Trogir Old Town Highlights Guided Walking Tour

The North Town Gate and Trogir's Greek beginnings

Your Trogir walking tour begins at the North Town Gate, the main land entrance to the old town, reached by a short bridge from the mainland. The present gate dates from the seventeenth century, a handsome Renaissance arch topped by a statue of the town's patron saint. Trogir sits on a tiny island in the narrow channel between the mainland and the island of Ciovo, which made it easy to defend.

Greek settlers from the island of Vis founded the town in the third century BC under the name Tragurion. Your guide explains how it later became a Roman town, then a free medieval commune and finally part of the Venetian Republic. The whole old town has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1997 as one of the best-preserved Romanesque and Gothic towns on the Adriatic.

Medieval lanes and the legend of Kairos

From the gate, the walk winds through narrow stone lanes lined with old houses, coats of arms, carved doorways and tiny chapels. The street plan has barely changed since the Middle Ages, and every corner reveals a balcony, a Romanesque window or a Gothic arch. It is a town made for walking, and your guide sets a relaxed pace with plenty of photo stops.

Along the way you hear one of Trogir's favourite stories: that of Kairos, the Greek god of the fleeting, happy moment. A rare ancient marble relief of the god, kept in a convent in the old town, shows him with a lock of hair at the front of his head and a bald back, so that an opportunity can be seized only as it approaches, never after it has passed. Locals still see it as a symbol of their town.

The main square and the Cathedral of St Lawrence

At the heart of Trogir lies the main square, framed by some of the finest buildings on the Dalmatian coast. The Cathedral of St Lawrence, built mostly between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries, is famous for its great Romanesque portal of 1240, carved with Adam and Eve, lions and scenes of the months, and for its tall bell tower, which climbs through Gothic and Renaissance storeys.

Across the square stand the open Town Loggia, where justice was once administered, the small clock tower, the town hall and the Cipiko Palace with its elegant Gothic windows. Your guide explains how noble families competed to build the most beautiful facades. Entry to the cathedral and bell tower is not included, but they are open to visitors after the tour if you want to climb for views over the roofs.

The Trogir Promenade and Kamerlengo Fortress

The tour ends on the Trogir Promenade, the Riva, a wide seafront walk on the southern side of the island lined with tall palm trees. Here you breathe in the sea air and watch locals greet the day with an unhurried coffee in true Dalmatian style, while boats and yachts bob along the quay. Across the water rises the island of Ciovo, connected to Trogir by a bridge.

At the western end of the promenade stands Kamerlengo Fortress, built by the Venetians in the fifteenth century, with its sturdy tower; nearby is the round St Mark's Tower. If you are wondering what to do in Trogir after the walk, the fortress walls offer some of the best views of the town, and the promenade is perfect for lunch or a boat trip to the nearby islands.