Based on my analytics information for this blog, I am pretty sure that wherever you are reading this, it’s already Summer there. Unfortunately, San Francisco doesn’t get the “real” Summer weather until September. It’s still chilly here and we are dressed up in layers. But that’s not keeping me away from planning a trip for the Summer. I am still looking through Google flights search every day to see where I can escape for a week or two. Hopefully, by the time I write couple of more posts, I will have some idea where I am headed next. But for now, let me go back to my blog and make my way up the Dalmatian coast in Croatia. In this post, I will be covering Zadar, a city located in the Northern Dalmatia, Croatia.

I came to Zadar in the morning from Zagreb and spent a few hours before heading to Split. Zadar was the smallest town in my Croatian itinerary so I knew spending just a few hours would be good enough.

How long to stay

If you are staying in Zagreb or Split, you can easily make a day trip to Zadar. Or if you are like me, you can use this as a transit between Zagreb and Split. Even if a day trip seems long in your crazy European itinerary, I would recommend just spending 4-6 hours in the city.

Getting there and getting around

As mentioned before, I was traveling to Zadar from Zagreb and later headed to Split that same day. Since train travel is super slow and inefficient in Croatia, I had to choose between taking a bus or a flight. Of course, I went ahead with the bus option since it took me just 3.5 hours to cover this journey and was cheaper than taking flights, paying for bags and to and from ground transportation between the airports and the city centers. Also, the bus station has a left luggage facility so I was able to drop my bags and roam around freely.

The bus station is within walking distance from the old city and the airport is outside of the city. If you took the bus or train to get to Zadar, you can easily walk to the Old town from the station. In case you took a flight, you can take the airport bus to old town which costs 25 Kn and is usually in sync with the flight schedules. The old town in itself is very easy to get around on foot. If you don’t like walking, you can take cabs (please negotiate on the fares as the drivers are known to overcharge tourists) or buses.

Where to stay

Since I didn’t stay in Zadar for more than a few hours, I never booked a place to stay here. But from what I could see, the old town lacked hotels. They had many apartments available for tourists to rent.

What to buy

Nothing. I did some research online before traveling and even asked the locals when I got there and there wasn’t anything that’s a must buy or something that the city is known for.

What to see or do

Since the old town is very small, you will be done with sightseeing in just a couple of hours. You will have plenty of time to lounge around in the cafes and enjoy the city, the people and the sun or you can go for a swim in the beautiful clear waters along the coast of Zadar.

Here are the attractions/historical sights I would recommend you check out while strolling through the old town:

• Mainland gate/Port Gate

  If you are walking to the old town from the bus or train station, you have to walk through this gate. It’s a pretty impressive gate and there is a neat port area where you will see a lot boats docked. Once you pass through this gate, you are officially in the old town.

• Roman Forum

  These are some well-preserved remains of a Roman forum. The ruins have now become a popular place for people to stroll through or sit down and enjoy a nice day.

• St. Mary’s church

  This church houses a museum of antique religious relics and artifacts.

• Zadar Cathedral

  Also known as the cathedral of St. Anastasia, this cathedral is very pretty from both inside and outside. I was quite impressed by the organ at the cathedral.

• St. Simeon’s church

  Oldest of the 34 churches situated in the old town, this church contains the silver reliquary of the saint.

• Archaeological Museum

  Unfortunately, it was closed the day I was in town. Apparently, the collection cover Zadar’s long and rich history from the prehistoric times to middle ages. I heard good things about the Romanesque stone carvings at the museum.

• St. Donatus Church

  I want to say that this church has now become the symbol of the city and it is very hard to miss it. Used pretty much as a museum, the church is no longer used for religious activities. It is definitely one of the best-preserved pre-Romanesque buildings I have seen.

• Sea Organ and the Monument to the Sun

  This man-made masterpiece situated on Zadar’s Riva creates a musical soundscape using the motion of waves and 35 pipes. There is also a light display which is used to create visualization that the sound is being produced by the organ. You should take a stroll along the paves seafront in the evening and enjoy a nice European sunset listening to the relaxing sound of the organ set in to the harbor wall.  

What to eat

The local delicacy of the region is Burek (a kind of pastry) which you can easily find at one of the bakeries in old town. Apart from that, you can find massive slices of Pizza for around 10 Kn at many pizzerias throughout the old town. Drinking is legal in the city so it’s very common for folks to buy something in the store and go to the sea side to enjoy drinks while listening to the sea organ.

Now that I have covered my whole Dalmatian coast journey, what was your favorite city? If I had to pick, I would say Dubrovnik. What was your favorite thing to do in Zadar? Do you have any suggestions as to how to save money while traveling through the Dalmatian coast?