Visit Trogir, Croatia

Trogir was fought over by the Greeks, Romans, Saracens, Venetians, Hapsburgs and Napoleon in the last two millennia. The Adriatic port reflects these influences with a well-preserved Romanesque-Gothic heart, scattered with Baroque and Renaissance buildings, all hemmed in by medieval city walls. It makes a quieter base than nearby Split and lies about 5 km (3 miles) from the international airport.

Trogir is set on a tiny island linked to the mainland and the larger island of Čiovo by bridge. This unusual setting, the surrounding water and the position inside 15th-century city walls gives it an undeniably romantic character.

The town’s waterfront promenade is a traffic-free area lined with outdoor cafés and ice cream shops, bars and bobbing yachts, and a magnet for walkers on summer evenings. Further inside the walls, a maze of narrow streets and back alleys play home to local residences, art galleries and restaurants.

The old town remains largely as it was in medieval times and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Many of its buildings date back to its heyday between the 13th and 15th centuries, and the central Saint-John Square is a good place to start a walk around the historic core of the town. Here you’ll find the town’s municipal buildings and loggia as well as its crowning glory, the Cathedral of Saint-Lawrence.

The cathedral’s carved Romanesque portal depicts Adam and Eve on the back of lions and leads into a three-nave interior with a 15th-century chapel dedicated to the town’s first bishop. Once you’ve had a chance to look around, climb the bell tower for views over the town.

Opposite the cathedral sits the grand Cipiko Palace, the palatial home of a prominent local family in the 15th century. Its carved detailing on the façade and the Gothic trefoil windows are more recent additions to what started out as a group of Romanesque buildings first remodelled in 1457.

Wander the surrounding cobbled streets and quiet lanes and you’ll happen upon more grand townhouses, small churches and traditional stone dwellings. For something a little different, take a stroll through Trogir’s market. Along with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, it’s a good place to find local olives, honey, oil and grappa, but to see the fish market in full swing you’ll need to arrive early in the morning.

Once you’ve explored the town, head for the waterfront. Guarding the western side of the city walls, the 15th-century Kamerlengo Fortress was built by Venetians who felt threatened by Ottoman attacks. Soon after, the Renaissance Saint-Mark's Tower was added to its north end, which you can climb for views over the town and seafront. During the summer, the fortress is used as an open-air concert venue and cinema.

On the eastern end of the southern shore of the island, a bridge leads over to the far larger Čiovo Island, which is worth a visit to explore its remote pebble beaches and seafront bars and cafés.

Best time to visit Trogir

Trogir makes a great year-round destination but gets hot and crowded in July and August. Come between April and June for spring blooms and quieter streets, or in September or October when the crowds dissipate and a leisurely pace of life resumes. Between November and April, it’s far quieter and many water activities are closed.