Why Zadar is so Magical

Croatia is an increasingly popular holiday destination for tourists. People from the UK spent 1.3 million more nights there from 2016 to 2019. Moreover, in January 2023 it was reported by the National Tourism Board that Croatia was the second more preferred nation for Australian tourists to travel to. In this article, I will demonstrate why the city of Zadar, on Croatia’s Dalmatian coast, is so enticing to foreigners.

By Catherine Gregson 

@_xcatherinex_

History

Zadar is a city steeped in history, surrounded by ancient ruins. It is the oldest continuously inhabited place in Croatia, with a colourful and tumultuous history. With a history of Venetian control from the 15^th century, the city faced attacks from the Ottoman empire and thus this shaped the building of new defences to protect the city. For example, one of the city gates which still exists today called ‘Kopnena Vrata’, was built around this time. In the 19^th century the city was mostly under control from the Austrian Empire, yet this changed with the conflict in the First World War, and it returned to the jurisdiction of Italy. However, in 1947 the city became part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. This changed with the Croatian War of Independence which began in 1991, which included the Battle of Zadar. This resulted in many buildings being damaged, including UNESCO sites. The effects of this can still be seen today, as some parts of the countryside in the north east are cordoned off due to the danger of landmines.

The Roman Forum is free to visit. It was built between the 1^st century BC and the 3^rd century AD and was modelled on the Forum in Rome. It was a public place where there were markets and social gatherings. Today, you can see the ruins and only the original pavement, stairs and two columns remain of the temple. 

The Five Wells Square is near the medieval City Walls and was built in the 16^th century by the Venetians to aid the city defences against Turkish attacks. Today you can see the wells, lined up one after the other in the square. Adjacent to the wells, is the oldest park in Croatia, which is named after Queen Jelena Madjie. It was founded by the Austrian commander Baron Franz Ludwig von Welden in 1892. The beautiful park is free to walk around and is definitely worth a stroll, there are plenty of benches and places to seek shade. From the park you can see the pentagonal Captain’s tower, which is the only one out of ten original ones still existing to mark the outskirts of the city from the medieval era. These towers were also created by the Venetians as defences against attacks.

The Bell Tower is part of the Church of St. Anastasia and was built between 1452 and 1894 by various architects. The inside consists of various floors to climb up to reach the top. When I visited Zadar, entry was just 4 euros: not much to pay to see an amazing view of the city. Each floor is beautiful and it’s worth stopping on each floor to admire the architecture and the view as you climb up. The short walk to the top is certainly worth it, as you will see stunning views of Zadar and the sea. The Church of St. Donat dates to the 9^th century. It is one of the only buildings to have survived the Mongol invasion in the 13^th century. The building hasn’t been used as a church for about 200 years, so today is used as a concert hall or exhibition space. Lastly, the ancient Narodni trg u Zadru square is worth visiting; it is bustling with cafes and people admiring the nearby architecture.

Nightlife

One reason people are attracted to the city of Zadar is because of its vibrant and affordable nightlife scene. I visited the city with a group of friends during the summer and the nights out we had were so fun! 

The drinks are extremely affordable, and all the bars and clubs were packed with tourists from various countries, as well as people living in the city. I strongly recommend the Teatro Bar and the Yachting Bar and Club, which have a variety of choices of drinks and very friendly staff. Savrog Bar was an amazing experience, as it’s set up in the evening (thus, not to ruin the historical tourist experience of the surroundings during the day) and is situated in the old town centre of Zadar, right next to the Ancient Five Wells. There is a wide range of clubs with plenty on offer for people with an array of music tastes.

Beaches

There are some very picturesque beaches in Zadar to relax on and escape the heat from the centre of the city. One thing to beware of though, however, is that all the beaches here are pebbled rather than sandy. Thus, when I visited, I noticed some people wore sea shoes or crocs to go into the sea. Kolovare Beach is beautiful and has a beach volleyball area, as well as a pool, water polo, public showers and changing rooms. There is also a diving board with boards of ranging heights there. 

Borik Beach is an easy walk from the centre of town and boasts crystal clear waters. There are sunbeds and parasols on offer to rent, but there are many shady areas along the coastline too.

Waterfalls

The Krka National Park is home to some spectacular waterfalls, including the Skradinski Buk falls which are one of Croatia’s most iconic sights. This is a must-see if you travel to Zadar: it’s a sight you won’t forget! There are 17 waterfalls in the park, all which range in height. 

But that’s not all that you can enjoy in the park- over 800 species of plant life have been identified there as well as many species of birds and fish, which you can see as you walk around. Near the Skradinski Buk waterfalls in the summer there are many cafes and refreshment stands, as well as souvenir shops. This can all be accessed very easily. 

My personal recommendation in terms of travelling to the national park from Zadar is to use the Flixbus website (or app) and buy bus tickets from Zadar to Skradin. A single ticket costs about £8 for an hour’s journey to the town and the buses usually run around 6 times a day. When you reach Skradin, you need to go to the ticket office and purchase a ticket for the boat to the Krka National Park. The boats run roughly once an hour. The journey on the boat to the national park lasts about 40 minutes but is another brilliant way to admire the park and all the natural beauty it has to offer. Do not miss this if you ever find yourself in Zadar!

The Sun and The Sea

Two of the most popular and iconic tourist attractions of Zadar surround the sun and the sea. 

The Sea Organ is enchanting. After frantic reconstruction to the seafront after World War Two, it was left looking like a plain concrete wall and unattractive to tourists. However, in 2005 the feature, designed and created by Nikola Basic, was unveiled to the public. It hides below marble stairs, which run along the edge of the coastline. People sit on the steps to listen to the sounds the sea creates as it interacts with the ‘organ’ built below. It works as the sea waves create air pressure that produces tones in the pipes below the marble steps. The sounds come and go in terms of intensity and pitch, as the waves do and the tune is fairly random. However, it is a spectacle to witness, and many people gather on the steps to listen to the tune created by the sea. I really recommend you stop by The Sea Organ to listen in.

The Greeting to the Sun is another popular tourist attraction, which opened in 2008. It is situated right next to the Sea Organ and was also designed by Nikola Basic. As you walk toward it you will see a large blue circle in the marble on the ground. The lights fitted into the installation light up as soon as the sun has set every evening and they flicker and change to create different patterns. Like the Sea Organ, the lights were cleverly built to mimic the rhythm of the waves. 

The architect created a solar system in his design as 300 glass plates form the sun, and 8 more plates symbolise all the planets in the solar system. These are designed in scale to the sun. 

This attraction was amazing to witness when I visited Zadar. In the summer, huge amounts of people gathered to watch the sun as it began to set across the sea. The sunset was very beautiful. 

It was Alfred Hitchcock (director of famous films such as ‘The Birds’, ‘Psycho’ and ‘Vertigo’) who said during his visit to Zadar in 1964 that “Zadar has the most beautiful sunset in the world, more beautiful than the one in Key West Florida, applauded at every evening”.  

The atmosphere here is filled with anticipation and excitement. As soon as it had set out of sight, people burst into applause, almost as though they were thanking the sun for appearing for the day and creating such a beautiful sunset to end on (and much like Hitchcock claimed people to have in 1964). Then, some people rushed to stand on the installation and suddenly you could see the lights glowing under the panels. When it’s completely dark later into the night, you can see the colourful patterns it creates very clearly. It’s incredible to watch.

With so many magical things to experience in Zadar, you can understand why it has become such a popular destination. 

---