Zadar, Croatia

St. Donat’s Church

The Church of St. Donatus was built in the 9th century on the site of a former Roman palace by order of Bishop Donatus of Zadar. It is located near the Roman Forum, the ruins of which have been preserved to this day. Originally, the church was consecrated under the name of the Holy Trinity, but in the 15th century it received its current name. The Church of St. Donatus is in the Byzantine style and is the largest church of the Proto-Romanesque period in Croatia. Thanks to its excellent acoustics, it has become a favorite venue for musicians playing medieval music-they hold their concerts from March to October. You can visit the Church of St. Donatus any day.

Hi, Sun

Hello Sun - three hundred glass tiles with built-in photoelements that store the Sun’s energy during the day and convert it into a multicolored glow at night. Something akin to a disk of huge diameter (22 meters). Smaller disks symbolize the planets of the Solar System. The view is stunning. At night, the magical structure reproduces not only the parade of planets, but also the calendar created in Zadar in the 13th century. Everything that happens inside this enormous solar battery is accompanied by an exquisite melody produced by the Sea Organ. This unusual monument was erected in 2007.

Sea Organ

The Sea Organ is an architectural structure created by engineer Nikola Bašić in 2005. The organ is a system of 35 tuned pipes, similar to a real organ system. The pipes are located beneath the steps of the city waterfront, and holes have been made in them to carry sound onto the sidewalk. The movement of water caused by the tide and sea waves pushes air through the pipes, producing sounds of varying length, pitch, and intensity. A remarkable musical instrument played not by a person, but by nature itself-sure to delight lovers of curiosities.

Roman Forum

The greatest mark on the history of Zadar was left by the Romans, who captured the city in the first century BC. Around this time, the Roman Forum named after Augustus was built. Unfortunately, little has survived to the present day. At the same time, the Roman Forum was harmed not so much by wars as by the hands of Christians, who dismantled the earliest structures to use the materials obtained in the construction of churches and temples. An ancient tower measuring 14 meters in height has survived, as well as the ruins of a street paving, and fragments of a triumphal arch that was built during the reign of Emperor Trajan.

Monastery of Saint Mary

The Monastery of Saint Mary is almost a thousand years old-it was created by the personal order of the Croatian king in 1066. And although the original monastery building has not survived, the monastery church and its bell tower have nevertheless been meticulously restored by the authorities. The building is best viewed from several angles, and it’s a good idea to start from a distance, because the building’s proportions and style are better seen from afar. Only then can you come closer to appreciate how harmoniously and symmetrically the façade looks. As for the bell tower, by its size it can very well rival the nearby tower of the Church of Saint Donatus. The monastery houses an excellent collection of works of art known as “Gold and Silver of Zadar.”

St. Anastasia Church

The Church of St. Anastasia, built in Romanesque style in the 12th-13th centuries on the site of an older church, is located not far from the Church of St. Donatus. The church is famous for its richly decorated façade, well-preserved interior frescoes, and carved choir loft. In the church’s altar, a marble sarcophagus with the relics of St. Anastasia is kept. The cathedral was severely damaged during the Second World War, but was fully restored.

Paklenica National Park

The Paklenica National Park, which was officially established in 1949, is located in Northern Dalmatia, 20 kilometers from Zadar. The park covers an area of 96 square kilometers and is part of the Velebit Nature Park, named after the mountain range. The highest peak is Vaganški vrh, which reaches 1,757 meters. The second-largest summit is Sveto brdo. By visiting the park, you can enjoy the tranquility and beauty of the local nature. Here you can find both rare plant species and many animals, including bears, deer, lynxes, wolves, and roe deer.

Beaches

Along the city waterfront there are several urban beaches of Zadar, the most popular of which are the Uskok Beach and the pebble beach Kolovare, located to the east of the city center. Tourist complex Borik is particularly popular with vacationers-here you’ll find well-equipped pebble beaches with a sandy entry into the water, its own water park, and various sports activities. For those who prefer sandy beaches, we recommend going to the town of Nin, since Zadar is located nearby, at the famous sandy beaches of Ninska Laguna.

Krka National Park

Coronati - an island national park in the central Dalmatia region, on the Coronati archipelago in the Adriatic Sea, covering an area of 220 sq. km. It includes 89 islands. The Coronati archipelago is unique in that its islands lie very close to each other, and the narrow straits between them form a labyrinth among the rocks. The islands of the archipelago are uninhabited, but they are very popular with yachting enthusiasts, divers, and lovers of ecotourism. The park is famous for its unique geological formations called “crowns” - rocks “growing” directly out of the water. You can also see the ruins of several Illyrian settlements in the Coronati Park, as well as the Tureta Fortress - a fortification from the Byzantine era (6th century) on the island of Kornat.

Plitvice Lakes

Plitvice Lakes is the best-known national park in Croatia, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1979. The park covers 29,482 hectares at an altitude of between 400 and 1,200 meters above sea level, and includes 16 large karst lakes and several smaller ones, 140 waterfalls (the most beautiful of which is Sastavci), 20 caves, and a unique self-regenerating forest where ancient beech, spruce and pine trees grow. The forest is home to bears, wolves, wild cats, roe deer, and more than 120 species of birds, 70 of which nest in the park permanently. The park is crisscrossed by an extensive network of elevated walking routes. Eco-friendly electric trains, ferries and sightseeing boats powered by electricity operate in the area. Swimming in the park’s lakes is prohibited.

Krka National Park

Krka was granted national park status in 1985. The park stretches along the Krka River over an area of 111 sq. km. Thanks to the natural treasures found in the park, it is included among natural monuments of the highest category. The national park is home to 222 species of birds, which places it among Europe’s largest ornithological reserves. On the territory of the park, 860 species and subspecies of plants have been recorded, among which endemic species of the Adriatic region predominate. The park also contains remnants of several medieval Old Croat fortresses (14th century), as well as a Franciscan church and two monasteries.

City Tour of Zadar

The old part of the city of Zadar, which has been around for more than 3 thousand years, is located on a peninsula, while the new, modern part stretches along the entire length of the coastline. Even to this day, the city is home to many well-preserved historical landmarks. A special place among these monuments is occupied by the 9th-century Roman church of St. Donatus, a unique monumental church built in the early Middle Ages. In Zadar, the city walls, towers, Renaissance-era Stone Gate, the Sea Gate, the bell tower, the arsenal, and the 16th-century city walls with a width of 8-16 m have been well preserved. Inside the Church of St. Mary, there is a world-famous collection of sacred items, “Gold and Silver of the City of Zadar”.

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