PHOTO: TVRĐAVA KULTURE

St. Michael's Fortress 

St. Michael's Fortress is the place where the city of Šibenik was born. Built during the Middle Ages on a hill in the middle of the town, it provides a breath-taking view of Šibenik and its surroundings. Experience the most prestigious open-air stage in the Mediterranean through shows, concerts and other evening events. Two cisterns from the 15th century have been turned into a time machine that takes you through the most important events from the creation of the city until today. Cistern projections and a multimedia guide are available to all visitors. Their use is included in the price of a daily ticket.

Plan your visit:

https://www.tvrdjava-kulture.hr/en/st-michaels-fortress/plan-your-visit/

The Fortress of st. John

St. John's Fortress is the largest of Šibenik fortresses and covers over 19,000 square meters. It was built in 1646. in order to protect the town from Turkish attacks from the hinterland. It is interesting that the construction of the fortress lasted only six weeks because the inhabitants of Šibenik were afraid of Turkish attacks so they helped building it up, too. Revitalized and opened for public in 2022., St. John's Fortress consists of two parts - the star and the pincers (or how locals call them - tanaja). It hides a unique educational campus under the pincers, and during the months when the weather is warmer, this is a place where you can have coffee or a drink overlooking the city and the surrounding area.

Plan your visit:

https://www.tvrdjava-kulture.hr/en/st-johns-fortress/plan-your-visit/

Barone Fortress

Barone Fortress was built in the summer of 1646., parallel to the nearby St. John’s Fortress. They were built by the citizens of Šibenik in less than two months, in order to strengthen the defence of their city against the Ottomans. Today it is a place where, with the help of augmented reality technology, you can take a look into the past of Šibenik. Barone bar is perfect for the first morning coffee or a drink at sunset, and summer evenings at Barone are reserved for jazz concerts, dance performances or movie nights under the starry sky. An attractive offer is also presented by a souvenir shop where visitors can find unique products created from the Mediterranean and the Šibenik tradition.

Plan your visit:

https://www.tvrdjava-kulture.hr/en/barone-fortress/plan-your-visit/

St. Nicholas Fortress

The Venetian Defence System

St. Nicholas Fortress, one of the newest additions to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, as an integral part of the 15th to 17th century Venetian Defence System, was constructed during the 16th century and located at the entrance to St. Anthony's Channel. Building of the fort was an important undertaking not only for the citizens of Šibenik but also for those who ruled it, as it was built in order to protect the town from Turkish attacks from the sea. The fortress erected at the entrance to the narrow mile long channel became the important strategic defensive structure that contributed to the impregnability of Šibenik Port and the town of Šibenik itself. The only entrance into Šibenik Bay was through the channel, which made possible the effective defence and complete control of the entry of ships.

The Fortress of Alla Moderna

In construction of St. Nicholas Fortress the military aspects were given more importance than the ornamental ones, however the fortress is still the typical Venetian creation of "alla moderna", an extraordinary example of the isolated defence work risen in the sea. The fortress was built after the plans of Venetian military architect Michele Sanmicheli, as white stone was used for building the lower parts of the fort and red stone for the upper parts. St. Nicholas Fortress until today remains one of the strongest and the most fascinating maritime fortifications built along the coast of the Adriatic Sea.

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