Why this ride
362 km from Zadar to Zadar, about 5 h 11 of riding. The stops in between: Fort of St. Nikola, Historical Complex of Split with the Palac and back through Fort of St. Nikola. It suits an unhurried touring pace.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Defensive System of Zadar and Historical Complex of Split with the Palac
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 362 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 5 h 11
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Scenic road chapters
Fort of St. Nikola → Historical Complex of Split with the Palac
86 km on Fort of St. Nikola → Historical Complex of Split with the Palac.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 86 km
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Defensive System of Zadar
Zadar spent much of its life on the front line, and its walls prove it. Once the chief city of Venetian Dalmatia, it stood on the border between the Republic of Venice and the Ottoman Empire, and in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the Venetians turned it into one of the strongest fortress towns in the Adriatic. The ramparts, bastions and gates that survive are part of the Venetian Works of Defence between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, a group of sites across Italy, Croatia and Montenegro that UNESCO inscribed in 2017.
Read the complete Defensive System of Zadar write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Defensive System of Zadar is where the day begins. Next is Fort of St. Nikola, 80 km on.
2. Fort of St. Nikola
Šibenik has the odd distinction of being a Croatian city founded by Croats rather than by the Greeks or Romans who established most of the Adriatic coast, and its old town climbs a hillside above a natural harbour, a maze of stone lanes and stairs. The harbour is approached through a narrow channel from the sea, and the fort of St Nicholas guards the entrance, standing on a small rocky islet. The Venetians built it in the 1540s to protect the city from Ottoman galleys, and it is a remarkable piece of military design, with a triangular plan and walls shaped to deflect cannon fire. UNESCO has listed it among the Venetian Works of Defence of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, together with the defences of Zadar. The fort is reached by boat from the Šibenik waterfront.
Read the complete Fort of St. Nikola write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Fort of St. Nikola comes up about 94 km into the recorded legs. Next is Historical Complex of Split with the Palac.
3. Historical Complex of Split with the Palac
Few cities have grown inside a palace, but Split did exactly that. Around the year 300 the Roman emperor Diocletian, born in nearby Salona, built himself a vast fortified retirement residence on the shore of the Adriatic, a rectangle of walls, towers and gates. When Salona was sacked in the seventh century, refugees moved into the palace, and over the following centuries they turned its halls and corridors into streets and houses. The result is a living old town where medieval and Renaissance homes lean on Roman walls and washing hangs between ancient columns.
Read the complete Historical Complex of Split with the Palac write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 180 km into the recorded legs you reach Historical Complex of Split with the Palac. Next is back through Fort of St. Nikola, 80 km on.
4. back through Fort of St. Nikola
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Fort of St. Nikola write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Fort of St. Nikola, late in the day. Next is Defensive System of Zadar.
5. Defensive System of Zadar
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Defensive System of Zadar write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Defensive System of Zadar. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Defensive System of Zadar to Fort of St. Nikola
Defensive System of Zadar → Fort of St. Nikola is 94 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Fort of St. Nikola to Historical Complex of Split with the Palac
Fort of St. Nikola → Historical Complex of Split with the Palac is 86 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Historical Complex of Split with the Palac to back through Fort of St. Nikola
Historical Complex of Split with the Palac → back through Fort of St. Nikola is 87 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
back through Fort of St. Nikola to Defensive System of Zadar
back through Fort of St. Nikola → Defensive System of Zadar is 94 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.