Some of the specifics of a particular area or country, such as the characteristics of nations, the peculiarities of culture and natural beauty, are most often as specifics – fabricated, namely, other areas, countries and populations have them too. But some are not. Some represent an objective peculiarity which, as a specific, is verifiable and provable. In Croatia, such a special feature is certainly the extraordinary richness of the diversity of the natural basis gathered in a very small area and the extraordinary richness of the diversity of historical heritage gathered in the small space, region, city, place. One such area is Dalmatia and one such place is the city Trogir. If we walk through the core of that city, we will come across preserved buildings from more civilizational eras than we would encounter in thousands of miles in some other parts of the world.
Inhabited since Neanderthal times
This area has been inhabited since Neanderthal times, and the town itself dates back to the 3rd century BC when the first settlement here, Tragurion, was founded by Greek colonists from the island of Vis. In Roman times, the municipality of Tragurium was located here, and Trogir was maintained even after the collapse of the Roman Empire when it was part of Byzantine Dalmatia. Then the Croatian and Hungarian kings alternated with Venice. It was followed by several centuries within Venetian Dalmatia with a short period of French rule in the early 19th century, and then as part of Austrian Dalmatia until today it shares its historical destiny with the rest of Croatia. All those epochs have left their mark on this city, so it still looks like an open-air museum. The old town, located on an island between the mainland and the island of Čiovo, is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The most important building in the city centre is the Cathedral of St. Lawrence with the world-famous portal of Master Radovan. Its construction began in 1213 and it shows many artistic styles from Romanesque to Baroque, and it contains many works of art.
According to experts, the main portal of the cathedral of Master Radovan is the most important medieval portal in this part of Europe, and it was carved in 1240 with the signature of its creator still visible. Along the north wall of the cathedral is the chapel of St. John of Trogir, one of the most beautiful Renaissance monuments in Europe. When visiting the city, you should definitely visit the Trogir City Museum, located near the northern city gate, in the palace of the Garagnin family. For art lovers, we definitely recommend a visit to the pinacotheca of sacral works of art with invaluable paintings and written heritage from the churches of Trogir and Čiovo.
One of the symbols of Trogir is the Venetian fortress Kamerlengo on the southwestern edge of the city. Trogir has all the characteristics of the true Croatian Mediterranean, which is why Dalmatia is one of the regions that are most optimal for our species. The Mediterranean climate is one of the most favorable for the human body, as well as Dalmatian cuisine. You can try the specialties of this cuisine in Trogir restaurants. The only unfavourable characteristic of Trogir is the cramped space in which the city is located and the connection with bridges that become bottlenecks during the summer rush of tourists, so then the city has a very hectic atmosphere. For a real vacation, we suggest that you visit Trogir at the end of the season, in September, when it is not as crowded, the sea is still warm and the prices are lower.
Trogir is a city tailored to man, a true Mediterranean, with a dense concentration of Mediterranean climate and history, a stunning essence that you will not and should not resist.
