The city of Skradin today is a small, picturesque place under the aegis of great and glorious history. The name derives from the root skard meaning steep, rock, cliff, while the suffix -ona in the original name Scardona, indicates the pre-Roman and pre-Liburnian origin of the settlement. It is located in the lower portion of the Krka River, called Titius in Roman times, which has been one of the main roads towards the interior of the eastern Adriatic coast since the prehistoric times. It also served as a natural barrier between two peoples - Delmatians, after which the Roman province of Dalmatia had been named, and Liburnians, for whom Skradin represented one of the most important cities, as indicated by its appointment as the Conventus iuridicus, the capital city of its province. Until the establishment of the Greek colonies on our coast in the early 4th century BC, the Liburnians were the dominant naval force in the Adriatic Sea. Their influence had been felt a few centuries earlier in Italy and the Ionian Sea. The fast and agile ships they used, named after them - liburnians, certainly contributed to this. The Liburnian ships played a crucial role in Octavian's victory over Mark Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium.

Undoubtedly, the people of Skradin, like other Liburnians, nurtured a long maritime tradition. The tradition continued under Roman rule when Skradin became the main transit port for the Roman military camp at Burnum at the beginning of the 1st century, perhaps even earlier. The remains of the port with the associated facilities stretch for about 700 meters. That was the period in which trade reached its peak, and products from all over the Empire flooded the city of Skradin. During the first two centuries of the new era the city was at the peak of its power. Numerous shipwrecks and scattered cargo along the Krka River, as well as the exceptionally valuable archeological material of Skradin testify to that. Temples, public buildings and complete infrastructure were built, and many immigrants, primarily from Italy, came to Scardona to take advantage of the growing economy and a multitude of business opportunities.