Croatia Online - Krka Waterfalls and Bribir Archaeological Site

There’s no doubt that the Krka waterfalls make for a great day out with the family and are certainly now much more accessible from the relatively new motorway. From Split, the NP Krka exit is clearly signposted, shortly after Šibenik, and there’s a great motorway café, just before, with good views to Skradin. Once approaching Skradin however, beware of over zealous entrepreneurs who will stand in the middle of the road, with official looking uniforms, and try and convince you that you have to park on their land. Perhaps because of our UK number plate, we were given little option but to turn into their car park and only then were we able to convince them that we weren’t gullible tourists. It would have been a long walk into Skradin though I guess they might organise some kind of transfer. The centre of Skradin is closed to cars in the summer but there is a large town car park right next to where the boats will take you up river to the falls and that’s your best option.

The summer season in Croatia has clearly started early this year and the inhabitants of Skradin were already smiling at the level of tourists. Be prepared for crowds but you will still enjoy the boat trip, the spectacular falls, and perhaps a swim in the cool water. There are seven waterfalls in all, with a total drop of 242 metres. Walkways surround the waterfalls and you’ll find café’s, restaurants and picnic areas. In Skradin itself, it’s hard to beat Restoran Zlatne Školje. A 2 hour excursion including the return boat trip, will cost about 70 kunas (£7).

15 kilometres inland from Skradin is the town of Bribir (also known as the Croatian City of Troy), a rich archaeological site and also a place from which to admire fantastic views of the mountains and Adriatic islands. A strategic location for over 6000 years, this ancient Illyrian site at the top of a 300 metre hill has already yielded a number of treasures including the ruins of an ancient temple, a Franciscan monastery, sarcophagi from the 4th century, Roman mosaics, and ramparts from 1200 BC.

For more information on Krka National park, go to http://www.npkrka.hr.

To find out more about Bribir and the rest of the area around Skradin, look at http://www.skradin.hr. To discover more of the hidden secrets of the Šibenik region, including the delights of Šibenik old town, go to http://www.sibenikregion.com.

Thanks to Martin Ripley for today’s photo of Krka Waterfalls.