In total, five Croatian islands are connected to the mainland by a bridge, and one of them is quite short! Discover the Croatian island that is closest to the coast, and the bridge that connects them.
Photo: Getty Images
Croatian islands are, according to many, the most beautiful places on our coast, and in the entire country. Rich history, a slower pace of life, enchanting coves… If you don’t like waiting for the ferry, the good news is that Croatia has five islands connected to the mainland by a bridge. But which Croatian island is the closest to the mainland? The answer to this question takes us to the magical Šibenik archipelago.
The Croatian island closest to the mainland had a bridge more than 200 years ago.
One of the islands you can reach without a ferry is Murter – the Croatian island closest to the mainland, which is connected to it by the Tisno Bridge, 12 meters long. The first bridge in Tisno was built at the beginning of the 18th century, and the Tisno Tourist Board notes that in 1968 it was replaced by a drawbridge, which has since been renovated several times. Today, this bridge is the only connection between the island of Murter and the mainland.
Murter, the Croatian island closest to the mainland, is connected to it by the Tisno Bridge (Photo: Getty Images)
Long ago, when there was an old wooden bridge here, it opened by moving to the side with manual power. At that time, there were no cars yet; people, donkeys, and carts crossed it. Today, this channel is spanned by a bridge built in 1989, designed to lift and lower vertically with hydraulic power.
The Croatian island closest to the mainland is Murter (Photo: Getty Images)
The Tisno Bridge is today a symbol of the place, and work and life on the island are planned around it.
The Tisno Bridge is raised twice a day to allow boats to pass. During the season, traffic stops at 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., and there is a twenty-minute wait for the vessels to pass. At that time, traffic jams often form, but once the bridge is lowered, traffic returns to normal. Outside the season, from September to May, the bridge is raised once a day, only in the morning. Life, work, and the leisure of tourists on the island are largely shaped by the schedule of the bridge lifting, but most agree that this is still a smaller inconvenience compared to waiting for and traveling by ferry.
Murter (Photo: Getty Images)
MURTER: THE GATEWAY TO KORNATI WITH RICH GASTRONOMY AND UNTOUCHED NATURE
The island of Murter is adorned with beautiful nature, pine forests, crystal-clear sea, and magnificent gastronomy. Thanks to its proximity to Kornati National Park, it is often called the “Gateway to Kornati.” The island is a popular destination for sailors, with numerous marinas and anchorages, and during the summer months, many fishing festivals and gastronomic events take place here. Some of the most famous places on this island near Šibenik are Jezera, Betina, and Murter, but every corner is worth exploring. All it takes is crossing the famous Tisno Bridge.
Betina (Photo: Getty Images)
Source: https://putnikofer.hr/dnevni-atlas/hrvatski-otok-najblize-obali/