BLOGGER VACATION VIBES IN TROGIR (PART 2)

Hello dear readers! It is time for the second part of my post about Trogir, a Croatian city founded by ancient Greeks in 3rd century BC. In my first 2025 post about Trogir, I explained why I decided to split my Trogir travelogue post into two parts. It's mostly because of the amount of photographs. Moreover, Trogir is so beautiful it deserves two posts! Besides the digital sightseeing, I also talked the art talk. I shared the origins of my fascination with painting the sea and the boats. In addition to sharing glimpses of my paintings, I shared a fashion sketch of my outfit. There are more fashion sketches to come and perhaps a few proper fashion illustrations or paintings, but all in due time. For now, the focus is still on sightseeing Trogir! In the first part of my post, I showed you the entrance to the city and a few sights, most notably the city cathedral and the historical square it is located on.

Today we'll go through the historical Southern Gate to explore the rest of Trogir: the city promenade with its signature palm trees (no seaside promenade in Croatia is complete without palm trees), the famous medieval fortress Kamerlengo Castle and more. So, join me and let's explore Trogir together. Let me take you on a digital walk through Trogir. If you like historical seaside cities, Trogir is simply an ideal place for you. Located on a tiny island, Trogir is so small you can walk it in a quarter of an hour. Nevertheless, there's so much to see and do. Scroll down and let's walk through Southern Gate together!

I absolutely love this huge historical gate.  Dating back to 1500, this gate is a sight to behold. It is called the Southern Gate. This gate is  completely authentic, including the wood. Yes, even the wood parts of the door are ancient!

In the old days, the gate would be closed in the evening and nobody could enter the city past a certain time. You can also see that the doors were reenforced, something that was commonly done for obvious reasons. 

Once you cross  through The Southern Gate, you'll be mesmerized by the beautiful promenade and the sea view. However, don't forget to look back. You'll be rewarded with the view of the city walls that this gate guarded. 

Besides the Southern Gates, another notable sight are the North Gate. You would typically walk through the North Gate and come out through the Southern Gate. Of course, you can also walk around the town nowadays, but in the old days you had to go through the Gates. We didn't take a photograph near North Gate this time, but we did in the past, and you'll be able to find it in my previous posts. We did, however, took some photographs at the Southern Gate, and these you can enjoy. 

A PREVIEW GIF SHOWING YOU SIGHTS BEYOND THE SOUTHER GATE

Here's also a little preview with a gif, showing you my walk through Trogir and the iconic fortress Castle Kamerlengo. 

A gif showing you my walk around Trogir town

TROGIR CITY PROMENADE: PALM TREES, CAFE BARS, RESTAURANTS AND  YACHTS

Trogir city promenade is not much different from other Dalmatian seaside promenades. Of course, there are the palm trees. You cannot have a promenade in Croatia without palm trees. I always joke about Croatian people love for palm trees, but it is kind of endearing at the same time. It is not known why Croats cannot live without palm trees or how long their obsession with palm trees dates. I know that the iconic palm trees in Split were planted about a hundred years ago, but the obsession with palm trees seem to go further in the past. As a kid, I was surprised to learn that palm trees are not native to Croatia. They might not be native to Croatia or (most of Europe for that matter), but palm trees do thrive in Croatian climate, especially so in the costal regions.  

What else to see at Trogir city promenade? Well, obviously there are historical buildings located on the promenade, so you can check out those.  I will share a bit of their history in this post, but there are too many to name them all. So, I will highlight two in this post: Saint Dominic Church and Neogothic building that is now a primary school. 

What else is there to see? Do you like sailing?  Are you a yacht enthusiast? There are also the boats: you are likely to see a lot of yachts and sailing boats. There's also the view. From the promenade you can enjoy the view of island Čiovo. In fact, the island is only a short walk over the bridge away. 

Finally, there's the famous Kamerlengo castle. To see it just keep walking on the promenade! It is located only a few minutes from the Southern Gate. In fact, you can walk there in no time. Trogir is tiny, you can walk it in no time. Everything is near, everything is historical and interesting to see. You cannot go wrong, no matter where you turn. The amount of stunning historical sights in such a small area is really impressive. 

PRIMARY SCHOOL IN TROGIR IS LOCATED IN A NEOGOTHIC BUILDING

One building might catch your eye as you walk the promenade, with its beautiful pointy arches build in Venetian style. This building is a primary school. It looks quite old, but it's only about a century old. This building dates to early 20th century, when neogothic style was quite popular. With its white stones, it perfectly fits the much older buildings that surround it. You can see the church in my background on the photograph below. 

A neogothic primary school

Walking the walk in Trogir!

In the background you can the church and monastery of saint Dominic

THE CHURCH AND MONASTERY OF SAINT DOMINIC

Among the most precious historical sights in Trogir is the church and monastery of Saint Dominic. It is located on the city promenade. From the information I found online, the church and monastery of Saint Dominic was founded in the 13th century. The cluster was built in the mid 15th century. The interior of the church is extremely beautiful with many valuable art pieces. The exterior is stunning as well. The church is as you can see, located right on the promenade, and surrounded by lovely palm trees.

The church and monastery of Saint Dominic

I mentioned fashion sketches, didn't it? Well, I sketched my outfit a couple of times. Will these fashion sketches turn into something more remains to be seen. Still, I guess this is as good time as any to share with you the story of my outfit. This is the part when I give you my outfit details. As you know, usually they are pretty sustainable fashion choices. So, let's have a look.

THE STORY OF MY OUTFIT- SUSTAINABLE FASHION FILES- HOW I WORE IT BEFORE?

THE YELLOW JUMPSUIT WITH A FLORAL /BIRD PINK AND BLACK PRINT (old)- I got this jumpsuit in a collab years ago and I still like to wear it.

See how I styled  this yellow jumpsuit in 2021 :

1) with a neon green vintage blazer and pointy black heeled boots 2-3) with a purple blouse & grey blazer paired with black stilettos

4)  See how I styled this yellow jumpsuit with a long olive vest, a yellow bag  and leopard heels in 2020

5) See how I styled this yellow jumpsuit with a  long olive green vest, a burgundy bag and brown platform heeled sandals in 2018

6) See how I styled this yellow jumpsuit with white flat sandals, a blue bag and a grey DIY necklace in 2019.

7) See how I styled this yellow jumpsuit with white heeled boots and a navy blouse with flare sleeves in 2021.

8) See how I wore this yellow jumpsuit with a burgundy jacket and black and white sneakers in 2021.

9) See how I wore this yellow jumpsuit with pink heels and a long dark pink cardigan in 2018. 

10) See how I wore this yellow jumpsuit with a grey bow tie blouse and black pointy heeled boots in 2021.

11) See how I wore this yellow jumpsuit with a navy blouse, a red striped cap, a crossover bag and black pointy heeled boots in 2021.

12) See how I wore this yellow jumpsuit with a magenta coat, pale pink heels and a burgundy bag in 2024 (that is the outfit I'm wearing today).

THE MAGENTA COAT (Bajina bašta, old)- Don't you love a little colour. This magenta beauty is one of the most worn coats in my wardrobe. 

1-14) See 14 ways to wear this magenta coat here! 15-31) See 31 way to wear this magenta coat here!

31) See how I styled this magenta coat with black leggings, a striped scarf and black leggings for a visit to Malta !

32) See how I styled it with loafers, a white shirt and a vintage pink skirt (also for my Malta hikes)

33) I also wore this magenta coat for a visit to Valetta and 34) for a visit to Saint Julian's

35) See how I styled it with an all black outfit high heeled boots in 2024.

36) See how I styled this magenta coat with cropped Amadeus jeans, a cropped top and a pair of brown boots for a visit to Međugorje in 2025.

37) See how I styled this magenta coat with a golden scarf, a blazer and high brown boots for a visit to Rabat and Mdina ( I visited it in 2023 but the outfit was published in 2025).

38) The magenta coat outfit I'm sharing today and that I wore in my last post. 

Not counting the fashion sketches I posted today and in my last outfit, this coat has been illustrated before! In fact, this magenta coat is also the most illustrated coat on my blog. I Illustrated it not once, but three times. 

https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2021/05/fashion-illustration-friday-rujiste.html

https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2021/02/fashion-illustration-friday-magenta-coat.html

There was another art post focusing on this coat posted in 2021! This one was even more detailed.

https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2022/02/fashion-illustration-friday-stanka.html

Let's us also not forget this fashion illustration from 2022 that featured this coat and a lilac set.

THE PINK LACED UP HIGH HEELED BOOTS (Retro shop)

1) In this recent post, I paired these pink heeled boots with a teddy bear coat, a maxi green knit dress and a tote bag.  It's also an outfit I illustrated so this means this is the second time I illustrated this pair of laced up high heeled boots!

2-3) In this suit themed post where you can also see more ways to style this pair of pink laced up heels. More precisely, I wore them with two outfits, both of whom featured a grey suit but worn with different coats and accessories. 

4-7) In this post, I wore this pair of laced up heeled boots with three outfits featuring a pink polka dot dress. I showed you 3 outfits with this pair of spink shoes, an outfit where I layered the polka dot dress under a Bellissima skirt, where I wore a grey trousers under the dress and where I wore the dress with sheer thighs and a white blazer. All of these outfits featured these boots.

8) In this recent 2025 post, I showed you how I styled this pair of pink boots with a burgundy bag, a black dress with golden polka dots, black flares and a burgundy checkered jacket. I also illustrated that outfit!

 A MINI BURGUNDY LEATHER BAG- I bought it in Borsa store in Mostar,  I'm not sure how many times I have worn this bag more than thirty times for sure (see for example this post). 

I often link up this post when I talk about this burgundy bag (even though it focuses on a pair of sandals, it features around 15 outfits with this burgundy bag). In this post focusing on a cherry print dress, you can also see a lot of different ways to style this mini burgundy bag. Moreover, in this post focusing on a white tunic, you can also see a lot of different outfits featuring this bag. You can also see how I wore it in October with a blue dress and a grey blazer.

SEE 7 WAYS TO STYLE THIS BURGUNDY BAG IN THIS POST 

WITH A MATCHING JACKET AND A MAXI SKIRT HERE

WITH A  NAVY DRESS, A YELLOW BLAZER AND A MUSTARD SWEATER HERE

WITH A YELLOW BLAZER AND BLUE JEANS

WITH A GREY COAT AND BLUE JEANS

WITH A MAXI GREEN DRESS AND BROWN SANDALS

I EVEN ILLUSTRATED THIS BURGUNDY BAG AS WORN WITH A MAGENTA COAT

 & 2 MORE WAYS TO WEAR IT

...and here with a lilac set and a camel coat and a blue skirt and a black puffer jacket.

...and here the burgundy bag a maxi green knit dress and a leather jacket.

....and here the burgundy bag illustrated and worn with a black outfit

...and here the burgundy bag worn with a yellow turtleneck and floral dress, black boots and  a short black coat.

...and here with a grey dress, a brown hoodie coat and brown boots

...and here with a grey suit, a beanie and pink heels.

Here's another gif showing you Trogir promenade, yachts, cafes, palm trees and all!

NOW THAT WE HAVE GOTTEN THE FASHION TALK OUT OF THE WAY, LET'S FOCUS ON THE TROGIR AGAIN!

Like many Croatian cities, Trogir is so filled with history, one almost feels like one is in an interactive museum. Everywhere you turn, there is so much history. At the same time, Trogir is a vibrant tourist city, especially in the summer months. This contrast between the old and the new is fascinating. You can see these modern super yachts parked next to centuries old buildings. There is music and there is life. Night life. Day life. All within these centuries old walls. All within this tiny island so rich in history. 

One of the things I love about being a blogger is that it gives me an opportunity to read and explore. Every time I visit some place, I read about it and I find new things to learn. 

Croatia is no exception in this sense. Even though I'm a Croat myself, I'm still learning about Croatia. I'm still exploring it. There is much to see and learn.  There is much to explore. 

 Everyone can be a tourist in their own country. Everyone can do the reading and the research. Anyone can explore one's country and learn more about it. No matter how much you know, there is always more to learn. 

 I'm getting quite good at this 'being a tourist in your own country' thing. Ever since I first heard about it, I knew local tourism was my cup of tea. You could say that I walk the walk when it comes to sustainable tourism. Being a tourist in your own country is a wonderful thing! I recommend you try it, if you already haven't. 

NOW, LET US VISIT THE KAMERLENGO CASTLE

There is one more thing to show you on Trogir's promenade, and then we'll walk the streets within the city walls again. That one thing is the famous Kamerlengo castle.  It is practically a symbol of Trogir city. Songs have been sung about Kamerlengo fortress castle. 

I visited the inside of this castle a few times. I fist visited it in my teens, then in my twenties and then in my thirties. The inside of the castle is lovely and you can enjoy a fabulous view from its walls.

During the summer, concerts are held in this castle. If you visit it in summer, don't miss the opportunity to listen to a concert in this medieval castle. 

Cited from official Trogir site ( I made a few correction in the English text because some things were translated too literally) : Located on the southwestern part of a small island, the tower is a perfect place to visit. The tower itself was built between 1420 and 1437 during the Venetian conquest of Trogir, and is strategically located along the coast to serve as a defense. The fortress is made in the form of an irregular trapezoid with four towers at the ends. The oldest and largest of these towers was built earlier in the 14th century. The consultant for the building of the tower was Lorenzo Picino, while the stonemason Marin Radoj was in charge of the actual construction. The fortress itself was created by closing the southwestern part of the city by using the already existing towers and walls.

AS YOU MIGHT KNOW, I HAVE A THING ABOUT FORTRESSES

I love visiting fortresses. So, naturally I blog about fortresses. If you remember, I  took you to quite a few fortresses in both Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. I even took you to one fortress in Italy. 

OTHER MEDIEVAL FORTRESSES WORTH VISITING

LET me link up some of my old travel posts featuring fortresses just in case there are some historical enthusiastic visiting this post. 

 STOLAC FORTRESS (BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA) 

1. VISIT STOLAC FORTRESS WITH ME (2019)

2.VISIT STOLAC CITY WITH ME (2019)

3. MEDIEVAL FAIR AT STOLAC FORTRESS (2018)

(STJEPAN'S FORTRESS), LJUBUŠKI (BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA)

1. VISIT STJEPAN'S FORTRESS IN LJUBUŠKI (2023)

KLIS FORTRESS (CROATIA)

1. HISTORICAL FORTRESS KLIS NEAR SPLIT

2. VISIT KLIS FORTRESS WITH ME

FORTICA FORTRESS (CROATIA, ISLAND HVAR)

1. CLIMB FORTIZA FORTRESS WITH ME

VRBOSKA, CHURCH FORTRESS (CROATIA, ISLAND HVAR)

1. CHURCH FORTRESS OF SAINT MARY OF MERCY, VRBOSKA ISLAND HVAR 2020

KAMERLENGO FORTRESS (CROATIA) 

1. VISIT KAMERLENGO IN TROGIR WITH ME

STON FORTRESS WALLS (CROATIA)

1. SIGHT TO SEE- FORTRESS WALLS IN STON

MONTE CASSINO FORTRESS (ITALY)

1. MONTE CASSINO MONASTERY

Kamerlengo fortress in Trogir

WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF KAMERLENGO FORTRESS? 

Well, this castle fortress dates back to fifteen century, mid fifteen century to be more precise. The construction of fortress was ordered by Venetian authorities. The fortress was then built by Marin Radoj. The fortress' name comes from the Italian word camerlengo, that is  the title of an administrative official. 

It appears that the fortress was built in an effort to pacify the citizens of Trogir who resented the Venetian rule and occupation. 

If you remember my post about Hvar fortress (Fortica), you will know that the Venetian rule seems to have been invited by inhabitants of island Hvar. The Venice built the Hvar fortress on the invitation of its people. Why was Venice the Republic invited to rule Hvar in the first place?  The reason for that was probably Omiš pirates. There pirates had a tendency of annually robbing and burning the Croatian islands (including Hvar) to the ground, killing its inhabitants, ransacking the churches and taking any treasures they could find. So, it seems that island Hvar accepted the rule of Venice as a means of protecting themselves from the pirates of Omiš. These pirates were not what you would imagine today if you're imagining a small group of people doing random pirating. Omiš pirates were so well organized they were basically a private army led by an Omiš nobleman. They must have had powerful allies as well. Let us not forget that these pirates even fought and won a war against the Pope. So, some cities welcomed the protection of either Dubrovnik Republic or Venetian Republic. 

Well, the same wasn't the case with Trogir. They liked their independece. Either they felt like Omiš pirates were no match for them, or they had some kind of arrangement with them, or they just didn't like the Venetians. At any rate, Trogir didn't invite the rule of Venice. Trogir resented Venetian rule and they fought the Venetian Republic until their defeat in 1490. This brings us back to how this fortress came to be. Since much of the city defense was destroyed by Venetians, the Venetians decides to strengthen the defense once they established their rule. 

Cited from wikipedia: In 1420 the Venetian Republic conquered Trogir after a siege of almost 2 months. As the city's defenses were badly damaged during the siege and the people of Trogir were hostile to their new lords, the Venetians felt the need to erect a city-castle from which they could rule the newly conquered city. So, between 1420 and 1437 they built Kamerlengo Castle and the former corner tower of the city walls became a keep. Originally, the fortress was separated from the city by an outer crenelated wall and a wet moat. It housed the Venetian mercenaries and their kamerlengo (governor). At first, it was just known as the castle of Trogir, only since the mid-16th century did it became known as Kamerlengo Castle. In the mid-19th century, most of the city walls were demolished, and the castle moat was filled in. There were even plans to tear down the dilapidated castle, but luckily this was prevented. In the Kamerlengo courtyard, a smaller chapel was built dedicated to St. Mark, the patron saint of the Venetian Republic. Below the monumental relief of the lion was a smaller one with the coat of arms of the Tron family in a quadrilobe. Luka Tron distinguished himself as the sopracomite of the Venetian galley during the surrender of Korčula and the siege of Trogir, and was awarded the confidential function of city prince (1421-1424), the second in a row since the establishment of the new Venetian administration. The Gothic relief of the lion with the initials DC and the coat of arms of the Contarini family was made after the capture of Trogir in the 15th century and placed on the chapel in memory of Doge Domenico Contarini I (1043-1071), who is mentioned in the Venetian annals in the context of the conquest of Zadar in the mid-12th century.

So, now you know about the history of Trogir famous Kamerlengo castle fortress. Let us explore more of Trogir and wonder its streets now!

SAINT PETER'S CHURCH

Another church I'd like to highlight today is Saint Peter's Church. You can see details from it in the collage above. From what I found online, it was originally part of a Benedictine convent, built next to the medieval chapel of Saint Plato. However, that original convent was not preserved. In fact, only the courtyard with its Baroque well head remains of the cloister.  One of the interesting details this church offers is the stone saint Peter's sculpture above the main door. This waist-length sculpture of Saint Peter, set above the Baroque portal, was presumably carved by Niccolo di Giovanni in the late fifteen century. We haven't ventured inside the church this time, but from what I found online, inside you can find  works by Zanchi, Molinari, Lazzarini  and the sculptor Jakov Jucen.

NOW, LET'S WONDER THE HISTORICAL STREETS OF TROGIR!

Moving away from the gorgeous city promenade, we find ourselves wondering the streets of Trogir again.

There's so much beauty to be found within these historical walls, among these stone palaces, buildings and houses!

CITED FROM UNESCO

Of the numerous palaces of the aristocracy of the town, the Cipico Palace, facing the west end of the Cathedral, is the most outstanding, covering an entire town block. Throughout the town and in particular around the ramparts, there are palaces of the other leading families Cega, Vitturi, Lucie, Garagnin Fanfogna, Paitoni, Statileo, Andreis. Many of these rise directly from the foundations of Late Classical or Romanesque structures and are in all styles from Gothic to Baroque. All the remains of the successive fortifications of the town are the Camerlengo fortress and one of the bastions of the Venetian defences.

Trogir demonstrates the influence of the various cultures in the Adriatic from its original settlement – Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Hungarian and Venetian, exemplified through its town planning from the Greek period onwards, and the architecture of its buildings, whether Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance or Baroque. In terms of space and population Trogir is a miniature city, but its significance for the cultural and economic history of the Adriatic outweighs its restricted urban scale. Its institutions, its way of life, and its contribution to national and universal culture and science make it one of the most important Adriatic towns. Trogir is an excellent example of a medieval town built on and conforming with the layout of a Hellenistic and Roman city that has conserved its urban fabric to an exceptional degree and with the minimum of modem interventions, in which the trajectory of social and cultural development is clearly visible in every aspect of the townscape.

Today Trogir’s urban fabric encapsulates a series of historic configurations in a perfectly balanced relationship of stylistic formations. The plan of contemporary Trogir reflects the Hellenistic layout in the location, dimensions, and shapes of its residential blocks. The two ancient main streets, the cardo and the decumanus, are still in use. The oval outline of the historic centre was defined in prehistoric times. The street pattern follows the rectangular grid of the Hellenistic and Roman city, demonstrating an organic growth since its foundation, without any major interventions in the 19th or 20th centuries. The town lies wholly within the inscribed property. 

Don't you just feel like the time stands still here? At the same time, the city feels alive in a way that is hard to explain. It's both peaceful and alive, both ancient and modern. Both touristic and traditional.

IN 1271 THE FIRST PHARMACY WAS OPENED IN TROGIR

I found information online that the first pharmacy in Europe was founded in 1271 in Trogir in one of the houses on Trogir main square. Moreover, I also found information that the first perfume shop in Florance Italy was opened a few decades earlier (in 1221) by monks. Now, if you consider this Italian perfume shop a pharmacy than the Italian one it is older, but if you don't consider it the proper pharmacy, then the one in Trogir could be described as the oldest. It depends on the definition. It could be argued that the Italian one was also a pharmacy, not just a perfume shops because at that time the perfume shops also had medical herbs. The monks who founded the perfume pharmacy probably also prepared some medical herbs, so there is a case to be made about the Italian perfume pharmacy being a bit older. Not that it matters much! At any rate, Trogir had a pharmacy in the thirteen century. 

IN 1333 THE FIRST STATUTE BOOK OF CITY OF TROGIR WAS WRITTEN

Cited from Hrčak: The Statute of Trogir is divided into three statute books and two reformation books and the oldest dates from 1322. The first book has 90 chapters, of which one chapter (1%) refers to horses. The second book has 114 chapters, of which 17 chapters (15.7%) refer to animals and animal products. The third book has 64 chapters, of which two chapters (7.8%) refer to animals and animal products, The first reformation book has 88 chapters, of which four chapters (6.8%) refer to animals and animal products and the second reformation book has 86 chapters of which two chapters (2.3%) also refer to animals and animal products. From this it follows that the Statute of Trogir has 442 chapters. Of all the 26 chapters devoted to animals and animal products 11 chapters are devoted to animals, 10 to animal products, while shepherds, ways and places for keeping animals and the obligations of shepherds and owners of animals are described in five chapters.

How many times have I visited Trogir? I'm not exactly sure. I don't remember visiting it as a child, at least not clearly. However, I do remember all my visits as an adult. There were more than a dozen of them! Every time I have found something new in Trogir to admire. 

I took friends and family here. Even my students! I truly love this place. I love to wonder and explore its streets. I love learning about its history and culture. There always seems to much to learn, to see and to explore. 

Every visit teaches me something new. Trogir is not just a place where I got to relax, it's also a place of inspiration for me. Another gem of Croatian seaside. 

I feel like I could wonder Trogir street forever. However, our visit has to end somewhere. Through the Northern Gate we go and out of the historical part of the city. We stop before we cross the bridge, though. We make a pause before we return to the mainland.  We  take a few minutes chill in park Fortin.

PARK FORTIN is a lovely little park that offers nice views of the historical city centre, the stone bridge and the harbour. 

We enjoyed a few minutes of peace and quiet in this park, possibly reflecting on how lucky we were to enjoy such a lovely day at Trogir. 











With that, we bring our visit to Trogir to a close. I hope you have enjoyed this travelogue. Let me know if you have any questions!

Thank you for reading and visiting! Have a lovely day

  Feel free to check out my PREVIOUS VISITS TO TROGIR CITY

TROGIR CITY SUMMER 2015

TROGIR CITY PART 1 2019

TROGIR CITY PART 2 2019

VISIT TROGIR CITY WITH ME 2021!

TROGIR CITY AUTUMN 2022

TROGIR CITY SPRING 2024 (PART 1)