Croatia. Dalmatia. Individual sketches - 3: NP KRKA and SIBENIK
CROATIA. DALMATIA. SELECTED SKETCHES - 3: NP KRKA AND SIBENIK
Since we do not get to the Plitvice Lakes this time, it was decided to go to the Krka Waterfalls National Park, which was closer to our base, and it was really possible to make it there / back in a day. But it still turned out to be the most difficult crossing of the entire trip: Trogir-Sibenik-Skradin-NP Krka-Skradin-Sibenik-Trogir. In principle, nothing complicated, it was only necessary to dock all the buses.
Preliminarily, preparing for the trip, in the schedule for Trogir, I planned for myself 2 buses Trogir-Sibenik: at 6.34 and at 8.00. Each of these buses did not suit me very much, the 1st one did not want to get up very early, after all we are on vacation : ), in addition, it arrives in Sibenik at 7.40, and the first bus to Skradin leaves at 9.00; 2nd - arrives in Sibenik 5 minutes after the bus leaves for Skradin, and the next one was expected only after 2 hours and 15 minutes.
It was decided to spend the free time between buses exploring Sibenik, although it would be preferable for me to first go to the Krka National Park (since the last bus from Skradin was found at 17.00), and then on the way back to see Sibenik.
When studying the site of the Split bus station (Trogir - an intermediate stop on the way to Sibenik), a bus was found at 7.00 from Split, passing through Trogir at 7.30 (with an arrival in Sibenik at 8.35), but this bus was not seen anywhere in the schedule for Trogir: ( (although, well, he can’t drive past: ) This bus would be ideal for us, it was decided to deal with this already on the spot.
Therefore, the day before the trip to Krka, we were at the bus station and studied the timetable. There was no bus schedule at 7.30: (, well, that’s it, I’ll have to go at 6.30, before buying at the box office, I decided, just in case, to clarify, and what do you think, they answered me “Yes! There is a bus at 7.30! ” (ticket 39 kuna).
It turns out that “the language will not only bring you to Kyiv”, but also to Sibenik too : ). But this was the only time when the schedule did not match (but it was good for us), otherwise I already started to think that you can’t trust the schedules : )).
In the morning it was overcast, even a little rain (the only one for the whole trip), but after a couple of hours it cleared up.
According to information from the Internet, passing intercity buses do not stop at the Trogir bus station (and it was a bus to Rijeka), but stop near Konzum (the stop is not marked - near the steps). But our ticket indicated platform 9, I accidentally noticed this and the cashier confirmed it, otherwise I would have gone to “catch a bus” near Konzum : ), I don’t know how with the rest of the buses ...
The bus was 10 minutes late. (comment from a local resident - "traffic at the exit from Split").
The road to Sibenik passed through very picturesque places, the seashore was indented with bays and coves, sometimes it seemed that the yachts were standing right on land : ), only close up it turned out that it turned out to be in the bay. We passed through another interesting town on the island - Primoshten, and there was a desire to come here somehow.
The roads in Croatia are good, but not wide and winding, sometimes “serpentine”, so the travel time is always longer than the estimated one (for example, using Google), we reached Sibenik in 1 hour and 10 minutes. Taking into account the delay, there were 10 minutes left before the departure of the bus to Skradin. , so it was decided to take tickets directly from the driver, we spent some time looking for a bus, and then the “bummer” the driver refuses to sell us tickets, sends us to the box office (it’s somehow strange, he sells to locals to other stops, and everyone who is in Krka - at the checkout: ().
Here I had to get nervous, my husband remains to “keep” the bus, I - the cashier, and there is a queue, and even the locals somehow try to skip the queue: (. Finally, I take tickets to Skradin, I find that the cashier sold me tickets there /back (yes, there is a small savings: instead of 25 kunas / one way, a round trip ticket cost 48 kunas, valid for 2 days), there is no time to find out - I “fly” by bus. It takes 30 minutes to go to Skradin, the local bus and a little simpler.
Bus timetable to NP Krka (to Skradin):
http://atpsi. hr/hr/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2012/07/BUS-TIME-TABLE-FOR-NP-KRKA. pdf
The Krka National Park covers a large area along the Krka River with its tuff cascades, where waterfalls form, the largest and most spectacular of which is Skradinski Buk.
NP Krka website
http://www. npkrka. hr/#/pocetna/? lang=eng.
There are several entrances to the park closest to Sibenik: 1st on the road - Lozovac, 2nd - Skradin.
From Lozovac you still have to go down to the park by bus, from Skradin - by boat to Skradinski buk.
Both the bus and the boat are included in the price of the entrance ticket to the park.
We chose the Skradin entrance for several reasons:
firstly, I didn’t want to take the bus again, it’s much more pleasant to arrange a more spectacular boat trip along the river, the views there are really very beautiful, a bit reminiscent of fjords;
secondly, the Lozovac entrance is located “in an open field”, there is nothing else around, and Skradin is a small, interesting town in itself, you can also see it while waiting for the return bus (which we did : );
thirdly, we planned to return at 5 p. m. , and according to the schedule that I found on the Internet, it was the last bus to Sibenik, there were more chances to get on it in Skradin (in case of an “influx” of those who wanted) than in Lozovac. Already at the information center in Skradin (located on the embankment) I found out that there is another bus at 19.
30, but for us it would have been too late anyway, we also wanted to take a little walk around Š ibenik.
Although for those who travel by car, the Lozovac entrance would probably be preferable, as there is a large car park (free of charge).
Motor ships from Skradin to Skradinski buk leave every hour at 8.00, 9.00, …. 18.00, back at 9.30, 10.30, …. 19.30. If there are a lot of people, several of these boats can come up at once.
Arriving in Skradin at about 9.30 (the bus stops on the highway), most of the people got off the bus and headed towards the embankment in a friendly stream (there was no need to look for the road: ). On the road, on the right side, there will be a glass office of NP Krka, where you can buy tickets (entrance fee - 95 kunas, you can pay by card) and take a booklet with a map and information (there is also in Russian). Tickets can be bought already in the park itself, they are not checked on the boat.
The boat trip was very pleasant and took up to half an hour. When we arrived at the park (about 10.
30) there were still a few people.
In addition to visiting the largest waterfall - Skradinski buk and all interesting places near it, you can also buy additional excursions on boats (in the park near the entrance to Lozovac), the time of the excursions is clearly fixed, if you are late for your boat, you will not be able to take another one:
- on about. Visovac (duration 2 hours) - an island in the place where the river. Krka spills into the lake, there is a Franciscan monastery on the island, the time on the island itself is 30 minutes, the rest of the time is the way there / back - an additional 100 kunas;
– Rosh waterfall (duration 3 hours 30 minutes) with a visit to Fr. Visovac (for 30 min), waterfall (1h) - additionally 130 kunas;
From the Rosh waterfall you can also sail on a boat and see the Krka monastery and fortifications (duration 2 hours 30 minutes) - an additional 100 kunas.
Due to the time limit and the binding to the return bus, we did not want to organize a marathon with a run to see the maximum number of declared excursions, in addition, the impressions of those who visited the Rosh waterfall were ambiguous compared to Skradinsky buk. It was decided to take a leisurely walk to explore the surroundings of Skradinsky buk ...
Skradinski buk was once visited by Emperor Frans Josif, there is even a viewing platform from which he admired the surrounding beauties ...
We walked along the entire route (according to the map in the booklet) in the Skradinski buk area, it is really impressive, stairs, bridges, wooden walkways through all the islands and lakes around are laid for convenience.
There is a church here, and the remains of the former Krka hydroelectric power station (1895), and water mills (19th century), which grind and wash grain ...There are also ethnographic museums here.
And of course there are cafes...
We finished our walk by swimming in a waterfall (like many others: ), however, the swimming area is strictly limited, you will not be allowed to go under the water streams; the bottom underfoot is uneven, you need to go in carefully.
And, unfortunately, the process of changing clothes is somehow not thought out here, however, there are many small grottoes, and there are toilets (paid at the entrance - 5 kunas; higher, near the church - free).
When boarding the return boat, there were already a lot of people, we were glad that we came with a margin of time, but the boats were served in an organized manner, even more often than according to the schedule, we were waiting for max. 30 minutes.
Having walked around Skradin and arrived at the bus stop in advance, we found that we could leave for Sibenik earlier, there was just a bus of some other carrier, but with our tickets (round trip sold to us in Sibenik) he did not want to take us: (and not us alone (there were many people we already knew who were traveling with us in the morning, you see with the same tickets as ours, it became clear why the driver sent us to the ticket office : (). I had to wait for the bus at 17 o'clock, however, a thought flashed through, what if it wasn’t there, but the bus arrived on schedule and we safely got to Sibenik, it’s already somehow calmer, there are much more buses towards Trogir (everyone that goes to Split fits).
Unfortunately, we didn’t have much time on Sibenik, about 3 hours, but it was impossible to pass by and not see it.
It is believed that Sibenik is simultaneously located on the river, the sea and the lake, where the border between them is located, we were not able to consider: ).
Sibenik was not founded by the Romans or the Venetians, it was originally Slavic, and therefore differs from other cities in Croatia.
From the city wall that once protected the city, now only separate fragments have survived in the old city with residential buildings attached directly to them.
We walked along the embankment and the historical center of the old town, looked at the amazing Cathedral of St. Jacob (entrance 15 kunas, if I remember correctly), to which you can climb the snow-white curving stairs from the embankment, located nearby the central square of Sibenik - the square of the Croatian Republic with the City Hall , the church of St. Barbara (there is a church museum inside, the entrance is paid). The Prince's Palace also overlooks the embankment, where the Sibenik City Museum is now located.
We walked along the streets of the old city with well-preserved houses, came to the so-called. Glade (square) with the City Theater, rested in a pleasant park with fountains ...
In general, I liked Sibenik, it was somehow not fussy, there were no crowds of tourists, it definitely deserves more attention ...
The return ticket from Sibenik to Trogir (already with another carrier) cost us a little more (40.5 kunas), but the bus was super new and comfortable, although it was late : (.
It was already dark when we returned to Trogir, not very tired and satisfied with such a wonderful day, and a little proud of ourselves : ) that we didn’t get lost along the way ...
If we compare the prices for such an organized excursion and an independent trip, it turns out that an organized excursion from Trogir cost 340 kunas / person. (with a stop in Sibenik for 1 hour), the trip cost us 223 kunas / person.
To be continued…
