Europe a la Carte

Guide to Zadar

Introduction

The county of Zadar, part of Dalmatia, lies in central Croatia around the coastal city of Zadar. The attractive Adriatic coastline offers access to more than one thousand islands. The area is very popular with the boating fraternity and there are several large marinas. The old town in Zadar is lovely with plenty of bars, cafes and restaurants. Twenga offer excellent deals in hotels in Zadar throughout the year. There are possibilities of many different types of holidays in the region. You could take a three/four night city break in Zadar, or use Zadar as a base from which to explore the area, either by hire car, charter boat, ferry, and/or bus.

 

The local currency is the Kuna, as Croatia has not adopted the Euro making this country good value for money. There are many spas/wellness centres offering a wide choice of beauty, dental and therapeutic treatments at prices much lower than in countries such as Italy. There's a fantastic choice of local seafood available in the restaurants. It's possible to find a two course set menu from around £8.

Getting there

Ryanair fly direct to Zadar from Edinburgh twice a week and three times a week from Stansted with fares costing from £57 return including taxes. Ryanair also flies to Zadar from Pisa, Dublin, Dusseldorf and Stockholm. Zadar airport is only a few kilometres from the city.

Zadar city

The city of Zadar is located on the Adriatic coast of Croatia. The old town is concentrated on a peninsula. The promenade in Zadar has a couple of amazing modern installations. The sea organ, which is powered by waves, and The Greeting to the Sun which contains three hundred multi layered glass solar panels that provide a multi coloured light show after dark.

Alfred Hitchcock declared that he had witnessed the most beautiful sunset in the worldfrom his room at the Hotel Zagreb on the promenade in May 1964. Close to the Hotel Zagreb is the University of Zadar, founded in 1396, the oldest university in Croatia.

You can find the 9th century Church of St Donat and the 13th century fifty six metre high Bascilica of St Stosija next to the ruins of the Roman Forum, close to the promenade. The 18th century city Arsenal has been converted into a multi purpose venue which houses a tourist information office, cafes, bars, art exhibitions and a stage.

Zadar has a pretty lively music scene and one of the best places to hang out is The Garden, where you can sip your cocktail while lounging admiring the views over the waterfront. The Garden was set up by the drummer and producer of the group UB40. They also organise the Garden Festival, which aims to provide a comfortable atmosphere for music lovers who have kids. It takes place in the village of Petrcane, fifteen kilometres from Zadar city. The Garden Festival takes place over two weekends in July. There are several other music festivals over the Summer, including Soundwave Festival and Disco3000.

Ferries to the nearby islands run frequently and there is also a ferry to Ancona in Italy. There are also many boat day trips to the islands leaving from Zadar which for around £30 include transport and lunch.

Nin

The royal city of Nin lies fourteen kiloemetres north of Zadar. There's the Church St Cross, the smallest cathedral in the world and the bronze sculpture of Bishop Grgur where it's said that your wish will come true if you touch his big toe. The local Museum of Nin Antiquities is very interesting with boat reconstructions and exhibits dating from pre history through to medieval times.

The Island of Pag is accessible by road bridge. The island is famous for sheep milk cheese with a distinctive flavour due to the salt deposits, brought in by the Bora wind, landing on the grazing pastures. Pag Island is also known for its lamb, salt and lace. You can still see the salt pans where the sea salt dries. There's a pretty harbour in Pag city with cafes and a large sandy beach.


You can take a boat day trip from Zadar to the Kornati Island National Park. There are restaurants and cafes on several of the islands and some Robinson Crusoe-type holiday homes for those seeking seclusion. it's also possible to charter your own boat.


Sibenik and the Krka Falls National Park

Althought it's officially outside the Zadar region, Sibenik, also part of Dalmatia south of Zadar, is well worth a visit. Sibenik is best known for its cathedral which is very beautiful but it's interesting to walk around the old town and the promenade. The town hosts an annual Children's Festival in the Summer.


The nearby Krka Falls National Park is wonderful with raised wooden walkways across the small waterfalls and streams above the large waterfalls. There are restaurants and cafes in the National Park but they are quite expensive, I saw much cheaper menus in restaurants along the waterfront in the village of Skradin, where you can catch the boat to the Krka Falls National Park.


Accommodation

When I visited the area I stayed at the 4 star Funimation Bork where standard doubles cost from £53 per person, per night, all inclusive, including use of spa and taxes. The Bork is located on the coast four kilometres north of Zadar city. This is a good choice if you are looking for a relaxing holiday with a wide choice of on-site options such as a kids club, indoor and outdoor pools. There is a local bus into Zadar city, or it takes around 30 minutes to walk to the old town provided you use the rowing boat ferry to reduce the walking time.