Zadar is a smaller town full of rich heritage you will want to see! It is overlooked by a lot of people for somewhere to travel, but please don’t make that mistake as it is definitely worth seeing. Zadar was voted “Best European Destination” in 2016.
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Transportation
- Walking: Everything that we did in Zadar, we were able to walk and we did not end up taking any kind of transportation. Zadar is split up into 2 different parts: old town and new town. We spent almost 100% of our time in old town as that is where all the sights are! The old town is also on a peninsula and is very walkable as all the things to do are close together.
Travel Tip: Make sure to have a map of Zadar as most of the roads are small pedestrian streets in the old city and can be difficult to navigate. There is a TI (tourist information) office located in People’s Square that we found, just look for the “i” and sign that says information. We were able to get free maps and brochures for activities/stuff to do in or around Zadar.
To-Do
- Sea Organs: Right by the sea, in the OId Town section of Zadar, there is a set of huge marble steps that have tubes underneath them. When the waves crash against the steps, it makes music. It was one of the most unique things we have ever seen! Click here to view a video of when we were at the steps, listening to the music.
- Church of St. Donatus: Located near the sea organ, this church is a symbol of the city of Croatia and a famous monument from the early Middle Ages. It was closed when we went and we only had a day in Croatia but hopefully you will go when it is open and can look inside this ancient building. Admission is 20kn and it looks like you pay that at the entrance, there are no prepaid tickets.
- St. Mary’s Church: This is the other nearby church. The only admission allowed to this church is to the monastery to see the exhibition of religious art, commonly known as “The Gold and Silver of Zadar“. Unfortunately this was closed when we went (it was raining very hard when we went) but admission is 30kn. Hours are limited to be sure to check those out before planning on going.
- Siroka Street: This is where all shops are with plenty of opportunities to get souvenirs. We ended up grabbing a snack here as well since there were plenty of little eateries along the street.
Travel Tip: Even though it’s been a part of the EU (European Union) since 2013 they still only use local currency (Croatian Kuna-kn) and most places only accept cash. It was not difficult to find a currency exchange stand, we found ours just outside “People’s Square” at the 1SAK stand on Jurja Barakovica street.
Food
- Sunturist Cafe Bar: We were able to relax and sip an espresso at this cute little café, located in the People’s Square. The server was prompt to come over with a menu and the espresso was very good.
- Crazy Pizza: After all of our walking and wandering around, we were pretty hungry. We stumbled upon this pizza restaurant and from the looks of the outside, it didn’t look like much, but we were pleasantly surprised! It was very inexpensive (around 10kn per slice) and portions were extremely big. It was a cozy restaurant and the staff was friendly. There were other locals there, so you know it’s good!
Zadar is not a very overwhelming European city. It is very relaxing and is nice to just grab a snack and relax on a nearby bench. The people are very warm, welcoming, and willing to strike up a conversation with you. Make sure when you make your next trip to Europe you make a stop in Zadar for a least a few days.
