Zadar

Zadar is a city with an extraordinary 3000 year history and extremely valuable cultural heritage. It is located in the very heart of the Adriatic, in the juncture of history and all the things a modern traveler requires. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Croatia which the London Times named the “center of entertainment on the Adriatic”, while Guardian named it “the new Croatian capital of cool”. The turbulent history of this city has left many scars as well as valuable cultural heritage. The landmarks of this city are its historical monuments and cultural heritage. Many churches and cultural monuments remain from various time periods which reflect the artistry of construction of all periods. Of the most popular monuments we emphasize the church of St. Donat (symbol of the city and the most famous monumental building in Croatia from the early Medieval period – 9th century), cathedral of St. Srošije (three-nave Romanic building, also the largest church in Croatia, built in two stages in the 12th and 13th centuries), church of St. Šime (early Christian church which houses the powers of St. Šime – Zadar’s most popular saint), church and monastery of St. Mary (female Benedictine monastery), church and monastery of St. Francis (oldest Dalmatian Gothic church, built during the lifetime of St. Francis Asiški), city walls fortresses and gates (many gates are made in the walls of the city; of the original 30, only eight remain today), church of St. Krševan ( three-nave Roman basilica with three richly decorated semicircular apses), Grisogono Vovo, Rector’s palace and the Regent’s palace. The city of Zadar is an easily accessible destination which you can reach by land, sea and air and is directly connected to the other large Croatian cities. It has a developed coast line whose islands and untouched nature attract numerous seafarers. The islands located around Zadar are ideal for excursions so we recommend visiting the Ist, Molat, Iž, Rava, Olib and other islands. The Zadar archipelago also has three nature parks (Telašćica, Sjeverni Velebit and Vransko Jezero) and five national parks (Paklenica, Plitvice, Kornati, Krka and Velebit). The city is full of modern architectural accomplishments such as the world’s first sea organ and the urban installation “Salute to the Sun”. The sea organs are an instrument on the coast whose music is created by the movements of the sea. It is a place where human ideas and skills with the energy of the sea and waves bond, a place for conversation and pondering with the constant sound of the “orchestra of nature”. “Salute to the Sun” is an installation composed of multi layered glass panes, underneath which solar modules create a symbolic communication with natural light. This installation is connected with the sea organs whose sound is converted into a game of light, performing on the Zadar promenade after sunset. Other than these two modern attractions, Zadar offers many others, such as the National Square, Five Wells Square, silver and gold of the city, Forum, Foša, Museum of Antique Glass, Kalelarga, promenade, Arsenal and many others. Everyone can find something for themselves in this city, so the younger generations can entertain themselves in “The Garden” bar, “Arsenal” lounge bar, “Peppers club”, “Maraschino” night club and many other bars and clubs. The older generations can enjoy various festivals, concerts, exhibits and various plays. Culinary enthusiasts can enjoy specialties of the region in some of the following restaurants: “Foša”, “Kornat”, “Fortuna”, “Lungo Mare” and “Pet Bunara”.