[Worldtrippers home] [2025 Crystal-Viking]
Happy American Independence Day, to those of you who celebrate! Today’s port was Šibenik, Croatia. (The “Š” is pronounced like “sh”.) Šibenik is one of the oldest Croatian cities on the Adriatic Sea.
As far as we can recall, we have only been to Šibenik once before. In 2021, we were able to dock right next to the city. We walked in at sunrise and had a wonderful, quiet morning watching the old town waking up.
This year, we are aboard a new Viking ship that is 39 feet longer. As a result, we are no longer able to dock in many of the usual places. Today we anchored outside Zablaće, 4.5 miles away from Šibenik, and took tender boats into port. Viking provided a free shuttle bus to Šibenik, but we didn’t go there. Instead, both Russell and Gail were assigned to escort excursions.
Russell escorted the 3.5-hour “Krka Waterfalls & Town of Skradin” tour. Krka National Park is one of Croatia’s natural highlights. It is named after the Krka, a 45-mile-long river with seven consecutive waterfalls and 17 cataracts (cascades). The group visited Skradinski Buk (“Skradin’s waterfall”), the most famous waterfall in the park.
The next stop was the town of Skradin. Microsoft’s Bill Gates has called Skradin his favorite vacation spot. This is because Skradin is largely undiscovered by tourists. As a result, many of the rich and famous are able to bring their megayachts to Skradin and enjoy some peace and quiet.
Meanwhile, Gail escorted the 5.5-hour “Croatian Towns & Family Winery” tour. This excursion included guided walks through Šibenik and Skradin, but Gail decided to avoid the heat and physical strain. She rested and chatted with other guests instead.
Gail did participate in the final stop, a family winery in the tiny village of Plastovo. Here, the guests enjoyed several local wines paired with traditional foods.
