A Fairy Tale Town Carved Out of History and Stone::Trogir, Croatia
If you get up very early in the morning, before the tourist buses unload their masses and well in advance of the European filmmakers obsessively scouting out prime locations, you’ll be able experience the witching hour when tiny Trogir’s past invades its present. As you meander through the twisted alleyways of the 2800-year-old market town, past faded palaces, majestic castles, an imposing fortress and ancient stone homes, all half-shrouded by the mist lifting off the sea, you’ll swear you’ve been magically transported back in time.
Surrounded by the sparkling sea and encased in15th century stone walls this walking town is actually an island connected to the mainland by an old stone bridge. Nicknamed “The Stone Beauty,” Trogir’s Romanesque-Gothic complex, the best preserved in Central Europe, prompted UNESCO to add the entire town to its World Heritage List in 1997.
Read on for my fave picks for exploring this medieval shipping metopolis.