Sibenik & Krka National Park
The engines of the Panorama started early this morning, as we began our day’s journey making our way through a narrow entrance known as Canal Sveti Ante leading into Sibenik Bay. The Panorama would be tying up in the small town of Sibenik for the day. From this home base our group would make a short bus trip to Krka National Park to spend the morning immersed in the natural world of a very unusual National Park.
This park of 109 square kilometers encompasses the basin and course of the Krka River and was declared a National Park in 1985. It has many unique features, the foremost being a geologic composition of travertine, representing a frequent phenomenon in the land surface currents of the Dinaric karst region of Croatia. What makes this National Park so unique is the buildup of limestone deposited from water that accumulates on living organisms like moss, algae, and grasses. The travertine has formed into numerous cascades with water flowing over all!
As soon as we stepped off the bus inside the park we could hear the waterfalls. We were led by our guide to an overview of the upper cascades, given an introduction to the park and then divided into several groups. Some of our group wanted a fast paced hike around the park, while another group wanted to see the ethnographic museum showcasing the use of hydropower before enjoying a long wander through the forests that surround the cascading waterfalls. Making our way along an extensive boardwalk a world of visual and auditory gifts was presented!
As we continued along the boardwalk frogs serenaded us, while over our heads birds were signing as it is obviously spring in Croatia. The elements of this National Park make for a very healthy ecosystem of plants, animals, reptiles, amphibians and insects.
One of the frequent visitors to many a sunny leaf or stem were banded damselflies. Iridescent blue wings and banded bodies, they are a jewel to see and a topic of conversation, not to mention a focal point for many photographers in our group.
The one mile walk and 60 meter climb down and back up to the observation area went far too rapidly and all too soon it was time to return to our waiting bus and return to Sibenik for a visit to the old town of this port.
We began our town walk heading along the quay towards St. Jacob’s Cathedral. This Unesco World Heritage site is known for its architecture and precision dry masonry. The cathedral took over 100 years to finish due, in part, to financing difficulties. One of Croatia’s finest architects, Juraj Dalmatinac, was involved in the design and construction of this beautiful cathedral with its infamous 71 stone heads circling one side of the building.
We continued walking through town, making our way back to our bus, which ferried the remainder of our group back to the waiting Panorama and our midday meal.
The heat of the day continued to rise and a late afternoon swim call was definitely a great way to finish the day. We dropped the swim platform for anyone who was interested, and they climbed down the ladder, dove, or just jumped into the inviting waters of the Adriatic Sea.
The sun continued towards sunset with recap and dinner ahead of us, while the Panorama continued her journey, taking us south along the Dalmatian coast heading for more interesting discoveries in this unusual part of the world.
The engines of the Panorama started early this morning, as we began our day’s journey making our way through a narrow entrance known as Canal Sveti Ante leading into Sibenik Bay. The Panorama would be tying up in the small town of Sibenik for the day. From this home base our group would make a short bus trip to Krka National Park to spend the morning immersed in the natural world of a very unusual National Park.
This park of 109 square kilometers encompasses the basin and course of the Krka River and was declared a National Park in 1985. It has many unique features, the foremost being a geologic composition of travertine, representing a frequent phenomenon in the land surface currents of the Dinaric karst region of Croatia. What makes this National Park so unique is the buildup of limestone deposited from water that accumulates on living organisms like moss, algae, and grasses. The travertine has formed into numerous cascades with water flowing over all!
As soon as we stepped off the bus inside the park we could hear the waterfalls. We were led by our guide to an overview of the upper cascades, given an introduction to the park and then divided into several groups. Some of our group wanted a fast paced hike around the park, while another group wanted to see the ethnographic museum showcasing the use of hydropower before enjoying a long wander through the forests that surround the cascading waterfalls. Making our way along an extensive boardwalk a world of visual and auditory gifts was presented!
As we continued along the boardwalk frogs serenaded us, while over our heads birds were signing as it is obviously spring in Croatia. The elements of this National Park make for a very healthy ecosystem of plants, animals, reptiles, amphibians and insects.
One of the frequent visitors to many a sunny leaf or stem were banded damselflies. Iridescent blue wings and banded bodies, they are a jewel to see and a topic of conversation, not to mention a focal point for many photographers in our group.
The one mile walk and 60 meter climb down and back up to the observation area went far too rapidly and all too soon it was time to return to our waiting bus and return to Sibenik for a visit to the old town of this port.
We began our town walk heading along the quay towards St. Jacob’s Cathedral. This Unesco World Heritage site is known for its architecture and precision dry masonry. The cathedral took over 100 years to finish due, in part, to financing difficulties. One of Croatia’s finest architects, Juraj Dalmatinac, was involved in the design and construction of this beautiful cathedral with its infamous 71 stone heads circling one side of the building.
We continued walking through town, making our way back to our bus, which ferried the remainder of our group back to the waiting Panorama and our midday meal.
The heat of the day continued to rise and a late afternoon swim call was definitely a great way to finish the day. We dropped the swim platform for anyone who was interested, and they climbed down the ladder, dove, or just jumped into the inviting waters of the Adriatic Sea.
The sun continued towards sunset with recap and dinner ahead of us, while the Panorama continued her journey, taking us south along the Dalmatian coast heading for more interesting discoveries in this unusual part of the world.
