Sunset and More in Zadar, Croatia:
Sunset in Zadar is the most beautiful in the world and is much nicer than the one in Key West, Florida.”
Alfred Hitchcock, 1964.
Zadar, a small city on the Dalmatian coast of Croatia is built on a peninsula, reaching out into the blue waters of the Adriatic. The sun appears to set at the tip of the peninsula, a vantage point now popular with tourists and local children who sit on the steps listening to the gentle sound of the Sea Organ, waiting for the end of the day. As daylight fades, twinkling lights appear on the ground, dancing round the ‘Greeting to the Sun’. Watching the sunset and the illumination of Greeting to the Sun seems like the perfect end to the day. Even if it is one of the rare days when it rains.
Visiting this part of Croatia though, there’s plenty to do. Just a few suggestions for now.
Zadar is an ancient settlement. People have lived here since the late stone age. Walk through the old town to visit the remains of a Roman forum, stretching out to sea. Started in the 1st Century BC, the forum and basilica wasn’t completed until the 3rd Century AD. Besides the columns are the remains of some of the Roman shops and houses which formed part of the city of Ladar. Stop for a while and watch the children playing leapfrog on what remains of the forum itself and local people taking a break, resting on the stone walls of the ancient shops.
Just behind the Forum, you’ll find St Donatus Church, a 9th century Byzantine construction built using materials from the forum by Donat, the Bishop of Zadar. And, adjacent to that, the bell tower and Cathedral of St Anastasia, originally built in the 4th Century but largely reconstructed in the 13th Century. You can walk to the top of the bell tower, some 180 steps, where you can clearly see the layout of the roads in neat Roman grids. No excuse for getting lost then!
There are plenty of places to stop and take a coffee. Make for the People’s Square (Narodni trg) and enjoy a break the local way, passing the time of day sitting outdoors in the sun or shade, listening to street musicians and taking in the fine architecture.
A stone’s throw away you’ll find the green market. With each stall selling a handful of peas, a few baby artichoke, some freshly pulled carrots or a few pots of honey, it’s clear the vendors have arrived with their own produce, usually picked that morning. The fish market is next door. Worth a visit if you are self catering or camping, again, the produce you’ll find here will have been caught or harvested within the last 24 hours or so. If not, Zadar is full of restaurants and cafes where some of the best things to order include fresh fish, cheese from the nearby island of Pag and lamb, reared on the salt marshes which is full of taste, juicy and succulent. More of the food to come in later features.
If you tire of Zadar, there’s plenty of places to visit within an easy day trip of the City. Surrounded by natural parks, you can visit Plitvice or Krka for waterfalls or make for Paklenica where you can hike or try your hand at rock climbing in the Velebit massif. There are about 150 islands around Zadar, each with something unique. The island of Nin is particularly fascinating, just 15km from Zadar, it’s the oldest Croatian royal town and seven Kings were crowned there between the 7th and the 13th centuries. Pag is famous for its salty sheep’s cheese, for salt production and for a party beach on the far side of the island. Best of all, the entire region seems to be scattered with spa hotels – with prices about a third of those in the UK, you could easily indulge in a couple of days of facials, aromatherapy and massages.
But, maybe, like me, you’ll just get hooked on Zadar itself. One of the most relaxing cities in Europe, it’s very easy to get into an end of day routine of taking a walk along the seafront to watch that sunset, listen to the sea organ and wait for the greeting to the sun to light up.
With many thanks to the Croatian Tourist Board for hosting my trip to Zadar and the surrounding area.
I stayed at Club Fumination Borik
and at Boutique Hostel Forum
I flew direct to Zadar with RyanAir – there are flights several times a week from Stansted and Manchester. The journey takes around 2 hours.
Great article – somebody else who shares my love of the city.
Everything about it just exudes calmness and fun, two essential ingredients when traveling, surely.
Islands of Olib, Silba, Ugljan and Dugi Otok all easily reached by daily ferry.
Not to mention regular buses to Pag, to see (and taste) the cheese you mentioned.
Always good to read a new take on a place I love – and yours hit the spot! 🙂
Thanks Jon – I loved Pag too, but I haven’t managed to visit any of the other islands except Trogir and Nin yet.
My father’s side of the family is from that area. I have never been. Have seen tons of photos but these photos of yours by far show what the area is like vs what my relatives over there are like.
Is it hard to pick up the Croatian language? what is the coffee like there? I was told it was quite different than what we have here.
I think the croatian language is impossible! There are parts of Croatia that are very different to the Dalmatian coast – which was once ruled by Venice. If you go inland to Slavonia – the Croatian agricultural area, the towns and cities look more Austro Hungarian. The coffee in Zadar wasn’t much different to the stuff we are served in the UK, though it is Italian strength. I do seem to remember something closer to a turkish coffee in Slavonia – which was once under the control of the Ottoman Empire.
I love visiting food markets abroad! Really need to go to Croatia
The markets in every city I’ve been to are awesome. The freshest fruit, veg, fish, locally made olive oil, cheese, honey, etc.
The heartbeat of every place I’ve visited there. And the one at #Split takes half a day to go all around! 😉
Well, it seems like it!
It’s worth travelling inland to Osiek and Slavonski Brod, the main agricultural area – you’ll find even more food there…
I’m yet to visit Croatia but I’ve heard such great things about it and Zadar looks beautiful. I’d also love to see the Greeting to the Sun! Did you have a go at that yourself, Fiona?
There isn’t really anything to have a go at, unless you like playing hopscotch;) –
I’d love to hire bikes and ride around here. It looks gorgeous. I haven’t been back to Croatia for many years, but I am tempted.
It’s very good value for the UK at the moment.
Croatia is LOVE! I have been eyeing on this destination for a while now and hopefully, I can visit it this summer. 🙂 Thanks for evoking a sense of wanderlust to me now!
I totally LOVE Croatia, we did a road trip from the bottom to the tip. Your picture made me miss it more.
Wow, have put that on my list!! And wonderful pictures that you have there. Thank you.
What a beautiful place. I love the idea of buying a handful of peas at the market. Thanks for sharing such a lovely spot.
Natalie, The Educational Tourist
I’ve been to Split but never to Zadar. I’d never even heard of it! So thanks for the travel tips.
I can’t wait to visit Croatia! I almost decided to go this time through Europe but ended up in Budapest – next time for sure!
I enjoyed visiting Dalmatia and Zadar was definitely one of the highlights and the sunsets there on the waterfront are truly stunning!
LOL I wish I was as good a photographer as you! I’ve never tried doing sunset shots before, but somehow in Zadar you have to have a go!
I love your pictures, especially the sunset one. Zadar looks like a very peaceful place.
Croatia is quickly becoming one of the places I must visit. And the more I read about it is the faster I want to get there.
Zadar and in fact the whole of Croatia is somewhere I’ve never managed to get to, despite traveling in that region of Europe a lot. Its so close by being based in the UK. I really should go. Your photos are stunning. You capture a beautiful, peaceful kind of place. Thanks for sharing
You do definitely need to visit. It’s excellent value at the moment, and there are some stunning places to visit too
It looks amazing, i love the old town away from the rush of the main sites..would truly love to visit! x
I’d love to visit Croatia and have heard that Zadar is the place to go, this is a really helpful article.
Sounds great place to visit, we will be going to Croatia for the first time this year staying on Brac and cannot wait !!!