ZADAR

Almost entirely surrounded by the warm waters of the Adriatic, the rectangular jut of land that is Zadar city centre, along with the ‘mainland’ area, may not be large but it is bursting with personality. A thoroughly cosmopolitan space, it is full of rich architecture despite its turbulent past, and offers some of the best sailing around the Zadar archipelago and along the western coast of Croatia’s Dalmatia region. Its sunsets are legendary too, making it the perfect place to unwind for romantics young and old.

The City

Zadar, a coastal city and the heart of Zadar county, can trace its roots right back to Neolithic times and owes its tidy, no nonsense layout of streets to the Romans, but it is, arguably, in more recent times that its history has shaped the city. Almost razed to the ground during World War II, it has only a handful of old buildings but those that survived are beautifully presented and exude several centuries of Mediterranean architectural influences. The ‘must sees’ include the Church of St Donat, one of the finest Byzantine buildings in Dalmatia and the venue for countless musical festivals and theatrical events. Zadar has a modern, cultural feel and yet is welcoming and unpretentious. Rebuilding the city gave its residence the opportunity to blend old architecture with new, with the result being a city full of character. The centre can easily be explored on foot. Art galleries, museums and restaurants serving traditional delicacies as well as gourmet cuisine unite with shops, large and small, displaying ceramics, paintings and textiles created by local artisans. By night, Zadar has a lively urban culture that attracts young Croatians, while romantics can head for the seafront or marina to witness amazing sunsets over a chilled glass of wine made from the grapes of Zadar county’s renowned vineyards.