Cities & Culture

Zadar

A Roman-paved peninsula of churches, sunsets and the Sea Organ.

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COUNTRY: Croatia
REGION: Northern Dalmatia
BEST TIME TO VISIT: May–June and September for warm coast and fewer crowds
DURATION: 1–2 days

ABOUT THE DESTINATION

Zadar is the historic capital of Northern Dalmatia, a compact old town on a peninsula laid out on its original Roman street grid and crowded with Romanesque churches, Roman ruins and a Venetian harbour wall. Its modern signature is the Sea Organ, which plays with the waves, and the Monument to the Sun, a glass installation that catches the sunset for which the city is famous — a rare blend of ancient stones and contemporary art on the same waterfront.

MAP & LOCATION

Zadar

THROUGH THE LENS

From the road

HISTORY & CULTURE

The Story Behind the Place

Zadar was a Roman colony (Iader) whose street grid still underlies the old town, and it became the capital of Byzantine Dalmatia before passing to Venice, which left the harbour walls and the Venetian gates. Heavily bombed in World War II, it was rebuilt and joined Croatia after independence, and its Sea Organ and Monument to the Sun have made its waterfront a modern landmark that sits, remarkably, beside the Roman forum.

TOP THINGS TO DO

Experiences Not to Miss

THINGS TO DO

Listen to the Sea Organ at Sunset

Sit on the Sea Organ steps at sunset and listen to the music the waves play through the waterfront.

THINGS TO DO

Walk the Roman Old Town

Walk the Roman street grid, the forum, St Donatus and the Romanesque churches in a circuit of the old town.

TOP ATTRACTIONS

Sights & Highlights of Zadar

ATTRACTIONS

Roman Forum & St Donatus

The ruins of a Roman forum and the 9th-century round Church of St Donatus, the symbol of Zadar.

ATTRACTIONS

Sea Organ & Monument to the Sun

A wave-powered organ built into the waterfront steps and a glass solar installation beside it, the city’s modern landmarks.

ATTRACTIONS

St Anastasia Cathedral & Bell Tower

The Romanesque cathedral of Zadar and its tall bell tower, whose viewing gallery gives the best panorama over the old town and the water.

FOOD & DRINK

WHERE TO EAT

Restaurant Pet Bunara — Dalmatian cooking near the market

Old-town konobas and waterfront cafés

HOTELS & STAYS

WHERE TO STAY

Hotel Bastion — boutique hotel in the old town

Old-town apartments near the Sea Organ

ITINERARIES

Keep Driving

More here soon — the road is still being mapped.

NATURE & WILDLIFE

The Living Landscape

Zadar’s nature is the sea and the islands. The old-town peninsula is surrounded by the harbour and the open water where the sun sets, and the offshore Kornati archipelago — a maze of uninhabited karst islands — is the great natural sight within reach, reached by boat from Zadar. To the north, the salt lagoon of Nin and the Velebit mountains behind Paklenica give the region a coast-and-mountains range, and the Krka river to the south adds waterfalls and river habitat to the marine one. Dolphins are occasionally seen in the channel off the city.

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Practical Information

Getting There

Zadar has its own airport with seasonal European flights, about 20 minutes from the centre. By car it is about 2.5 hours from Zagreb via the A1 motorway, and 1 hour from Plitvice. Direct buses run from Zagreb, Split and Rijeka, and ferries connect Zadar to the Kvarner islands and the Kornati.