Boasting both a well-preserved Old Town and a ring of Venetian fortresses, Šibenik is one of the most captivating places along the Adriatic coast.

St James’s Cathedral

Its most widely popularized treasure is St James’s Cathedral, a late-Gothic to early-Renaissance structure that was begun by one of the great builders of the fifteenth century, Juraj Dalmatinac, and finished by the equally talented apprentice who took over after Juraj’s death, Nikola Firentinac.

Among Dalmatinac’s trademark sculptural details is the unique series of 71 sculpted heads – thought to represent the townsfolk of Šibenik - that run along the outer wall of the apse. We have Firentinac to thank for the cathedral’s technically advanced roof of curving stone slabs, topped by the magnificent teapot-shaped dome. Highlight of the richly-furnished interior is the Baptistry, with its extravagantly carved font and ceiling.

St Michael’s Fortress