There are ten UNESCO World Heritage Sights in Croatia. Out of these ten, six sights are in Dalmatia! Split, Trogir, Šibenik, Zadar, Dubrovnik – all of these locations are lined up along the Dalmatian coast, while Hvar is an island in Split County. If your starting point is Split, all of them are within a radius of 170 km (105 miles). Which means, from Split you can visit any one or even two locations within a day!
- Plitvice Lakes National Park
- Historical Complex of Split with Diocletian’s Palace
- Old City of Dubrovnik
- Episcopal Complex of the Euphrasian Basilica in the historic center of Poreč
- Historic City of Trogir
- Cathedral of St. James in Šibenik
- Stari Grad Plain (Island of Hvar)
- Stećci Medieval Tombstone Graveyards
- Venetian Works of Defense between the 16th and 17th centuries (in Šibenik, Zadar and Hvar)
- Ancient and Primaeval Beech Forests
Fifteen other locations in Croatia are on the UNESCO Tentative List, i.e. nominated, and have been awaiting decision for several years now (it’s a lengthy process). Anyway, seven out of these fifteen are – guess where? In Dalmatia, of course! You might want to see them before they get the UNESCO status and all the tourists flock here, so here is the list:
- Zadar – Episcopal complex
- Historical-town planning ensemble of Ston with Mali Ston, connecting walls, the Mali Ston Bay nature reserve, Stonsko Polje and the salt pans (on the Pelješac peninsula)
- Diocletian’s Palace and the Historical Nucleus of Split (extension to include Diocletian’s aqueduct)
- Primošten Vineyards
- Hermitage Blaca (on the Island of Brač)
- The historic town of Korčula (on the Island of Korčula)
- Kornati National Park and Telašćica Nature Park
Intangible cultural heritage
Cultural heritage does not end at monuments and collections of objects. It also includes traditions or living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants, such as oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge, and practices concerning nature, or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts. These are intangible cultural heritage. Here are some you can see, hear and taste in Dalmatia:
- Procession Za Krizen, (‘following the cross’) on the island of Hvar
- Lacemaking (Island of Pag, Island of Hvar)
- Sinjska Alka, a knights’ tournament in Sinj
- Mediterranean diet
- Klapa multipart singing
- Nijemo kolo, silent circle dance of the Dalmatian hinterland
- Ojkanje singing
- Festivity of St. Blaise, the patron of Dubrovnik
Obviously, visiting Croatia can be quite an experience.
If you’ve been indecisive where to travel next, hesitate no more!