by Janis / 2 comments - Orginally published:23rd October 2017

An ancient maze of cobbled lanes

Our 3rd destination on our Croatian road trip after the magical Plitvice Lakes and the delightful city of Zadar was the historic walled city of Trogir.

Prior to arriving in Trogir for our 2-night stay, I was unsure whether we should have used one of the nights to add to our return journey north and extend our stopover in Split to two nights. I was aware that Trogir was considerably smaller than Split; however, I must say, we made the right decision, and Trogir was a delight for two evenings.

Are you considering a Croatian adventure? Take a look at our itinerary for our Croatian road trip.

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Where is Trogir?

How to get to Trogir

- By Air
The three biggest airports in Croatia are Zagreb, Dubrovnik & Split.

Don't forget you can always use Booking.com to check out your flight options too. Why not give it a try.  Then pick up your Rental Car and start exploring Croatia

- By Car
If you’re heading from the UK by car, jump on Le Shuttle and venture off to Croatia under your own steam. Check out our Road Trip checklist for handy advice.

Exploring Trogir

A Croatian gem not to be missed
The captivating walled city of Trogir truly is a must for your Croatian itinerary; I can honestly say that although I enjoyed visiting Split with its stunning Diocletian Palace. Trogir, for me, was the preferred location to be based at.
A classical-styled white building on the waterfront at trogir, croatia, under a deep blue sky
Wonderful style in Trogir
The pace of life was a lot more relaxed and tranquil in Trogir, and it felt more personable. But hey, it depends on how you enjoy spending your evenings while you’re away as Split was full of life and a friendly atmosphere.
The 10-metre tall, circular stone saint marks tower, with boats moored alongside it in trogir, croatia
St. Marks Tower
The top of the Cathedral of St. Lawrence which is clearly built in a Venetian style.
The Tower of Cathedral of St. Lawrence
The historic pedestrian Old Town of Trogir sits on its own little island, which is then connected by a bridge to the mainland of Croatia in the north. To the south of Trogir, across another bridge, is the much larger island of Čiovo.
The historic stone church of staint dominic in trogir, croatia
Church of St. Dominic

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Within Trogir’s city walls

Exploring the cobbled lanes

As you stroll through the elegant North Gate of Trogir’s historic city, you are immediately within the magnificent medieval walls.

Weaving your way through the enchanting lanes, all the time taking in the differing ancient styles of the teetering balconies, interlacing alleyways, and gnarly façades.

The stone north gate, built into the city walls of trogir, croatia, at dusk
North Gate
a cream moped parked outside a home in the cobbled lanes of historic old trogir, croatia
Quiet streets
The history within Trogir’s walls and the captivating feeling that you sense wandering amongst the cobbled streets are incredible. In your wildest dreams, you can only imagine the thousands of ancient footsteps that have passed through before you.
A narrow cobbled lane full of shops in the centre of old trogir, croatia
The lanes of Trogir
Trogir is a delightful city to visit and has some delicious restaurants.

Enjoy the location of Trogir

Stay for the evening in Trogir and enjoy the relaxing atmosphere along the palm tre- lined Obala bana Berislavića

Trogir’s eclectic mix of architecture

Something for everyone
Trogir has such a magnificently preserved mixture of architecture, which includes Renaissance, Baroque and Romanesque; it is stunning.
The apse end of the historic cathedral of saint lawrence in the heart of old trogir, croatia
Cathedral of St Lawrence
Although, once again, the Venetian heritage is so prominent in this little city, particularly the bell tower on St Lawrence Cathedral and the town square of St. John, which it looks down upon.
Looking down to the stone courtyard of the old town hall in historic trogir, croatia
The courtyard of the Town Hall

Within Trogir’s town square is the old Town Hall; I urge you to take a wander through the doorway.

As you pass through the arched entrance, you step into an incredibly peaceful inner courtyard with a charming stone balcony snaking high above you. You feel like you’ve wandered into a scene from a Shakespeare play.

a stone staircase in the courtyard of the town hall in historic trogir, croatia
The staircase of the Town Hall

If you've yet to discover the delights of Croatia you're in for a treat. While planning our road trip, I used the DK Eyewitness books.  I find them extremely informative, easy to follow and the pictures and maps tempt you into discovering more.

We used a previous version of this book to plan our north to south Croatian road trip, now you can grab the revised copy.

DK Croatia Cover

There’s culture around every corner

Surrounded by heritage

Just next to Trogir’s Old Town Hall is the Town Loggia, this ancient building was once Trogir’s courthouse and was also used for making public announcements.

Nowadays, you may be lucky like us and catch a local group singing a cappella.

canopies over tables and chairs, in front of a historic clock tower in the loggia di trogir, in the centre of old trogir, croatia
Loggia do Trogir

Did you know?

That the historic city of Trogir was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997.

Discover the ancient lanes of Trogir

Within the historic gates

Strolling south through the walled city of Trogir, see if you can aim for the South Gate, you may not always pop out where you think you are going to.

Wander through the 16th-century wooden doors, and you’ll be welcomed by the bustling promenade and the beautiful blue waters beyond.

The stone south gate in Trogir's city walls leading to the cobbled lanes at its heart
The South Gate
The historic kamerlengo tower on the water's edge in old trogir, croatia
Tower Kamerlengo
Take a stroll to the end of the promenade, on the outside of the city walls, and you’ll arrive at the Kamerlengo Castle. A mid-15th-century Venetian fortress awaits; from here, you can admire some magnificent views of the Adriatic Sea.

Uncover that peaceful place

Explore the quiet corners
The delightful city of Trogir is so unique and well preserved, so as you can imagine, during the day, it is very popular with day-trippers. However, don’t let this put you off, as there are still quiet corners to be found amongst the maze of lanes.
Stone steps, lined with potted plants leading to an apartment in the heart of old trogir, croatia
Quiet corner
Amble down a narrow pathway and explore the open courtyards that are so tantalisingly maintained.

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Hopping across to Čiovo Island

Discover the charming streets
Directly opposite Trogir Old Town is Čiovo Island which is considerably larger than Trogir island. We were actually based on Čiovo Island as it was so close and only a few minutes’ stroll to the Old Town.
A chapel at the and of a narrow courtyard in trogir, croatia
The chapel
If you have the time, it is undoubtedly worth popping over the bridge to wander amongst the peaceful streets and the marina. From Čiovo Island, you also get a great view back of the walled city of Trogir.
Boats moored up in the marina in Zadar opposite the old town
Boats in the marina

Visiting Croatia

For further advice on visiting Croatia, head to the official tourism website Croatia – Full of Life.

Promenading Trogir’s Riva

Relax and watch the world go by
As Trogir sits on its own island, it is encircled with moorings and marinas. Boats of all shapes and sizes cruise into the idyllic location, from local touring boats island hopping sailing yachts to chartered superyachts.
Boats moored against the water's edge at dusk on the riva in trogir, croatia
The Riva at dusk
The palm tree-lined Riva that runs the island's entire length is bustling with visitors during the day. Still, as the evening draws in and the day-tripping tours have disappeared, Trogir takes on a different serene, elegant feel.
A cruiser moored against the water's edge at dusk on the riva in trogir, croatia
Across the water
When the sun begins to set and the golden light shimmers across the promenade, it must be Aperol Spritz time!!!
two glasses of aperol spritz at a bar on the riva, with a lager motor cruiser moored in the background of trogir, croatia
Aperol Spritz on the Riva

Why Not?

Use Trogir as a base to discover Split and not vice versa.

Where we ate in Trogir

All local cuisine

restaurants and welcoming konobas with their wonderful aromas emitting from them. The scent of wood burning, fuelling the grills, along with fresh fish tempting you, is too appealing.

There are plenty of places to eat in Trogir, but one of my favourite meals for the whole trip was at Konoba Fortin, on the island's north side.

A Croatian seafood brodet stew consisting of giant prawns & muscles in a tomato sauce, served with polenta
Brodet Croatian fish stew

A normal deterrent for us when choosing a restaurant is a menu with pictures, but there was something about Konoba Fortin that really appealed to us.

Once seated, we referred to our list of 'must try' foods, and I opted for the Brudet, a fish stew with polenta. Gary went for a plate of Čevapi, little handmade sausages. As we watched other meals arrive, we knew we had made the right choice.

Our food arrived, and we knew this was no fast-food joint; everything was cooked to order. Gary’s čevapis were delicious, but my Brudet was a masterpiece.

Gary finished with palačinke - pancakes with a choice of fillings – Gary went for the traditional option, walnuts, after checking which was the restaurant owner's favourite.

Our next destination is Dubrovnik.

Where we stayed in Trogir

An apartment on Čiovo Island

Our accommodation for the two nights we were in Trogir was at the “Apartments Kapetanovi Dvori” on Čiovo Island. We chose this apartment for its location and parking facilities, and it did not disappoint on either.

The apartment was clean and tidy and had a stunning view from the balcony across the bay, with a view back to the Old Town.

The view from the apartment to the centre of old Trogir, Croatia
The view from the apartment
While we were admiring the view we noticed Trogir was on the flight path for Split airport. Which we didn't realise before choosing Trogir as a location. The aeroplanes weren’t constant, and it certainly wouldn't put me off returning to Trogir.

Have you?

Explored Trogir; what did you love about the historic Old Town?

Our video of Trogir

We have created a little YouTube video of Trogir.  Why not take a look?

Also, why not subscribe to our YouTube channel and get the latest clips as we post them?

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    1. Author
      Reply

      Thanks very much, Croatia is a stunning country, we can’t wait to return one day. Have you visited?

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