Zadar + 6 tips for trips

We decided to spend our holiday in Croatia in two different cities to broaden our horizons and to discover more interesting places. The first choice was Senj, which you could read about in the previous article Croatia in May: Senj and surroundings. The second city, after evaluating all the pros and cons, was Zadar. And that's the one we'll look at today, plus of course some tips for trips within a reasonable driving distance.

Zadar impressed me especially with its historical centre, which is situated on a small peninsula surrounded by city walls. Inside you will find a tangle of little streets, squares and a plethora of restaurants, cafes and bars of all price ranges. And the coolest part of all is the fact that this historic part of town is designed as a pedestrian zone, so you can just wander and enjoy. 

So, if you want to enjoy the hustle and bustle of the city while getting a taste of some of that history and sightseeing, you've definitely come to the right place in Zadar. I personally really liked it here, there's always something to see. We'll give you a few clues that you should definitely not miss after your errands in Zadar. For me it's this one:

• Forum Square (Poljana papa Jan Paul II.) - located on the site of the former Roman Forum from the 1st century, of which only the remains of a staircase, a sidewalk and two monumental columns have survived. The dominant feature of the square is now the symbol of Zadar - the circular Church of St. Donatus built in the pre-Romanesque style. Dating from this period, it is the best preserved building in all of Croatia and you would really have a hard time missing it, as the magnificent bell tower of St. Anastasia Cathedral still rises behind it. Then you will not miss the Church of Our Lady with the Benedictine monastery.

• Seaside promenade - the biggest attraction here is probably the rarity of the Sea Organ (Morske Orgulje). This is actually a giant musical instrument that belts out notes using air displaced with the incoming waves. A really interesting experience. A short distance away is another modern piece of art - the Greeting to the Sun, which, like the organ, was designed by the architect Nikola Bašič. The salute is composed of 300 glass panels, under which lie photovoltaic solar panels. Together, they form a circle 22 metres in diameter, which is embedded directly into the stone pavement. During the day, the panels absorb the sun's rays and in the evening the panels create an interesting light show. By the way, the energy produced can light up half of Zadar's promenade at night! There are also smaller installations symbolizing other planets in our solar system.    

• If you continue along the promenade, you will reach the University of Zadar, in front of which stands a statue of the Croatian malacologist Spiro Brusina. Now I'll save you the googling and write straight away that malacology is the science of molluscs :)

• Gradski bridge and wharf - pedestrian-only bridge... and bicycles/scooters... which connects two parts of the city - the old and the new. It also prevents large ships from sailing deeper into the bay. They are therefore anchored in front of the Gradski Bridge. If you'd like to see it from above, I recommend running up to the city walls.

• Five Wells Square (Trg Pet Bunara) - a square named after the five wells lined up in a row that were built in the 16th century during the defence of the city against the Turks. In addition to this square, I recommend a walk to Croatia's oldest park, named after Queen Jelena Madija. It has a great view of the Lucica Foša harbour and the old entrance gate.

Where to stay in Zadar?

As in Senj, we were looking for an apartment with a separate bedroom. In short, not to be a studio apartment or as it is often stated pretentiously "studio". The reasons are quite simple - home office with frequent phone calls and Donut who needed a nap now and then. So the priority was again the apartment's equipment, balcony/terrace, quiet neighbourhood and parking space. The Golden Gate Apartment was the result! Finally, the elevator was a bonus, which was pretty handy with the stroller, and self check in, where you don't have to frantically negotiate with anyone for an arrival time. There were several cafes/bars and a Lidl supermarket a short walk from the apartment. It took us about fifteen minutes to get to the centre of Zadar, so easy. The price for one night in Golden Gate was €42. If you would like to stay closer to the centre of the action, check here:

• cheaper: Guest House Renata - guesthouse at a great price near the center. For about €32/night offers parking and private bathroom, which is a fair offer I would say
• medium: Harvey´s Luxury rooms - beautiful new apartments right in the historic centre, two sizes on offer and of course the price accordingly
• luxury: DeZing Superior or Emporio Boutique - both beautiful stylish and at a decent price

Best trips  around Zadar

1. NP Krka 

This famous place offers itself for a trip. The Krka is a 72.5 km long karst river that forms an amazing system of cascades, waterfalls and rapids, and in 1985 the landscape was even declared a national park. The advantage here is that not only walkers but also fans of water fun will find it a great place to swim at the waterfalls. Hallelujah.

The national park has its own official website, see here, but... at first glance it's good, but upon deeper research and looking for info it didn't seem so nice, because it's hard to find out where to go, where to park, what's included in the price, etc. Clarity is a rag, no matter... so I'll describe it in my own words. It consists of several parts, the main ones being Skradinski Buk and Roški Slap. You can also take a boat trip to the island of Visovac or even further down the river to the Krka Monastery and the fortresses of Trošenj and Nečven. However, these cruises are above the entrance fee.

In my opinion, if you plan to spend a whole day in NP Krka, you can catch Skradinski Buk and Roški Slap, or one of them + a boat trip. But we were already tired of Plitvice Lakes, so we opted for only the easy tour in the Skradinski Buk section (all photos are from here), which took us less than three hours in total. It is an easy walk on wooden paths between waterfalls and small washes. The spring visit added to the impression with flowers in bloom, huge numbers of fish in the water, and a frog orchestra at every turn. Skradinski Buk also includes old farmhouses, where craft exhibitions (mill, forge, tailor's loom, etc.) are on display.

Accessibility: we entered "Lozovac park" into google maps, where there is a free parking lot and the entrance to the park. The waterfalls are about a kilometer away and you have two options. You can either walk there on a well-trodden path (about 15 minutes) or take a bus. In May 2021 there was probably some kind of walking event, and we paid 80 kn, with the bus it would have been a flat hundred. Otherwise, normally admission prices here vary by season, just to give you an idea:

• November to March - 30 kn
• April + May + October - 100 kn
• June to September - 200 kn (po 16 h 150 kn)

The second way to reach Skradinski Buk would then be the "Skradin" entrance. However, I didn't find any mention of free parking there. It might be more tempting just from the point of view that instead of a bus you can reach the main falls by boat (included in the entrance fee). Or you could walk again, but here you're looking at about a 4 km hike.

2. Šibenik

Not far from the Krka National Park is another gem, Šibenik. If you have some time left, make sure you stop here for a quick tour. The main attraction here is the St. James Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was being repaired during our visit (just our luck), and of course the historic center itself. Narrow streets paved with stones, colourful shutters, various nooks and crannies... just a feast for the eyes. I was also quite taken by the glass library building built on the historic city walls. A truly extraordinary building. As a last one, I'll mention the fact that Sibenik is one of the Croatian locations where Game of Thrones was filmed, so if you're a fan, it's hard to miss this town.

+ library building

There are many fortresses in the town and its surroundings, the most interesting of which is probably the Fortress of St. Nicholas (Tvrdava sv. Nikole) situated on a secluded island. As of 2019, it's even open to the public, but be sure to find out ahead of time what times the boats leave. In fact, it wasn't very common in the off-season. Info can be found on this official website.

TIP: Parking in the centre is of course charged (and yes, even on weekends). If you'd like to save some kuna, and don't mind a light treatment, type "Free parking Sibenik" into google maps. From there you're in the centre in a few minutes, about a kilometre walk.

3. Zrmanja river

I'm sure you've heard that the famous Vinnetou movies were filmed in Croatia, and one such film location is the stunning canyon of this river. The Zrmanja is 64 km long and in some places forms decent waterfalls, cascades and rapids. That is why it is also a popular destination for wild water lovers. If you are not so keen on such an adrenaline rush, you can just take a dip at a waterfall, a popular place is e.g. Berberov Buk. We are neither watermen nor bathing types, but we liked it here anyway. There are great viewpoints to thank for that, of which I'll recommend two.

• the first one is nicer and you can find it on google maps under a crazy name "Pueblo VinetuPariževačpuebloka Drehort von Winnetou Filmen". Really like that, huh :) It's just a kilometre from the main road and you can even drive right up to it. The terrain wasn't exactly ideal though, so we parked right at the beginning and walked the mile just to be safe. Photos of the viewpoint itself and the road to it, including the view of Tula Greda, which will be discussed later:

• The second one is located right by the road leading to Obrovac and is listed on google maps as "Super viewpoint of the Zrmanja river canyon". But it's definitely not cooler than "Pueblo" :)

4. Kudin most (Kuda´s bridge)

I stumbled upon this place completely by accident while aimlessly clicking through the map. I was thrilled! And the fact that you don't read about it in every guidebook and on every blog made me even more excited. In short, it was clear that this wasn't going to be some brutal mass event. So now what's it all about. One of the tributaries of the Zrmanji River is the Krupa River, which, in addition to its many waterfalls, is also home to this beautiful bridge. According to legend, it was built by a young man in love to propose to a girl from the village on the opposite bank. Well, just romantic! 

And the Kudin Bridge itself looks romantic. Legend aside, it was actually built at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. It is 109 metres long, consists of 12 stone arches and even today you can cross to the other side. However, be careful when crossing, even though it is beautiful at first sight, there are a lot of unevennesses. At the same time, don't be fooled into thinking that the bridge is the prettiest thing here. On the contrary, I would say that it only illustrates the surrounding fairy-tale scenery with waterfalls and the incredibly blue water of the Krupa River. The views here are simply and simply fabulous!

Accessibility: the village of Golubic will be your starting point. Turn off the main road and go as far as you can. At the free parking lot (google - Kudin most parking) the road ends, so basically you can't miss it. From there, all you have to do is go down into the valley... and then go back up again, right. Count like 45 minutes one way, depending on how much you enjoy and photograph the views. I definitely recommend some sturdy shoes as the path is quite steep and rocky. Oh, and a snack! Not that it's terribly energetic, but a picnic with a waterfall view is just tempting :) 

5. Tulove Grede

And here we have another Vinnetou place! This time in the form of this impressive group of limestone rocks, made up of beautiful white and completely bare rock columns. They are a frequent destination for climbers, but you can check them out even if you're not exactly eager to reach the top (1120 m).

Tulove Grede is located in the Velebit mountains, basically right next to the motorway, but unfortunately it is not so easy to get off the motorway in this direction. The good news is that there is a panoramic road that leads to them, which in itself guarantees some truly spectacular views. BUT... it's not exactly all asphalt. At first you'll take the same road as if you were going to the Zrmanja viewpoint, however, now you'll be interested in turning left to Sveti Rok, which is a small town in the hinterland and also the name of the motorway tunnel. The asphalt will end where you pass it and the dirt road continues on. But definitely better than the road to Zavizan, which you read about in the previous article :) Except for a few places, it is quite passable by a normal car, but definitely with caution. 

To the rocks, to the Vrhprag mountain saddle, you have about 6 kilometres to go on this surface, during which you can stop for some lovely views. It's really beautiful! You will also pass the church of Crkva svetog Frane, a former quarry or the chapel of Damir Tomljanovic. You'll also notice the huge number of monuments scattered all over the place, sad reminders of the civil war in the 1990s. 

6. Nin

This small town is located about 15 kilometres from Zadar and used to be a very important centre. It was even a frequent residence of Croatian kings. The historic centre of Nin is situated on a small island connected to the mainland by two stone bridges. Once you enter through the ancient Donja gradska gate, everything is literally at your fingertips. The centre is really tiny. Perhaps that's why it's also home to the world's supposedly smallest cathedral - Sveti Križ. 

• Next, I would like to mention three more places worth checking out in connection with Nin, and the first one is quite surprising - the SANDY beaches. I know that now and then sand appears in Croatia, but admit it, it is not very common. There are several of them here! Of course, we knew there would be no swimming, so we at least ran to Kraljica beach with a very nice photogenic wooden pier.

• About a kilometer away from Nin stands another small church (this time a real church) - Crkva sv. Nikola (St. Nicholas Church). It was built in the 11th century and its ground plan is in the shape of a trefoil. From a practical point of view, you can park by the main road and walk just a short distance to the church.

• The last place I chose is the Salt Museum. The local salt mining is quite unique as it is focused on traditional HAND processing. This makes the Nin salt extremely high quality. The very best quality is called Cvijet salt, known in the culinary world as Fleur de Sel (Flower of Salt). It is harvested in ideal weather, in absolute windlessness, during the first hours of evaporation, when a thin layer of salt forms on the salt ponds - just like delicate flowers. The museum has its own shop where you can buy salt, cosmetics or various yummies (like chocolate with salt!), and also organises tours (for 65 kn/person), so check out the official website.

zdroj: inyourpocket (https://www.inyourpocket.com/zadar/the-nin-salt-works-museum-and-shop_100834v)

Another tip for a trip from Zadar could be the Plitvice Lakes, to which I have dedicated a whole separate article. If you are thinking about visiting them, check out Plitvice Lakes - complete info. There you will find info about Plitvice Lakes from A to Z and most importantly, the reason to go in the off-season.

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