About the site

St Nicholas' Fortress, located at the entrance to the St Anthony's Channel, as a unique construction of the Venetian Renaissance fortification architecture, represents a monument of world heritage in the Mediterranean. The fortress is the only Venetian military fortification completely surrounded by the sea. It was built in the 16th century on the islet of Ljuljevac at the site of the former Benedictine Monastery of St Nicholas, from which it took its name.

In 2017 St Nicholas' Fortress was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of a transnational nomination entitled The Venetian Works of Defence between 16th and 17th Centuries, which also includes the Defensive System of Zadar, Fortified City of Bergamo, Fortified City of Peschiera del Garda, City Fortress of Palmanova in Italy, and Fortified City of Kotor in Montenegro.

Where is St Nicholas' Fortress situated?

The St Anthony's Channel with the Krka Delta, rich in flora and fauna, belongs to the ecological network Natura 2000 Krka Delta, which covers an area from the Skradin Bridge to the fortress at the exit of the channel. As a natural protected area, the St Anthony's Channel is part of the significant landscape Channel - Port in Šibenik, within which cultural and natural heritage are combined in a synergistic manner. Therefore, the buffer zone of St Nicholas' Fortress does not divide the city of Šibenik and its port from this exceptional monument under the UNESCO protection; rather, it creates a connection between them thanks to the natural and cultural sights located in the St Anthony's Channel. This protected area is managed by the Public Institution Nature of the Šibenik-Knin County.