps best connects the summer and winter atmosphere is Azimut, right below the steps on the waterfront that lead to the Šibenik Cathedral.
The location couldn't be more beautiful, and the entertainment is fantastic. In the summer, there is a unique green stage, meaning grass where you can sit and listen to a concert or just have a refreshing drink during the sultry summer evenings in the city. Winter is also reserved for Azimut. The kind of ambiance offered by this combination of old and historical, and newly renovated and modern, cannot be found anywhere else in the world. If we move away from the old town core or the city center in search of a top place for night entertainment, we will come to the edge of the city. Inside is the place in Šibenik where everyone really goes out. All Šibenik residents, students from all over Croatia, primarily young people, but also more mature people who like to spend their weekends going out in the evenings. But in addition to the ones listed, there are a number of places where you can relax and have fun no matter what time of year it is. Not everything is by the sea, so you can find interesting cafes and restaurants in the old town center. There are also concerts held in the squares almost every weekend, and fun is guaranteed. There are also world-famous clubs in the vicinity of Šibenik. We would like to highlight Aurora in Primošten and Hacienda in Vodice, which, in addition to offering a rich, modern and diverse program every summer and occasionally in winter, also cherish a long tradition and have been ahead of their time for several decades, in terms of decoration and entertainment. Of course, also in terms of the number of visitors.
Hotels – Construction of new ones and renovation of existing ones
The Šibenik Tourist Board has been emphasizing hotel development for years as the key and the final establishment of ideal tourism results. Thus, a foreign Turkish investor, as we have already mentioned, built a luxury hotel in the Mandalina settlement. It is a hotel that is not often seen in our area. For a long time, the only hotel in the city center was the already outdated "Jadran", but that story is slowly becoming history. The new hotel is being built on the waterfront itself, on five floors. The money was invested by investors from the fashion capital of Milan and its construction is already nearing completion. Next season, Šibenik will get another luxury tourist destination and increase the number of its accommodation capacities. Another new hotel has found its place in the very center. Life Palace, we asked the hotel manager and employees, works excellently all year round. It is an encouraging story that it does not close its doors in the winter months, but receives domestic and foreign guests, primarily from the business world. At the very entrance to Šibenik, on the Šibenik bridge, the Panorama hotel is getting more beautiful and bigger every year. Sports fields, a swimming pool, excellently decorated rooms, a large parking lot. Everything a person could wish for. There are plans to renovate some more buildings in the very center of Šibenik, which will be used as hotels and apartments, and strengthen the already positive tourist results. We also mention the Solaris hotel complex, one of the most modern in the world. And most importantly, it is constantly expanding, beautifying and renewing every year.
Šibenik - City of youth, education and culture
While for many years young people from Šibenik primarily went to other cities in search of study and education, often starting their new lives there without the desire to return to their city, the situation has changed significantly. The Polytechnic in Šibenik, with its several study groups, attracts a large number of young people from all over Croatia who, what is even more wonderful, want to stay in Šibenik after completing their education, find a job, and start a family.
Šibenik has also become a university center, with a newly established study program in energy and environmental protection. A project for the construction of a student campus has already been prepared, significantly, also on the site of one of the former barracks in the city. Šibenik is a popular city in the world of sports. It has already produced great names. The best European basketball player Dražen Petrović, the best European water polo player Perica Bukić many times. The rower of Krka, a two-time finalist of the former Radivoje Korać Cup in basketball, KK Šibenik. There are many more young men and women who have made Šibenik famous throughout the world with their sporting successes. Martial arts are also developing. In this sense, this city is only recording successes.
When it comes to music, it is again difficult to list all the pearls that this city has produced. Arsen Dedić, Mišo Kovač, Vice Vukov. Today, there are again numerous singers, musicians and actors, famous, successful and awarded, whose address is somewhere in the city itself or its surroundings.
The future of Šibenik
The description of Šibenik's future could really take days, but the most basic things fit in a few sentences. Šibenik is already a city that is becoming a tourist center and where everything works. Large shopping centers are also being built to accompany this story. We highlight the Dalmare Shopping Center at the very exit from the city in the direction of Split on the Adriatic Highway. Among the projects that will come to life is Zablaće, which should soon become a residential, hotel and apartment complex, and the investor is none other than one of the world's best actors, Brad Pitt. The entire space of the former TEF factory is still unused. There are plans to build something similar to what we have already listed in the description of Zablaće, next to Banj Beach. Last summer, another large beach, the most modern, was built. The cutting site in the direction of Brodarica has already become a favorite bathing spot for Šibenik residents and foreign guests who cannot help but be delighted. Šibenik's central square, Poljana, will be renovated. It will be a modern city center with an underground parking garage. With these several projects, Šibenik will become a truly great city, attracting even more people from all over the world.
