I lead you through the canal of St. Anthony from the sea and from the land with 43 photos ~ #club5050

Hello dear friends, I want to take you through the canal of St. Anthony, about which I have already published some photos and written some interesting facts within the canal itself.

The canal is a natural phenomenon that delights with its original beauty; it is named after St. Anti Opatu and is the only natural sea route to the city of Šibenik.

It protected the entrance to the Šibenik Bay and made it one of the safest bays on the eastern Adriatic coast.

It is about 2,500 meters long.
The natural value of the canal consists of geomorphological characteristics and classical Mediterranean vegetation.
The canal is characterized by aleppo pine and black oak forests, 56 species of shellfish, a large fish wealth, and almost 600 species of plants.

The main feature of the relief is karst.
The area got its final appearance only 10 thousand years ago, when due to the last glaciation the lower course of the river Krka was submerged.

On both sides of the canyon are natural mussel farms. Because by mixing fresh and salt water inside the canal it creates an ideal habitat for these shells.

This is the canyon of the river Krka which leads to the town and exits through the channel of St. Anthony.

So, the canal used to be the canyon of the river Krka, whose traces of the riverbed reach all the way to the open sea.

It is also worth mentioning that travertine barriers have been found in the sea which indicates to us that in the past there were waterfalls here. As it is a submerged lower course of the river where salt and fresh water mix, this area is a significant habitat for many species, and is also on the list of ecological network Natura 2000 (ecological network composed of areas important for the conservation of endangered species and habitats types of the European Union).

With natural beauties noticeable at first glance and a beautiful panoramic view of Šibenik on one side, and on the other side of the Fortress of St. Nicolas and the Šibenik archipelago, the canal also hides numerous cultural values.

If we go up the steep cliffs towards the exit of the canal, we come across an attractive sea tunnel dug in the Second World War, which was later used by the JNA.

The tunnels look like eyes on water, both entrances are identical and are called
"Hitler's Eyes".

https://steemit.com/hive-185836/@to-tru/the-world-of-xpilar-landscape-seascape-photography-and-art-contest-week-092

There is an entrance to these tunnels from the shore through a cave.

Excavated in living rock, the tunnel is several hundred meters long. In the immediate vicinity are the old pier and the cave in which there was a church dedicated to St. Anti.

https://steemit.com/hive-185836/@to-tru/the-world-of-xpilar-landscape-seascape-photography-and-art-contest-week-094

Towards the exit from the canal, steep cliffs turn into beautiful bays, suitable for swimming and recreation.

On the east side, just before the bay and bathing area of ​​Škar, the army of the former Yugoslavia built a complex of military facilities;
barracks, warehouses and docks with associated infrastructure.

In recent years, various music festivals (dub, reggae, house, tech house) or after parties have been held at this place.

We continue further through the abandoned military zone along the arranged promenade.

Walking through the canal we can also meet swans that move through the river canyon all the way to the exit of the canal but do not leave it.

We come to a small wooden bridge that connects the small island of Ljuljevac with the mainland.

After the bridge, 250 meters through the forest on a winding path ..

A few more abandoned military facilities ..

And finally we come to the pearl of this canal ..

At the exit from the canal to the open sea is the pearl of Venetian fortification construction - the Fortress of St. Nicholas.

How it looks from the inside, you can find other information in this post;

https://steemit.com/hive-185836/@to-tru/photo-of-the-week-36-the-fortress-edition-the-channel-guardian

Almost completely surrounded by the sea and largely preserved in its original form, the Fortress of St. Nicolas is one of the most attractive fortresses on the Adriatic sea.

         ... thank you ...