10 Top Places to Visit in Zadar

Right beside the Sea Organ, the Sun Salutation (Pozdrav Suncu) is its visual companion, a 22-metre circle of glass plates set into the pavement. Also designed by Nikola Basic, it collects solar energy by day and puts on a hypnotic, colourful light show after dark.

As dusk falls, the panels come alive with shifting patterns of coloured light, choreographed in rhythm with the sound of the Sea Organ next to it. By day the ring simply reflects the sky, but by night it becomes a playful gathering point for families and evening strollers.

Pro Tip: It is free and comes into its own after dark, so return once night has fully fallen. Pair it with the Sea Organ for the combined light-and-sound experience Zadar is famous for.

Zadar's old town occupies a long, narrow peninsula, a dense and atmospheric quarter of marble-paved streets polished smooth by centuries of feet. Unlike some Dalmatian old towns, it is a real, lived-in place, home to shops, cafes, and residents alongside its monuments.

Wandering its grid of streets, laid out on the original Roman plan, you pass Roman columns reused in medieval walls, Venetian squares, churches, and lively market streets. The wide pedestrian thoroughfare of Kalelarga runs the length of the peninsula, the traditional spine of city life.

Pro Tip: The old town is free to wander and easily walked end to end in 20 minutes. Explore the side streets off Kalelarga to find quieter squares, local konoba taverns, and the morning market.

The Roman Forum is the ancient heart of Zadar, the largest Roman forum on the eastern side of the Adriatic, laid out between the 1st century BC and the 3rd century AD. Once the political and social centre of the Roman colony of Iader, it now lies open as a public square strewn with ancient stone.

Scattered across the site are column bases, carved fragments, and a tall standing column that in the Middle Ages was used as a pillar of shame for public punishment. The great Church of St Donatus rises directly on the edge of the Forum, built partly from its recycled Roman stone.

Pro Tip: The Forum is an open square and free to explore at any time. Come in the evening when it is floodlit and quieter, with the illuminated St Donatus as a backdrop.

The Church of St Donatus is the symbol of Zadar, a striking cylindrical Byzantine church from the 9th century that dominates the Roman Forum. Its unusual round, tower-like form, plain and massive, makes it one of the most distinctive medieval buildings in Croatia.

The bare stone interior is no longer used for worship but, thanks to its remarkable acoustics, hosts classical music concerts, especially the summer Musical Evenings in St Donatus. You can see Roman altars and column fragments built into its foundations, taken directly from the Forum it stands on.

Pro Tip: A small entry fee applies to go inside. If you visit in summer, try to catch an evening concert, when the acoustics of the round interior are put to memorable use.

The Cathedral of St Anastasia (Sveta Stosija) is the largest church in Dalmatia, a Romanesque basilica built mainly in the 12th and 13th centuries on the edge of the Roman Forum. Its handsome arcaded facade and rose windows reflect the influence of Tuscan Romanesque style.

The main draw for many is the free-standing bell tower beside it, whose upper stages were completed only in the 19th century. Climbing its steps rewards you with the best panorama in Zadar, a sweeping view over the old town's rooftops, the Forum, the sea, and the islands beyond.

Pro Tip: The cathedral is free to enter; climbing the bell tower costs a few euros and is well worth it. Go up late afternoon for the best light over the peninsula and sea.

Five Wells Square (Trg pet bunara) takes its name from the row of five stone well-heads that line it, built in the 16th century atop a large cistern to supply the city with water during Ottoman sieges. The wells stand in a neat line, a distinctive and much-photographed sight.

Above the square rise the surviving Venetian fortifications, including the Captain's Tower, and steps lead up to the leafy Queen Jelena Madijevka Park, one of the oldest municipal parks in the region. It is a pleasant, shaded spot to pause between the Land Gate and the old-town core.

Pro Tip: The square is free and open, and sits right by the Land Gate. Climb to the park above for a raised view over the wells and the old fortifications.

The Land Gate (Kopnena vrata) is the grand main entrance to the old town, a triumphal Renaissance archway built by the Venetians in 1543. Designed by the architect Michele Sanmicheli, it is considered one of the finest monumental gates on the Adriatic coast.

The gate is crowned by the winged lion of St Mark, symbol of Venice, above a relief of the city's patron St Chrysogonus on horseback. It opens onto the picturesque little Fosa harbour, once part of the city moat and now filled with small boats, making a photogenic approach to the old town.

Pro Tip: It is free and best viewed from the Fosa harbour side, where you can take in the full facade above the boats. Use it as your entry point to walk up through Five Wells Square into the old town.

South of Zadar, the Kornati Islands form the densest archipelago in the Mediterranean, a labyrinth of around 150 mostly uninhabited islands, islets, and reefs, much of it protected as a national park. Their stark, treeless limestone slopes rise from astonishingly clear blue water.

The best way to experience them is on a full-day boat tour from Zadar, which typically weaves among the islands, stops for swimming and snorkelling in secluded coves, and includes a lunch of fresh fish. The dramatic cliffs, or crowns, on the seaward side are the archipelago's signature sight.

Pro Tip: Book a full-day boat tour from the harbour, ideally the day before in summer. Bring swimwear, sun protection, and water, as the islands are barren with little natural shade.

Croatia's most famous natural wonder, Plitvice Lakes National Park, lies within day-trip reach of Zadar and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sixteen terraced turquoise lakes are linked by a spectacular cascade of waterfalls, set amid dense forest.

A network of wooden boardwalks and footpaths lets you walk right across and beside the water, past the great Veliki Slap waterfall and countless smaller cascades, with an electric boat and shuttle linking the upper and lower lakes. The colours of the mineral-rich water shift from emerald to azure through the day.

Pro Tip: It is about two hours from Zadar by car or bus, so start early. Book park entry in advance for summer visits, wear good walking shoes, and allow four to six hours on the trails.