Sibenik in Croatia: what to see? Things to do
Last update : 20/08/2023
Do you know Sibenik in Croatia, located on the Adriatic Coast? We’d like to take you on a tour of Sibenik, which we’re sure you’ll love. We discovered this beautiful town and region in September, and in this blog post we’re sharing our tips with you. If you’re looking for good restaurants, Sibenik must-sees and ideas for things to do in the Sibenik region, you’ve come to the right place! We’ll help you organize your vacation in North Dalmatia, and believe us, you’re likely to fall under the spell of this region and this country of exceptional colors, flavors and know-how!
Where is Sibenik in Croatia?
Sibenik is located in Croatia, on the Dalmatian coast, 80 kilometers north of the city of Split. Head for the Balkans for a few days in the sun! This pretty town is definitely worth a visit! Much less touristy than Split or Dubrovnik, but just as charming. We loved discovering its narrow streets, its port and its region. Our favorite part was the wide range of activities available there! From a stroll through the town center, to an electric bike ride along the sea, to a nature park with breathtaking waterfalls… You can easily spend 3 or 4 days in the Sibenik region without getting bored!
Sibenik in Croatia, where to sleep?
Hôtel Bellevue
The hotel faces the sea, which is great for a pleasant view during your stay in Sibenik, Croatia. The rooms are really comfortable, the hotel staff are very attentive and the breakfast is delicious. For us, this is the perfect place to stay in Sibenik! The only drawback is that the hotel doesn’t offer a swimming pool on sunny days, but the quality of service more than makes up for this. The other great advantage of this hotel is its location, very close to the town center. You can park your car and do everything on foot, which is very pleasant. There are plenty of restaurants nearby, which we’ll tell you about a little further down in the article!
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Sibenik in Croatia, our must-sees
The old town of Sibenik
Wandering through the narrow streets of Sibenik will make you feel like you’ve stepped back in time! The city’s history is evident at every street crossing. The cobbled streets are full of charm and the colorful buildings are very pretty. Did you know that Sibenik was once a filming location for the famous “Game of Thrones” series? We discovered this on a guided tour of the town, and we weren’t surprised by the charismatic setting! You’ll find plenty of churches in this city, palaces and colorful buildings all along your walk.
Wander along the two main streets, where you’ll discover pretty boutiques and terraces, until you come to the main square where the Cathedral of St. James stands enthroned.
A local event we’ve heard a lot about is the International Children’s Festival. This takes place every year at the end of June. Apparently the event is well worth the detour with exciting programs and workshops, organized in the streets of the city.
The Cathedral of Saint James in Sibenik
This monument blew our minds, and for good reason! The Cathedral is located on a huge square, where you can actually eat on the terrace – we’ll tell you about this address further down the article. We loved its grand arcades and cascading staircases, offering different views of the Cathedral. This is undoubtedly our favorite spot in Sibenik, Croatia!
The Port of Sibenik
We went for a sunset stroll around the port of Sibenik, and we didn’t regret it! As you can see from the photo below, the light was superb and gave us a very pretty view of the city. We’d recommend taking a stroll there at sunset time to enjoy the sunset colors over the city’s orange rooftops, a marvel!
Our good restaurant addresses in Sibenik
If you’re wondering “where to eat in Sibenik?”, we’ve got some great addresses to share with you!
- Tomaseo : this address is located very close to the Hotel Bellevue, making it a great place to dine after a busy day. The dishes are delicious, we tried pasta and risotto, everything was tasty. The atmosphere is relaxed and the setting nice, facing the promenade and the sea. We recommend it!
- City Hall : this restaurant is located opposite the Cathedral, we told you about it a little earlier in the article! We loved the setting, the view and the romantic atmosphere. Music and candles are the perfect accompaniment to a romantic dinner! The dishes are refined and the staff are very friendly. Our favorite restaurant address!
- Bronzin : this restaurant is located along the promenade facing the sea and offers a large terrace. We had a pleasant time there, the food is good and the atmosphere quite young. A good address for lunch in Sibenik!
Krka National Park
Who would believe that just a 15-minute drive from the town of Sibenik, you can visit a breathtaking National Park? We only spent a few hours there, as our schedule was quite full, but you can plan to spend a full day or even several days if you want to discover the different itineraries of the National Krka Park. For those of you who, like us, have trouble pronouncing the name of this park, it’s called “Keurka”. It’s the most popular park in North Dalmatia.
We had little time to visit the park so we concentrated on the waterfalls named Skradinski Buk, which you see in our photos below, but there are many itineraries.
If you don’t know what to expect when you visit this park, you should know that its special feature is that the river flows through canyons for 72 km before emptying into the Adriatic Sea. We’ll tell you more about it in a few days’ time in our article dedicated to Krka National Park.
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Discover Sibenik in Croatia and the region by electric bike
If you’re looking for a fun activity on your vacation in Croatia, you must try out electric biking on a guided tour with Dean, from Bike & Wine Tour in Sibenik! We were lucky enough to spend the day with him! Dean took us around Sibenik Bay and up to the Fortress of Saint Nicholas. All along this walk through the Canal Saint Antoine, you’ll get incredible views of the city of Sibenik, especially from the belvederes. We can tell you’ll be glad you opted for electric assistance, as the roads include quite a few climbs.
Did you know that the Dalmatia region is famous for its olive groves and vineyards? You’ll soon find out on this electric bike tour! Dean’s itinerary took us along country roads to a unique vineyard above the village of Jadrtovac, where we tasted local wines and produce among the vines at Testament Winery. An experience we heartily recommend for a vacation in Sibenik, Croatia.
Visit the hinterland of Vodice and Tribunj
We spent a whole day with Yvan, who offers biking, kayaking or hiking in this region of Croatia with his Karika Vodice. He took us to discover his region and local know-how, such as a vineyard called Vinarija Birin and olive oil production. We had a great time with him, and he’s the perfect person to talk to about discovering the region!
The town and region of Vodice
Vodice is a small town located 10 km above Sibenik. We headed there with our guide, Yvan, who offers bike tours in the area. What we liked best about Vodice was its long promenade along the sea, with its many terraces, beaches and water sports. The best-known beaches are Olympia and Plava.
The town of Tribunj
We spent half a day in Tribunj and found its port adorable too. The orange roofs contrast with the turquoise sea, it’s really superb. We had lunch at an incredible restaurant, which we recommend to you right afterwards!
A must-do when you come to Tribunj is to climb Saint Nicolas hill to the Church of Saint Nicolas. All the way up, you’ll have an incredible view of the town, the archipelago and the region. You’ll even find a very cool spot with a swing. You’re sure to love it!
Good restaurant address in Tribunj
- Restaurant Luna: a restaurant address that offers an incredible setting. you have to come and see for yourself! The dishes are delicious (pasta, risottos, local fish…), you’ll definitely have a good time with sea view.
Sibenik in Croatia, our review of this trip
We had an excellent stay in Sibenik, Croatia. It was our first time discovering this country, having visited the Balkans in Montenegro once before. We found this country very pleasant, with welcoming locals, excellent local cuisine and superb scenery! We’re already looking forward to returning to Croatia to discover more of the country. For us, the North Dalmatia region is an excellent idea for a stay in Croatia. The Sibenik region is less touristy than Split or Dubrovnik and offers an equally exceptional setting!
We recommend discovering this region in spring or autumn. This will allow you to enjoy exceptional weather conditions without a lot of tourists. A favorite for us, we hope it will be the same for you!
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This trip is the fruit of a collaboration with the teams at the Croatian tourist office. We would like to thank them warmly. We remain totally free in what we say, so our opinions are personal and sincere.
Thank you for reading
We hope that the tips and good addresses on our travel blog will help you discover Sibenik in Croatia!
You can also follow our daily adventures on Instagram 🙂
Clem & Alex
