Top 10 - sights in Dalmatia

A whole city in one palace, the whole of history in every stone; Diocletian's Palace in Split is still the heart of the city of Split millennia after it was built. On the same marble already worn smooth by the sandals of ancient Romans, the city's guests now stroll in flip-flops and visit, for instance, the mausoleum of the Christian-hating Diocletian, which today serves as a church. In between, shopkeepers and market women go about their business, children try to eat their enormous scoops of ice cream faster than they can melt, and business people hurry from one appointment to the next. For whereas elsewhere the ancient palaces are fenced off from the public and can be visited only on payment of an entrance fee, Diocletian's Palace can actually be experienced.

One can quite easily gain an overview of Dubrovnik's old town, despite the city's varied and long history: the original town wall is not only still completely preserved, one is also allowed to walk along its entire 2 km length and count the roofs patterned in the most varied shades of red, which make the lanes almost invisible, or plan in advance which of the dozens of churches, galleries, museums and monuments one wants to visit first. Although plans in Dubrovnik have a short shelf life anyway, since one can be surprised every day by a new art, music or theatre festival. Since here in the former Ragusa significant cultural works arose in every century and all historical "trends" spread from here to the rest of Croatia, one sees oneself, with the periodic festivities, in an important tradition. Thus Dubrovnik's old town remains forever young.

Even if you yourself should have no pronounced interest in history and architecture, on the John Paul II Square in Trogir you will understand why these subjects fascinate other people so much: here stand, wall against wall, some of the most important, most beautiful and most significant buildings of Croatian history. Both the church and the occupiers presented themselves to the people at this place from their richest side; the former court, a clock tower and several town houses likewise flank the square. And only a few steps in all four points of the compass one finds on the Trogir peninsula further churches, fortresses, collections and of course restaurants and shops as well. On the waterway around the old town young people show off with their fast little motorboats and try to divert the attention of the people on the promenade from the town's backdrop. And because they do not manage it, they are still trying today...

The world's most dynamic beach is on the island of Brač, in Bol. And that refers not only to the bathers and traders who plunge the gravel beach every day into a lively, cheerful and only rarely quiet atmosphere, but genuinely to the beach itself: because of the missing solid foundation and the constant action of the waves, the pebbles permanently change their position - and with it the shape of the spit. Sometimes the horn points somewhat to the left, then to the right again; sometimes it grows longer, sometimes broader - a phenomenon that is not only unique but also has a very favourable effect on the availability of places to lie…

In a country in which most rivers dry up in marshland or evaporate straight away in the summer heat, several fortunate circumstances came together which are to be protected and preserved for coming generations through the establishment of the Krka National Park: the impermeable tufa bed prevents rainwater from seeping into the ground; the stepped structure of the bed not only gives rise to quite a few waterfalls but also produces natural barriers which dam the inflowing water into two lakes. In the surroundings of the river a flora and fauna developed that is as typical of the region as it is unique in world terms, and in the 15th century the Catholic Church too discovered this "natural beauty" and erected on an island in the upper lake a monastery which can today be visited by boat.

Where rugged rocky islands rise from the mirror-smooth Adriatic, friends of sailing and snorkellers are not far away either. The Kornati archipelago has long ceased to be an insider tip among the most idyllic boat tours, but on account of the park's size of 307 square kilometres it is still astonishingly quiet here, and since the islands will sooner or later sink into the sea, there are neither hotels nor any other buildings. With all of 147 little islands, it has so far been easy for every guest to find a private bathing bay or the perfect anchorage. Only the choice of where one likes it best is difficult. Anyone who does not want merely to look out for it on a short excursion can spend the night at one of the campsites and, very early the next morning, watch the sun rise over the "old woman's backside" - one of the many islands whose names bear witness to the humour, the imagination (and possibly the loneliness) of the fishermen.

More famous than the town is its most important son: the explorer and seafarer Marco Polo was presumably born here in the year 1254. The town of Korčula, however, is considerably livelier: the small streets and lanes laid out in a fan shape invite you to stroll and relax; those interested are welcome to visit St Mark's cathedral or the Zakrjan tower before stopping at one of the small, rustic but tidy establishments. And should you be lucky enough to be in Dalmatia at the end of May, do not miss the re-enacted sea battle of the year 1298! With almost authentic boats, much effort and even more enthusiasm, the historic event is revived year after year - the event after which Marco Polo was taken prisoner and, in prison in Genoa, wrote his famous travel accounts of China.

That the cathedral of Sveti Jakov in Sibenik is still standing defies all probability. After all, during its construction, which lasted over 100 years, a technique was invented for the domed roof in which there are no connecting materials between the stone slabs. In addition, the huge building would of course have been an easy target for attacks during the wars. And not least, at least 70 citizens of the town would have had good reason to tear the walls down again right after their erection: for sculptures of their faces are, exaggerated in caricature fashion, mounted as decoration on the outer wall of the cathedral. They underline that the justly famous Dalmatinac could not only plan complex buildings but also produce filigree sculptor's work. Since the church of St James is, however, still standing in Sibenik today, one can reckon that it will go on doing so for a few centuries more. For since the year 2000 it has belonged to the World Cultural Heritage of UNESCO.

On a visit to the Cetina canyon all romantics and adventurers can agree: the river Cetina flows through largely untouched nature, having dug itself deep into the limestone mountains and created a gorge that conceals an entire pirate village. On the riverbed a fine sandy beach formed over the centuries and further up, in the mountains, unexplored caves and numerous waterfalls - but also power stations that use the river to manage the electricity supply of the whole region. For in contrast to its charming surroundings, the river Cetina is shot through with rapids, occasionally carries whole chunks of rock along with it and is a welcome challenge for rafters. Life jacket and helmet are compulsory, but even with protective gear there is thrill enough!

A bridge leads from the mainland across the harbour of the city of Zadar to the island on which the old town lies. Here, at enormous cost and effort, a good many places of worship and prestige buildings were erected which today not only attract visitors from all over the world but are also used for cultural events such as the music evenings in Sveti Donat. The church's special acoustics underline the musicians' skill most agreeably. Skilful town planning in Zadar prevented every available scrap of land from being built on once urbanisation began, and so on the old-town island there is still a park today in which one can recover from all the sightseeing on a site less than half a square kilometre in size.