Sightseeing in Zadar - what to see. Complete travel guide

Zadar is a legendary impregnable fortress that was made by the Venetians over three hundred years ago to resist the invasion of the Turkish troops. Today well preserved fort walls, giant doors and protective towers remind of those events. The biggest part of Zadar is occupied by old streets and a historical district. Modern hotel complexes are located in the district named Borik. Here you will find most popular beaches, restaurants and entertainment centers.

Besides traditional walks on shops, resting on the beach or sports entertainments, Zadar offers its visitors wide choice of excursions. The most large-scale architectural complex of the city is the ancient Roman Forum built in the 1st century AD. Nearby the forum you can see several ancient columns, the ruins of temples and Church of Saint Donatus that has been built later. The scared building was created in the 9th century and initially it was called the Church of Holy Trinity. It got its current name only in the 15th century. This church is considered the best sight of the Byzantine architecture.

Besides the mentioned sights there are 15 ancient churches in Zadar and each one of them is worth attention. We should definitely mention the Church of Saint Simeon, Church of Franciscan Monastery, and Saint Anastasia Cathedral located on the central street of the city. From the cultural point of view the most interesting religious building of Zadar is Saint Maria Monastery. The halls of this building are used to store the exhibition named “Gold and Silver of Zadar”. Here you will see the collections of interior items and jewelry made of precious metals. Nearby the fort walls are located two magnificent parks named to honor Queen Helen and Vladimir Nazor. This is a magnificent place for evening walks and here you will always find silence and cozy atmosphere. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Nature lovers will be able to visit the charming Paklenica National Park. Its main value is the swift mountain rivers. Their shores have a series of beautiful rock formations. The height of some rocks is more than 700 meters. In the park, there are several beautiful caves which are also available for visiting. The National Park is very popular among lovers of hiking and mountaineering. In the warmer months, there camping sites on its territory, so travelers can stay in these picturesque places for a few days.

The most unusual city attraction can safely be said to be the “Sea organ”. It can be seen and heard from the waterfront. In 2005, a pipe system was built in the step of the embankment which, under the action of sea waves, produces very melodic and pleasant sounds. This place on the waterfront is popular with local people. Many of them come here in the evenings to relax and listen to the amazing sounds produced by the unique musical instrument.

No less interesting attraction is the modern monument, which is called “Greeting to the Sun”. It is a complex of 300 solar modules, which intensively accumulates solar energy in the daytime. The modules are distributed on the ground in the shape of a 22-meter diameter circle. With the onset of evening, the glass plates begin to glow. This unusual LED panel reproduces a variety of light compositions. In the evening, you can observe the parade of the planets, as well as the formation of various calendars and other cognitive light illustrations. This unusual monument is located on the waterfront of Zadar, which remains the most popular place for evening walks.

Speaking of the outstanding sights of the city, it is worth mentioning the beautiful Ninska Laguna beach. It is often called “royal beach” by the locals, all thanks to the crystal clear water and attractive surrounding landscapes. On the territory of this beach, there are several springs of healing mud, so it is very popular among adherents of health recreation. At the height of the tourist season, there is always an auto camping on this stretch of the coast. Tourists are offered a lot of interesting entertainments.