Cathedral
Cathedral of St Anastasia & Bell Tower
Zadar · Northern Dalmatia
QUICK INFORMATION
- CATEGORY
- Cathedral
- COUNTRY
- Croatia
- REGION
- Zadar · Northern Dalmatia
- DURATION
- 1–2 days
ABOUT THIS ATTRACTION
The cathedral of St Anastasia is the largest church in all Dalmatia: a Romanesque basilica rebuilt in the 12th and 13th centuries, with a rose window, carved portals and the relics of the martyr Anastasia of Sirmium behind the high altar. Its freestanding bell tower — climbed by 180 steps — is the best viewpoint over the red rooftops of the old peninsula and the channels beyond.
HISTORY & BACKGROUND
The story behind it
A church stood here from the 4th century; the present Romanesque basilica was consecrated in the 13th century, in the years when Zadar was the rival of Venice for supremacy on this coast. The bell tower rose in the 15th–16th centuries; the cathedral was restored after the 1991 shelling, and the relics of St Anastasia, brought from Constantinople in the 9th century, remain the heart of its treasury.
WHAT TO SEE
What to see here
The Romanesque façade and rose window.
The climb up the bell tower — rooftops and channels.
The treasury and the relics of St Anastasia.
GOOD TO KNOW
Facts & Curiosities
The cathedral is the largest church in Dalmatia — a three-naved Romanesque basilica of the 12th–13th centuries.
The relics of St Anastasia of Sirmium were brought from Constantinople in the 9th century.
The bell tower (15th–16th century) is climbed by 180 steps — the finest viewpoint over the old town.
The cathedral was damaged in the 1991 shelling and carefully restored in the 1990s.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why it matters
It is the great church of Dalmatia and the vertical landmark of the oldest Croatian city.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before you go
THROUGH THE LENS
From the road
MAP & LOCATION
Cathedral of St Anastasia & Bell Tower
Cathedral of St Anastasia & Bell Tower, Zadar, Northern Dalmatia, Croatia
44.1175, 15.2304
MORE ATTRACTIONS
More to see in Zadar
FOOD & DRINK
Where to eat nearby
Konobas of the old peninsula — Dalmatian fish plates
Marinko and Foša — classic waterfront tables
HOTELS & STAYS
Where to stay nearby
Hotels on the waterfront promenade
Guesthouses inside the old-town peninsula
NEARBY DESTINATIONS
Continue the journey
INTERESTS
Explore by what you love
ROUTES
Routes through here
Velebit Coastline Ride — Senj to Zadar via Karlobag and the Vratnik Pass
The wildest stretch of the Adriatic Highway under the Velebit wall — Zavratnica, the Vratnik pass viewpoint, Karlobag and the long starlit run to Zadar.
147 km · 3 h · moderate
VIEW ROUTECentral Dalmatia Ride — Zadar to Split via Šibenik and Trogir
The classic Adriatic Highway run through Central Dalmatia — two UNESCO towns, the Šibenik channel, coastal bridges and the long seafront approach to Split.
169 km · 3.5 h · moderate
VIEW ROUTEPART OF
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