Šibenik Cathedral of St. James & Old Town
Katedrala sv. Jakova, Šibenik
A UNESCO-listed cathedral built entirely of stone with no wooden structure, its exterior adorned with 71 carved heads, set in a maze of medieval stone lanes.
The Cathedral of St. James was built between 1431 and 1535 under the direction of the Dalmatian architect Juraj Dalmatinac. The entire building, including the dome, is assembled from Brač limestone, with no wood or brick used, and it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. Around the apse, 71 sculpted human heads with varied expressions line the exterior, and the stone carvings in the baptistery are equally impressive. Admission to the cathedral costs about 8 euros. The surrounding old town is a tangle of stepped stone alleys. You can climb to St. Michael's Fortress for views over the bay, and St. Nicholas Fortress, also a UNESCO site, can be reached by boat. Šibenik is about an hour's drive from Split and is often visited together with Krka National Park in a single day.
Opening hours
Summer approx. 09:00–20:00; shorter in winter; no visits during Mass
Nearby sights
- Krka National Park
- Primošten
- Blue Lagoon (Krknjaši), Drvenik Veli
- Trogir Old Town
- Marjan Hill
- Meštrović Gallery
- Diocletian's Palace, Split
- Riva Promenade, Split