Enchanting Zadar: 15 sights of the Croatian coastal pearl

Zadar has a long history with influences from the Romans, Byzantines, Croats, Hungarians, Venetians, Italians, French and Austrians. In the 7th century it became the capital of the province of Dalmatia and the city walls of Zadar are even a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the “Venetian defensive works of the 16th and 17th centuries”.

But Zadar is also known for its two innovative modern sights and its proximity to one of the country’s most beautiful sandy beaches and the Kornati National Park, with over 80 islands, which is perfect for diving, sailing, camping and hiking.

The great thing is that all of Zadar’s sights are located in the old town and are really easy to reach on foot. You can basically walk around the peninsula in one day and see everything. You’ll discover some great places along the way.

The Zadar sights in this article are arranged so that they are as close to each other as possible and you can go directly from one sight to the next:

Hotels in Zadar

Before we start with the sights, I’ll give you a few tips on where to stay. For Zadar, I would recommend a hotel with breakfast that is not too far from the old town.

A’mare Hotel Zadar

My choice fell on the A’mare Hotel Zadar. The outstanding feature of this hotel is the really great breakfast buffet, which gives you a really good start to the day. I really haven’t had such a wide selection of local food for a long time. In addition, the staff are friendly and helpful and the rooms are also very good for the price. There is also a 24-hour reception if you arrive very late at night by plane.

Hyatt Regency Zadar

The Hyatt Regency Zadar is one of the more upscale luxury hotels. It actually offers everything a 5-star hotel should offer, such as a spa and wellness center with indoor and outdoor pool. But it’s not as expensive as you might think.

These two hotels are not located directly in the old town, but about 15 minutes away on foot.

Almayer Art & Heritage Hotel

The Almayer Art & Heritage Hotel is a great hotel in the heart of the old town. It is a very high-quality and well-furnished hotel that offers a bar and restaurant as well as a garden and terrace.

Recommendation: Take a boat tour from Zadar

If you visit Zadar, I think you should definitely take a boat tour to the islands off the coast of the city. During my visit, this was a highlight of the vacation and there are various options from countless providers – depending on time and interest, either half-day (usually 4 hours) or full-day (8 – 9 hours).

I definitely recommend a full-day tour, as this gives you enough time to enjoy the sights visited on the tour. In addition, the boats often stop at really great bays and beaches where you can swim.

♥️ My favorite ♥️

Boat trip by speedboat to Sakarun beach and Dugi island with lunch.

⭐ Rating: 4.9/5

🎉 These highlights await you:

• ✅ 2 hours at Sakarun beach for swimming and relaxing.
• ✅ With lunch in a family-run restaurant in the village of Božava.
• ✅ Several stops at bays and a sunken ship for snorkeling and swimming.

📅 Duration: 8 hours

💰 Price: From €79 per person

➡️ Secure your place now

The various tours are all very similar, but always have slight differences in terms of the number of spots visited and the time spent there.

The following highlights are often offered on the tours:

1. Sakarun beach, known for its Caribbean-style fine white sand and crystal-clear, shallow turquoise sea.
2. The sunken ship Michele, which is a great snorkeling spot.
3. Kornati National Park in the densest group of islands in the Mediterranean with famous underwater worlds.
4. Telašćica Nature Park with the impressive salt lake Mir, which is also a popular seaside resort.
5. The Veli Rat lighthouse, one of the highest in the Adriatic.
6. Visit to a military tunnel.
7. The Golubinka Cave, an impressive sea cave.

None of the tours offer everything because it can’t be done in one day. On the tours with more stops, you often have less time to enjoy the places. That’s why I would opt for one with fewer stops. But the choice is yours.

Here are my recommendations for day trips:

• Kornati excursion with snorkeling and hiking stops (9.5 hours)
• Boat tour to Sakarun beach and Dugi island with lunch (8-9 hours)
• Day tour to discover the island of Dugi Otok with snorkeling (8 hours)

If you only have half a day, then take a look at these tours:

• Island hopping tour & Blue Bay Cruise with drinks(4 hours)
• Luxury island tour with speedboat and snorkeling (4 hours)

You can usually book the tours directly on site at one of the many stands at the harbor or on the Riviera. But you can also book online beforehand. The providers are usually the same and the prices didn’t differ much when I researched them on site. If you book online beforehand, you have less stress during your vacation having to deal with the choice of provider.

If you are traveling with smaller children, then the much shorter tours with a semi-submarine are a good option:

• Red Nemo submarine tour Aqua Safari (45 minutes)
• Yellow semi-submarine tour to explore the underwater world (45 minutes)

1. Zadarski Most

The Zadarski Most bridge connects the historic old town with the Voštarnica district, where there are many apartments and hotels. The marina is also located directly on the bridge, which is why it is always very busy.

2. People’s Square (Narodni trg)

The People’s Square is one of the central places in Zadar’s capital. There are several historical buildings around the square:

• The old city guardhouse with a bell tower
• The Church of St. Lawrence with atrium (Crkva sv. Lovre)
• The town hall of Zadar
• The Municipal Loggia (Gradska loža), which houses a museum

The square is always busy, both during the day and in the evening.

3. Church of St. Donatus

The Church of St. Donatus stands on the ruins of the ancient forum and was built at the beginning of the 9th century by Bishop Donatus, after whom it is named. For an entrance fee of €5, you can also visit the building from the inside.

4. Roman Forum

A Roman forum once stood directly in front of the church of St. Donatus. It was founded in the 1st century BC under the first Roman emperor Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian. Today it is a popular place to stroll around, where you can still admire and walk around the remains of this ancient building.

5. Bell tower of the cathedral

As soon as you approach Zadar, you will recognize the 56-metre-high bell tower. It’s worth climbing the tower for €3, as it offers the best view over the rooftops of Zadar’s old town.

Up to the second floor, the tower was built in the 15th century. The floors above date from the 19th century.

6. Archaeological Museum

In the Archaeological Museum, you can discover many exhibits such as statues, jewelry and coins on 3 floors for an entrance fee of €7. In total, it houses over 100,000 different archaeological objects from all cultural and historical eras. The finds from underwater excavations in the Adriatic Sea around Zadar are particularly interesting.

7. Cathedral of St. Anastasia

The Cathedral of St. Anastasia in Zadar is the largest church in Dalmatia and an outstanding example of Romanesque architecture.

You can enter the church for €5, which also includes the ascent to the bell tower. Inside the cathedral are the relics of Saint Anastasia of Sirmium, to whom the cathedral is dedicated.

8. Greeting to the sun

This Zadar attraction is an art object in honour of the sun, which consists of many solar collectors that also light up in different colors at night. The play of light begins after sunset and is synchronized with the movement of the water and waves.

In addition to the large circle, there are also smaller glass plates symbolizing the eight planets of the solar system.

9. Sea organ

The Sea Organ, right next to the “Greeting to the Sun”, is another of Zadar’s more modern sights. As you walk past the organ, you will hear the sounds of the sea. What looks like a staircase where tourists rest from walking around and put their feet in the water is actually a sound installation with 35 organ pipes of different sizes. They are supplied with air by the force of the waves, which produces different sounds.

It’s really great to sit on the steps here for a few minutes and listen to the calming music of the sea.

10. International Center for Underwater Archaeology in Zadar (ICUA)

The ICUA is a global research and educational institution dedicated to the protection, study, preservation and communication of underwater cultural heritage and is housed in a renovated old church.

For an entrance fee of €5, you can visit the permanent exhibition at the ICUA, where many archaeological exhibits are on display. There is also some virtual content, touchscreens and VR goggles that make the whole topic of underwater archaeology even more interesting.

11. Foša Kai

Foša Quay is a historic small harbor right on the coast next to the city walls.

It used to be an important defensive and commercial port for the city. Today it is a picturesque place with colorful boats and a beautiful view of the sea that invites you to take a stroll.

Zadar’s city gate is also located on Foša Quay. It was designed in 1543 by the Venetian architect Michele Sanmicheli and is richly decorated with reliefs.

12. park Vladimir Nazor

If you are looking for some peace and quiet from the hustle and bustle of the narrow streets of the old town, then Vladimir Nazor Park is the place for you. Here you can stroll along the winding paths in the cooling shade of the centuries-old pines and laurel trees.

The park is around 5 hectares in size and was created on the site of the former Forte Fortress in the 19th century.

13. Square of Petar Zoranić (Trg Petra Zoranića) with Roman Column

This square was my favorite place in Zadar. There is also a lot going on here, but not as much as further inland in the old town. In the middle of the square is an old Roman column from the 1st century, which was originally part of the Roman Forum.

Below the square are the ruins of a monumental city gate, which you can still see today through glass in the ground. The plane trees on the square are so old and wide that their branches look like trees in their own right.

14. Place of the five fountains

Almost directly next to Petar Zoranić Square is another historic square with 5 magnificent stone fountains from the 16th century. Beneath the square is a large cistern, which was built in a former defensive ditch.

Right next to the square, the stairs lead to Queen Jelena Madijevka Park (Perivoj kraljice Jelene Madijevke). There’s a cool lounge bar there, but it’s also worth just taking a stroll here.

15. Museum of Antique Glass

Yes, there is a museum for antique glass in Zadar and it’s not bad at all. It’s worth a visit even if you’re not a glassblower with an interest in history. For an entrance fee of €6, you can see around 1,500 fully preserved glass objects, some of which are even 2,000 years old.

Restaurant recommendations Zadar

There are many restaurants in Zadar. Most of them are for tourists. However, I was also recommended a few special highlights by the locals:

• Konoba Skoblar: Right on the square of Petar Zoranić. I ate my best tuna steak here
• Restoran Bruschetta: A pizzeria that also serves a wide selection of fish and seafood. From here you have a wonderful view of the coast
• Restoran 4 Kantuna: As this rustic-elegant restaurant is located in the middle of the old town, there are often long queues here. In addition to delicious local dishes, it also has the best selection of cocktails.

And because it’s simply part of a good vacation in the Mediterranean – here are a few delicious ice cream parlours in the old town of Zadar:

• Bob Rock’s Ice Cream Palace
• aROMA gelato experience Boutique Zadar

More tours from Zadar

Zadar is a good starting point for tours to Croatia’s two most popular national parks:

• Plitvice Lakes National Park
• Krka National Park

Both are known for their spectacular waterscapes and are quite similar in nature, but have their subtle differences.

Closer to Zadar is the Krka National Park (about 1 hour’s drive). The Plitvice Lakes are at least 1.5 hours away by car. That’s why it’s only worth doing a full day trip to both of them, which includes the journey to and from the park.

The Plitvice Lakes impress with their 16 crystal-clear lakes connected by waterfalls.

The Krka National Park is known for its network of rivers and impressive waterfalls.

Zadar is a really great and not yet overcrowded city on the Croatian side of the Adriatic. As you can see, it’s well worth a visit, as many other sights are not far from Zadar. Have you ever been to this Croatian coastal pearl? Which highlights are still missing from this article? Let me know in the comments!