This is Zadar, one of the oldest cities with a history spanning over 3000 years.
Biggest European Empires, various nations and important historical events created this
beautiful city on a peninsula in the Adriatic Sea.
With its rich heritage, crystal clear sea, nice beaches and stunning surrounding islands
Zadar is one of the most popular Croatian coastal cities and I can’t wait to show
you The Best Things To Do in Zadar, Croatia.
Zadar Old town used to be separated from the mainland by a deep moat. Old Town is still
partially surrounded by the city walls that are part of UNESCO World Heritage.
Best place to start exploring Zadar is on the top of the city walls.
Current walls originate to the 12th and 13th centuries when Zadar was part of the Kingdom
of Croatia.
But in the 1400s when Venetians took over the city, they've massively enhanced defensive
system.
Zadar became the biggest city-fortress in the Venetian Republic and no army could ever
conquer these walls.
But citizens of Zadar were not happy with the authorities of Venetian Republic as they
held eleven uprisings and the official name of the walls is Walls of Zadar Uprisings.
With the fall of Venice at the end of the 18th century, Zadar became part of the Austrian
Empire.
After the First World War the city became part of Italy and as such it was heavily bombed
by the Allies during the World War II.
Heavy bombing destroyed many ancient buildings, but the walls are still standing.
After the war Zadar became part of communist Yugoslavia and its Republic of Croatia.
The city was rebuilt and got its unique mixture of ancient and communist architecture.
The walls are now a beloved promenade offering beautiful views.
They still have five city gates and the biggest and most beautiful ones are called Land Gates.
They were connecting the peninsula with the mainland.
Gates were built in the 1500s next to a picturesque Foša harbor and are marked by a winged lion
of Saint Mark, the symbol of Venetian Republic that built it.
But most visitors enter the Old Town through Bridge Gates as they stand right in front
of a pedestrian bridge that connects the historic town on a peninsula with the modern part of
the city.
Bridge Gates, officially called New Gates, leads to a beautiful main square, the heart
of the city since the medieval times.
Here are some of the most important buildings, and cafes that spread their tables around.
One of the historical buildings is The City Sentinel built by the Venetians in the 1500s.
It has a distinct clock tower that has been telling time uninterruptedly since 1803, and
on its top are two bells.
Next to Sentinel is a house with an elegant Lovre Cafe.
Interestingly you can walk through this cafe to get to the remains of an old church from
the 1200s dedicated to St. Lovre, hence the name of the Cafe.
Next to the Cafe is a current Town Hall from the 1930s built by Italians, as between the
world wars Zadar was part of Italy.
It is worth mentioning that just down the street from the Town Hall you can find a useful
Tourist Information Centre.
Opposite to the Clock Tower is the City Loggia rebuilt in the 1500s.
It was used for various public services like the courthouse, council chambers and library.
It was heavily damaged in World War II and after renovation serves as an exhibition space.
Most of the old town is a pedestrian only area and from People’s square you can walk
in all four directions.
Along the edge of the square runs the main street known as Kalelarga that connects all
mayor squares and is even older than the city itself.
Kalelarga is the main meeting point and the symbol of the city.
It was used by the Romans as the main longitudinal street, but its history goes even further.
Romans simply used pre-existing street built by the Illyrian tribes who had a strong settlement
on this peninsula long before the Romans.
White marble stone street is a backbone of the old town as it connects the most important
squares and is full of shops, great gelato places, bars and restaurants.
Towards south-east Kalelarga ends with two beautiful, connected squares.
First square offers a beautiful atmosphere with nice cafes and restaurants.
For centuries this was the entrance to the walled city as on the square are the remains
of the Roman town gate that stood here until the middle ages.
Here is the octagonal base of the Roman tower that once flanked the gateway.
Under the glass you can observe other Roman remains.
But the most impressive is a self standing Roman column that was moved here from the
other Zadar square in the 1700s, where it was part of the demolished Roman temple.
Square is named after a famous Croatian Renaissance writer and poet from Zadar, Petar Zoranić.
On the edge of the square is a Church of St. Simeon that is well worth the look.
On its main altar sits one of the greatest masterpieces of medieval goldsmith's craft,
a silver casket from the 1300s with the relics of St. Simeon, one of the four patrons of
Zadar.
Petar Zoranić square is connected to a neighboring Five Wells Square creating a beautiful open
space.
Five Wells Square it Square with five wells was built by the Venetians as a large water
cistern.
They covered the old defensive moat and replaced it with a large cistern for drinking water.
On its top they put five decorated wellheads that are no longer in use.
Square is encircled by the defensive medieval wall and a pentagonal tower built by Venetians
in the 1500s to strengthen the city against Ottoman attacks.
You can climb to the top and get beautiful views.
On the other side, the square is surrounded by a wall of a bastion and on its top is the
first public park in Croatia, created by the Austrians in the 1800s.
Beautiful squares filled with cafes and tables are a perfect place for an elegant liquor
drink produced in Zadar called Marascino.
It is made from Marasca cherries, a small and slightly sour fruit which grows wild along
the Dalmatian Coast.
In the 1700s, when Zadar was part of The Venetian Republic, a Venetian merchant began industrial-scale
production of this alcohol drink.
Zadar liqueur quickly gained widespread fame and became popular with the European elite.
The drink was so popular that apparently British warships were sent from bases in Corfù and
Malta to pick up shipments of maraschino for British royalty.
After the second world war liquor lost its popularity but is now reigning its fame as
a special ingredient in cocktails.
You can buy a bottle in certain souvenir shops and even in local supermarket.
The most popular public space in Zadar is the Riva seafront promenade.
Unfortunately the entire Riva is under construction, but luckily for you, it will be finished and
brand new by the time you visit Zadar.
Until the late 1800s this space was occupied by fortifications, as Zadar was a fortress
city.
With the Austrian Empire taking control, city walls facing the sea were demolished and Zadar
was no longer a fortress city.
Newly created space was used as a promenade, for building a dock for passenger boats, parks
and luxurious places.
Pleasant stroll along the waterfront offers beautiful views of the neighboring Ugljan
and Pašman islands.
And if you walk to the northern end of the Riva you can hear a music from one of the
biggest musical instruments.
This set of white marble stairs plays music, but it is also one of the best spots to enjoy
in the beautiful sunsets.
Stairs are part of the most popular art installation in Croatia.
Underneath is a huge musical instrument called Sea Organ made of 35 pipes with whistles built-in.
The air from the sea waves is pushed through the pipes, making an unusual sound that comes
out through the apertures in the stairs.
And that it how the sea playes this organic and absolutely mesmerizing music.
Next to the Sea Organ is another unique modern attraction Greeting to the Sun, made by the
same architect.
Huge glass circle has built-in solar panels.
After the sunset, stored energy is used for a unique light-show experience.
Both installations are connected, which allows to convert the sound of the Organ to different
lighting effects.
In summer you surely don’t want to miss a swim in the Adriatic.
One of the cleanest seas gets nice and warm from the mid June to the end of September,
when you should definitely visit one of Zadar beaches.
Favorite spot for citizens is this Kolovare beach in the city centre.
The beach is pebbly with paved areas and above it there is a pine forest that provides shade.
If you are in the Old town you can get here on foot, as this beach is only a few minutes
southwards from the Land Gates.
In summer this becomes a lively beach with bars, cafes, beach volleyball and even a water
polo.
You can rent equipment for numerous sports, deck- chairs and beach umbrellas.
Despite its central location it is awarded with a Blue Flag - a symbol of quality and
purity of the sea.
About 4 kilometers north from the Old Town is a Hotel resort and a camping area with
a popular public Borik beach.
Mostly a pebble beach with concrete slabs and wooden piers is also awarded with a blue
flag.
Beach has many amenities, a shallow entrance to the sea and the natural shade created by
the pine trees and is a popular place for family vacations.
Just a half an hour drive north of Zadar is a beautiful, natural and unspoiled Nin’s
Lagoon.
This is home of the historic town of Nin and includes several kilometres of sandy beaches,
secluded coves and shallow warm water.
The beach is also rich with healing mud that helps cure various diseases.
Amenities include outdoor showers, public toilets, changing rooms and you can rent deck-
chairs and beach umbrellas.
But the very best swimming spots can be found on the nearby islands.
They are accessible by boat from various agencies offering all kinds of one-day excursions.
But the one to book is a day trip to the spectacular archipelago of Kornati National Park.
Zadar Archipelago is made up of 147 islands and its most spectacular part is Kornati National
Park.
On the stretch of 35 kilometres or 22 miles are 109 islands riddled with cracks, caves
and rugged cliffs.
These once lush islands used to be home to many Roman villas and farms, but a lack of
freshwater and exploitation under Venetian rule left them desolate and uninhabited.
The park is popular with yachts and tour boats drawn by the park's unique beauty.
Numerous secluded coves and bays feature different beaches perfect for swimming and snorkelling
and a day trip to these islands is one of the best summer experiences in Zadar.
When returning from Kornati you will see a self standing bell tower of the Cathedral
already from the distance.
You can climb its stairs and be rewarded by beautiful panoramas, but the real treasure
is the cathedral.
There are many seriously old churches around here, but the most important and the largest
one is the Cathedral of St. Anastasia.
It blends a number of architectural periods as its origins date way back to the 5th century.
During the siege of Zadar by the Venetians in the 1200s, the cathedral was heavily damaged.
Its reconstruction took over a century until the current three-nave building was completed
in 1324.
It remains to be the largest church in Dalmatia with beautiful stone altars and impressive
wood-carved choir.
Church also treasures a marble sarcophagus with the relics of St Anastasia.
Relics came here in the 9th century and St Anastasia became one of four patron saints
of Zadar.
If you wish to visit the interior, your shoulders and knees must be covered, while the church
is closed to tourists on Sundays due to service.
But before we jump to the best thing to do in Zadar I would like to thank you for the
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Cathedral is located on the edge of the largest square in Zadar, known as Forum.
It was built by the Romans and remained the main public area and a central market all
the way until the middle ages, when People’s square took over its role.
At the time of its full glory, the Forum was surrounded on three sides by a magnificent
portico and a Roman temple.
After a violent earthquake in the 6th century, the buildings were destroyed and its stones
were reused as building material around the city.
Today only the original pavement and stairs remain, as well as two monumental columns.
First one was moved to the Three Wells Square, while the other is still in its original place.
For centuries it was used as a pillar of shame, where naughty people of Zadar were publicly
chained.
Square is a popular venue, a meeting place and an open air museum where you can walk
freely among the Roman remains and soak up the ancient atmosphere.
More than 1200 hundreds years ago, when Zadar was part of the Byzantine Empire, this impressive
round church rose from the remains of the Roman Forum and became the symbol Zadar.
Church was built using Roman stones, pillars and other reused building blocks and somehow
managed to survive until this day.
It is named after Bishop Donatus who commissioned it and was buried inside, although his bones
are now in the neighboring Cathedral.
Unfortuntaley at the time of my visit, in the off season, the church was closed, so
I can't show you the interior.
The church is no longer used for religious purposes but rather for musical performances,
due to its extraordinary acoustic features.
As Zadar has so much to offer I haven’t even mentioned interesting museums.
On the Forum square is Zadar Archeological museum and next to it is this monastery with
an exhibition of Gold and Silver of Zadar.
There is also a Museum of Ancient Glass well worth visiting.
For the best Zadar experience check my list of my favourite Zadar tours in the description
below.
My name is Rok and I spent the last ten years traveling around Europe as a tour guide.
Thanks for watching, and see you next time.