Zadar

Hitchcock said it had "the most beautiful sunset in the world"; home to the Sea Organ and the Greeting to the Sun, a Roman forum and Venetian walls, and a gateway to the Kornati Islands and the old town of Nin.

Zadar is in northern Dalmatia, Croatia, and is the seat of Zadar County. Its old town sits on a narrow peninsula jutting into the Adriatic. Over three millennia it has belonged to the Liburnians, Rome, Byzantium, Venice and Austria-Hungary, and the Roman Forum, pre-Romanesque churches and Venetian walls are all within a 10–15-minute walk of each other; the walls were inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2017. Alfred Hitchcock called the sunset here "the most beautiful in the world," and the modern installations of the Sea Organ and the Greeting to the Sun have turned sunset into a citywide ritual. The climate is Mediterranean, with May–Oct suited to travel; July–August is the hottest and most crowded, while May–June and September have pleasant water temperatures and fewer people. Sightseeing falls into three parts: 1–2 days in the old town peninsula for the Roman Forum, the cathedral bell tower, the museums and the Sea Organ at sunset; a half day north to the old town of Nin, Queen's Beach and the salt pans; and boat trips to the Kornati Islands and Telašćica, or to Sakarun Beach on Dugi Otok, each needing a full day. Inland, you can visit Lake Vrana and go rafting on the Zrmanja River. Krka waterfalls, Paklenica National Park and the Plitvice Lakes are also popular day trips from Zadar; they are covered under the Split and Plitvice Lakes destinations respectively. Getting there: Zadar Airport is about 12 km from the city, with many European routes in summer; buses take about 3.5 hours from Zagreb and about 2.5 hours to Split. The old town is car-free, so staying in or near it is most convenient. Allow 3–4 days. Croatia uses the euro and is in the Schengen Area.

Top sights

• Sea Organ – Waves push air through 35 pipes beneath the steps, producing natural sounds. It is Zadar's best-known urban installation, perfect for sitti…
• Greeting to the Sun – A 22 m solar disc made of glass. It stores energy by day and flashes coloured lights after dark, in rhythm with the Sea Organ.
• Church of St. Donatus – A 9th-century round pre-Romanesque church built with Roman stone, and a symbol of Zadar.
• Kornati National Park – A marine national park made up of 89 islands and reefs. Barren limestone islands set against blue water make a striking landscape, ideal fo…
• Roman Forum – The largest Roman forum ruins on the eastern Adriatic coast, with columns and fragments scattered through the old town center, open for fre…
• Cathedral of St. Anastasia – The largest church in Dalmatia, with a 12th- to 13th-century Romanesque façade. Climb the bell tower for views over the old town peninsula…
• Archaeological Museum Zadar – The second-oldest museum in Croatia, with collections covering prehistoric, Liburnian, Roman, and early medieval artifacts.
• Museum of Ancient Glass – A specialized museum of Roman-era glassware, with one of the finest collections in the Mediterranean, housed in a 19th-century palace.
• St. Mary's Church & Gold and Silver of Zadar – A treasury of religious art inside a Benedictine convent, where gold and silver reliquaries, crosses, embroidery, and altarpieces dating fr…
• Land Gate & Venetian Walls – A Renaissance-style triumphal gate from 1543, decorated with the Venetian winged lion. The fortifications it belongs to are a UNESCO World…
• Five Wells Square – A 16th-century water reservoir square built as a defense against sieges, with five well openings in a row and a walled park alongside.
• People's Square (Narodni trg) – The city's social center since the Middle Ages, surrounded by a Renaissance City Guard House, a bell tower, and a loggia, with cafés everyw…
• Church of St. Simeon – A church dedicated to Zadar's patron saint, whose main altar holds a 14th-century silver-plated reliquary of Saint Simeon, a treasure of go…
• Church of St. Chrysogonus – A Romanesque church completed in 1175, whose semicircular apses are decorated with blind arcades. It is a masterpiece of Dalmatian Romanesq…
• Zadar City Market – An open-air produce and fish market beneath the old town walls, where you can buy seasonal fruit, dried figs, Pag cheese, and maraschino ch…
• Kolovare Beach – A city beach a 15-minute walk from the old town, with pine trees, pebbles, and beach bars. A favorite of locals in the evenings.
• Nin Old Town & Church of the Holy Cross – The ancient royal town of Croatia, located on a small island in a lagoon. Its 9th-century Church of the Holy Cross is known as the 'smalles…
• Queen's Beach, Nin – One of the rare long sandy beaches in Croatia, shallow and warm, with healing mud baths available and a popular spot for kitesurfers.
• Nin Salt Works – A traditional salt pan that still uses ancient Roman methods of sun-drying salt, with a salt museum and guided tours. Flower of salt makes…
• Telašćica Nature Park – A bay park at the southern tip of Dugi Otok, with 100-meter sea cliffs and the warm saltwater Mir Lake as its two highlights.
• Sakarun Beach – A white-sand bay on the northern part of Dugi Otok, with shallow waters as clear as the Caribbean, often hailed as one of Croatia's most be…
• Vrana Lake Nature Park – Croatia's largest natural lake, separated from the sea by only a narrow ridge; a great place for birdwatching and cycling.
• Zrmanja River Canyon – A karst canyon beneath the Velebit mountains, with emerald river water and tiered waterfalls; a popular spot for rafting and kayaking.
• Ugljan – A long, green island across the water from Zadar, reached by ferry in about 25 minutes. Fishing villages, olive groves and quiet coves make…
• Galešnjak – A naturally heart-shaped, uninhabited islet in the Pašman Channel. It went viral on Google Earth in 2009 and is known as the Island of Love.

Where to eat

• Labrax – A seafood restaurant in the Old Town newly selected for the 2026 Michelin Guide, reinterpreting traditional fish stews…
• Foša – A seafood restaurant at the foot of the city walls facing the small harbor, featured in the 2026 Michelin Guide, servin…
• Pet Bunara – A Slow Food-style restaurant next to Five Wells Square, producing its own figs and olive oil, and famous for its fig ca…
• Malo Misto – A family-run Old Town tavern operating since 1970, featuring a charcoal grill and homemade pasta, serving both seafood…
• 4 Kantuna – A popular restaurant and pizzeria in Zadar's Old Town, known for its fish dishes and affordable pizzas, often fully boo…

Itineraries

• Classic Croatia: Zagreb to Dubrovnik – A classic first-time route from the capital via Plitvice Lakes, Zadar, and Split to Hvar and Dubrovnik.
• Kvarner Coast, Krk & Pag Islands – An island-hopping self-drive route heading south from Opatija along the coast, via Krk and Pag islands, to Zadar.
• Northern Dalmatia: Zadar to Split – Use Zadar as a base to sail the Kornati Islands, then head south via Šibenik and Krka to Trogir.