Heritage Hotel Life Palace

Croatia has never been more popular with travelers than it is now — though most of its visitors flock to Dubrovnik and Split, leaving some of the country’s most scenic destinations comparatively off the radar. Take the medieval port city of Šibenik, perched on the edge of a beautiful bay on the Dalmatian Coast, home to a cathedral and a fortress that are both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Heritage Hotel Life Palace is one of just a handful of hotels in the area. And it’s everything you’d want from a boutique hotel in the car-free Old Town: housed in a restored 15th-century palace on a cobblestone square, it’s full of historic character, and with seventeen rooms and suites, it’s neither too big nor too small.

Each room is different, but all feature elegant period details — stone doors, exposed brick walls, wood-beamed ceilings — and Renaissance-inspired decor, from original hand-painted murals and gilded mirrors to brocade drapery and Baroque writing desks. Nearly all have bathtubs, and the best have French doors opening onto private balconies. The ground-level café spills out onto the square with outdoor tables ideal for breakfast or a glass of wine. There’s no formal restaurant on site, but it’s a pleasure to wander through the labyrinth of side streets on the way to dinner, or down to the waterfront at sunset.