The back story
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The back story
Dalmatia: the back story
Stone cathedrals, island peaks and terraced lakes: the story behind Dalmatia’s coast.
Area guide · Croatia
Dalmatia: Our Favourites
Split around Diocletian’s Palace, Zadar and Šibenik, the lakes of Plitvice and Krka, and the islands of Hvar, Brač and Vis. For Zagreb itself, see our Zagreb guide.
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What to see and do
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3 photosUNESCO World Heritage
Trogir old town
A walled town of stone lanes, Radovan’s cathedral portal and the Kamerlengo fortress.
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2 photosRavine hermitage
Blaca hermitage
Monks founded this hermitage in a remote Brač ravine in the 16th century; now a museum.
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3 photosPlayed by the waves
Sea Organ
Marble steps on Zadar’s waterfront where waves and wind sound notes through hidden pipes.
Obala kralja Petra Krešimira IVExplore View on map
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3 photosSymbol of Zadar
Church of St Donatus
A massive round church of the 9th century, raised on the paving of Zadar’s Roman forum.
Šimuna Kožičića BenjeExplore View on map
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3 photosMarble peninsula
Zadar waterfront and old town
Marble lanes, Romanesque churches and the Riva promenade fill Zadar’s old peninsula.
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3 photosAll-stone cathedral
Cathedral of St James
Šibenik’s stone-built cathedral, with its frieze of 71 carved heads, is UNESCO-listed.
Trg Republike Hrvatske 1Explore View on map
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Video 3 photosLanes and fortresses
Šibenik old town
Stone stairs and lanes climb from Šibenik’s waterfront to the St Michael and Barone forts.
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3 photosHarbour and fortress
Hvar Town & the Fortress
Hvar’s yacht-filled harbour town, watched over by a Venetian fortress on the hill.
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3 photosFishermen’s town
Komiža
A fishing town on the west coast of Vis, with beaches and a museum in a Venetian tower.
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3 photosSculptor’s seaside villa
Ivan Meštrović Gallery
Ivan Meštrović’s seaside villa below Marjan, now a gallery of his marble, bronze and wood.
Šetalište Ivana Meštrovića 46Explore View on map
Nature, lakes and beaches
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3 photosThe Golden Horn
Zlatni Rat
Brač’s celebrated pebble spit at Bol, its tip swinging with the wind and the currents.
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3 photosHighest island peak
Vidova Gora
At 778 metres, the highest point of any Adriatic island, looking down on Zlatni Rat.
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Video 3 photosSixteen lakes
Plitvice Lakes National Park
Sixteen terraced lakes joined by waterfalls, in Croatia’s oldest national park.
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Video 3 photosTravertine falls
Krka National Park
A river canyon of travertine falls, from Skradinski buk to the island monastery of Visovac.
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3 photosSplit’s green lung
Marjan Hill
Pine-wooded paths, chapels and viewpoints on the peninsula hill west of Split.
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3 photosHome of picigin
Bačvice Beach
Split’s much-loved sandy bay, a short walk from the centre, where picigin was born.
Eat and drink
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3 photosSea-view terrace
Dvor
Modern Mediterranean cooking on a garden terrace above the sea at Firule, east of Bačvice.
Put Firula 14Explore View on map
Where to stay
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Video 5 photosDesign resort
Maslina Resort
A design-led resort in Maslinica bay near Stari Grad, calm and close to nature.
Uvala Maslinica 11, 21460 Stari GradExplore View on map
Where to go next
Questions and answers
How should I visit Plitvice?
Buy Plitvice tickets online and arrive early.
When is Zadar’s waterfront at its best?
At sunset.
Share your Dalmatia tips
Been there? Share your experience and tips with other visitors.
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