Primošten: The Bridge Town of the Dalmatian Coast
Primošten is a town and municipality in Šibenik-Knin County, Croatia, situated between the cities of Šibenik and Trogir on the Adriatic coast. The municipality has 2,627 inhabitants (2021 census) and the town around 1,555. The name Primošten derives from the Croatian verb primostiti ("to bridge"): the town, originally an island, was connected to the mainland by a permanent causeway in the mid-16th century.
History In its origins, the town was known as Caput Cesta ("bare head"), a small islet with a single church at its summit. During Ottoman raids of the 16th century, the population of inland settlements sought refuge on the islet. In 1542, with Venetian support, the island was fortified with walls and defensive towers and connected to the mainland by a drawbridge. When the Turks retreated, the drawbridge was replaced by a permanent causeway and the place was first named Primošten in 1564. The town passed through Venetian, French, Austro-Hungarian, Italian, and Yugoslav rule before becoming part of independent Croatia in 1991. It won the prestigious Golden Flower of Europe Award for its urban architecture and landscaping in 2007.
Heritage and vineyards The Church of St George (1485, restored 1760), at the highest point of the peninsula, is the town's visual landmark. The famous dry-stone vineyards of Bucavac, hand-hewn from limestone over generations, are a symbol of human endeavour; a photograph of them was displayed in the atrium of the United Nations building in New York. The vineyards produce the red wine Babić, considered one of Dalmatia's most characteristic wines. The award-winning beaches of Raduča (Mala and Velika) complete the offering.
Points of interest: - Population: 2,627 (municipality, 2021). - Distances: 29 km from Šibenik, 33 km from Trogir. - Getting there: Via the coastal road D8 or the A1 motorway (Šibenik exit).