Zadar
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The first time I passed through Zadar, in the prior fulltime-nomad-times, I to some degree failed to appropriately appreciate this modest-sized Croatian city aesthetically stretched out along the Adriatic Sea. Shame on me, as not only is Zadar the oldest continuously inhabited town of the country, its fortified city (the “Venetian Works of Defence”) are also included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. A historical and cultural character that is combined with a form of new-age development, causing major news sources to label it as “Croatia’s New Capital of Cool” (The Guardian) and the “Entertainment Center of the Adriatic” (The Times). About time to allow myself a second chance. Zadar, show yourself, I’m ready to come out and play!
Zadar
Walking through Zadar equals hopping along a materialized history timeline, thrown into a blender to purify into this delicious smoothie of unusual elements. Most tourists will just notice that it’s “oh so pretty”, but obviously, there’s a reason for the city to look that specific way. The information panels scattered out all over town will allow you to wrap your head around the what-how-and-why’s, and the Zadar National Museum and City Museum can deepen that knowledge… but also allow your friend from Budget Bucket List to kindly enlighten you in a laidback-kinda way.
In the intro I already dropped the lil’ spoiler of Zadar being the oldest continuously inhabited town of Croatia, and this indeed dates back to prehistoric (Neolithic) times, with the earliest evidence for human life dating back to the Stone Age. The first shape of what is currently Zadar traces back to a so-called “Liburnian” settlement (an Illyrian tribe) of the 9th century BC, which slowly developed into a trading hub with the Phoenician, Etruscan and Greek boys (… which triggers the brainfart: Did you know that olive oil used to be put to practice as a sexual lubricant since 350BC, causing the olive trade to boom? No? Glad to be the person to introduce you to that fact. Back to Croatia.) As about anywhere in Europe, the Romans peeked around the corner at some point in time. The Liburnians, traditionally the Romans’ sworn enemies, didn’t exactly welcome them with open arms. Nevertheless, in 59BC “Illyricum” was forcefully adapted as a province by our main man Julias Caesar. This era was crucial for the development into the city layout we can still admire today. Zadar was organized Roman-style with a rectangular street plan, thermae, a forum, a sewage system and the typical aqueduct, a water supply system. A variety of these elements still stand today, entirely or partly.
Walking through Zadar equals hopping along a materialized history timeline, thrown into a blender to purify into this delicious smoothie of unusual elements. Most tourists will just notice that it’s “oh so pretty”, but obviously, there’s a reason for the city to look that specific way. The information panels scattered out all over town will allow you to wrap your head around the what-how-and-why’s, and the Zadar National Museum and City Museum can deepen that knowledge… but also allow your friend from Budget Bucket List to kindly enlighten you in a laidback-kinda way.
In the intro I already dropped the lil’ spoiler of Zadar being the oldest continuously inhabited town of Croatia, and this indeed dates back to prehistoric (Neolithic) times, with the earliest evidence for human life dating back to the Stone Age. The first shape of what is currently Zadar traces back to a so-called “Liburnian” settlement (an Illyrian tribe) of the 9th century BC, which slowly developed into a trading hub with the Phoenician, Etruscan and Greek boys (… which triggers the brainfart: Did you know that olive oil used to be put to practice as a sexual lubricant since 350BC, causing the olive trade to boom? No? Glad to be the person to introduce you to that fact. Back to Croatia.) As about anywhere in Europe, the Romans peeked around the corner at some point in time. The Liburnians, traditionally the Romans’ sworn enemies, didn’t exactly welcome them with open arms. Nevertheless, in 59BC “Illyricum” was forcefully adapted as a province by our main man Julias Caesar. This era was crucial for the development into the city layout we can still admire today. Zadar was organized Roman-style with a rectangular street plan, thermae, a forum, a sewage system and the typical aqueduct, a water supply system. A variety of these elements still stand today, entirely or partly.
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the Zadar area changed hands to the Ostrogothic Kingdom, but returned to the Romans during the Byzantine Empire. It was only in the 10th Century that the Croats started arriving, attracted by its trading opportunities (the Croatian Kingdom was only established in 925). As is usually the case, the economic prosperity attracted some unwanted attention… in Zadar’s case, by the bloody Venetians, a persistent little pack! To say they weren’t welcome is an understatement, but after a prolonged series of heavy attacks, the Venetians were there to stay for a big chunk of the city’s Middle Ages. They were responsible for the very visible Italian mark on the local architecture, universally known to be rather over-the-top and dramatic aligning with the nation’s overall personality (it’s pretty though, leave it to the Italians to nail the art of external aesthetics, they live for that shit). Iconic buildings stemming from this time period include the University of Zadar (built by the Dominican Order and Croatia’s oldest university), the City Gates, the Citadel, the Pilar of Shame and a bunch of churches such as the St. Francis. When the Ottomans made their loud and clear entrance into the southern chunk of Europe, the Venetians grabbed most Roman remains to facilitate the construction of fortifications (incl. the Arsenal, Five Well, Bablja Kula), entirely changing the looks of the city. Sounds a bit rude, destroying this old heritage and diminishing it to “building blocks”, but these Venetian Defence Works is what actually qualified Zadar for the UNESCO World Heritage List… so, retrospective thumbs up to the Venetians.
The defence works, besides undoubtedly being made in a very eye-pleasing manner, didn’t however have the capacity to keep the Ottomans at bay. Luckily, the occupation lasted only shortly. For the time being, Croatia remained in Italian hands, for better or worse. As obviously, the Italians once were the clear assholes in the European history timeline, siding with Hitler and converting Croatia in a Nazi puppet state. Even though the Venetians built all this beautiful stuff, 80% of the town was destroyed by Allied bombing during WWII. More bombing was done by the Serbs during the Croatian War of Independence, once Croatia decided not to be a part of the post-WWII Yugoslavia anymore. As such, most of that stunning architecture of the Old Town you’re probably drooling over are in fact restored works.
More recent additions to the cityscape include the Croatian Theatre House, the Gradski Most Bridge and of course the contemporary “Greeting to the Sun” light installation and its Sea Organ… nowadays probably the most famous popular sight of Zadar, especially around the sunset hours. An odd one in the mix is a Sphinx statue. We are in Croatia, not in Egypt, last time I checked? Once again, it’s some dramatic Italian gesture of some rich Venetian man trying to please his wife.
If you have some kuna’s to get rid of, you can go ahead and visit some of Zadar’s modest museums, including: The Museum of Ancient Glass, the Archaeological Museum, the Permanent Exhibition of Religious Art, the Rector’s Palace and the Maritime Museum… or you can just drink it away at the Degarra and/or Fiolic Wineries, more efficient.
More recent additions to the cityscape include the Croatian Theatre House, the Gradski Most Bridge and of course the contemporary “Greeting to the Sun” light installation and its Sea Organ… nowadays probably the most famous popular sight of Zadar, especially around the sunset hours. An odd one in the mix is a Sphinx statue. We are in Croatia, not in Egypt, last time I checked? Once again, it’s some dramatic Italian gesture of some rich Venetian man trying to please his wife.
If you have some kuna’s to get rid of, you can go ahead and visit some of Zadar’s modest museums, including: The Museum of Ancient Glass, the Archaeological Museum, the Permanent Exhibition of Religious Art, the Rector’s Palace and the Maritime Museum… or you can just drink it away at the Degarra and/or Fiolic Wineries, more efficient.
the Islands
Zadar’s hinterland boasts the Paklenica National Park… but hey, you’re in Croatia so the coast is all that matters. In this land of the sea there’s certainly no shortage of islands, to state it lightly, and every coastal destination offers the opportunity to visit a whole bunch of ‘em. I opted for Ugljan Island just across the water, a short and cheap boat ride away (less connections off-season). The main sight of the island? The St. Michael Castle! So the main activity? That’s right, hiking up the castle! There’s a not-too-long, yet relatively steep nature trail swirling up to what the locals nicknamed the “Mystical Hill”. A name stemming from the numerous folk tales surrounding Ugljan’s main elevation: According to one legend, fairies had a hand in the built, whereas others were convinced it served as a flight layover for witches’ air traffic. Honestly, the castle ruins are highly underwhelming… but the views! Oh boy, be ready for the views. The hilltop panorama over the “Bay of Light” and “Bay of Darkness”, representing the everlasting struggle between good and evil, is one of those reasons why I hike. The world in general, and Croatia specifically, is possibly even more beautiful from high up. A humbling experience. If you’re feeling it today, you can prolong your hike by following the trail towards a 28m-long cave on the western side of the island, which also was the finding spot of the country’s first and oldest written document (a handwritten church paper in Latin) defining the boundaries of Ugljan.
Zadar’s hinterland boasts the Paklenica National Park… but hey, you’re in Croatia so the coast is all that matters. In this land of the sea there’s certainly no shortage of islands, to state it lightly, and every coastal destination offers the opportunity to visit a whole bunch of ‘em. I opted for Ugljan Island just across the water, a short and cheap boat ride away (less connections off-season). The main sight of the island? The St. Michael Castle! So the main activity? That’s right, hiking up the castle! There’s a not-too-long, yet relatively steep nature trail swirling up to what the locals nicknamed the “Mystical Hill”. A name stemming from the numerous folk tales surrounding Ugljan’s main elevation: According to one legend, fairies had a hand in the built, whereas others were convinced it served as a flight layover for witches’ air traffic. Honestly, the castle ruins are highly underwhelming… but the views! Oh boy, be ready for the views. The hilltop panorama over the “Bay of Light” and “Bay of Darkness”, representing the everlasting struggle between good and evil, is one of those reasons why I hike. The world in general, and Croatia specifically, is possibly even more beautiful from high up. A humbling experience. If you’re feeling it today, you can prolong your hike by following the trail towards a 28m-long cave on the western side of the island, which also was the finding spot of the country’s first and oldest written document (a handwritten church paper in Latin) defining the boundaries of Ugljan.
Do you want more islands to add to the list? That shouldn’t be too hard. From Ugljan you can simply cross the bridge to Pasman Island, for starters. Vir Island (to be reached from Zadar) also has a bridge connection with the mainland, and is easily reached with a (Flix)bus.
Otherwise, from Zadar there are convenient ferry connections to the following islands: Iz Island, Sestrunj Island, Zverinac Island, Molat Island, Ist Island, Dugu Island, Zut Island, Kornati Island, Rava Island, Galevac Island, Osljak Island (the smallest inhabited one in the Adriatic), Piskera Island, Olib Island, Silba Island, Rivanj Island, Brbinj Island, Bozava Island, Premuda Island and the heart-shaped Galesnjak Island. Kornati Island even has its own national park!
Otherwise, from Zadar there are convenient ferry connections to the following islands: Iz Island, Sestrunj Island, Zverinac Island, Molat Island, Ist Island, Dugu Island, Zut Island, Kornati Island, Rava Island, Galevac Island, Osljak Island (the smallest inhabited one in the Adriatic), Piskera Island, Olib Island, Silba Island, Rivanj Island, Brbinj Island, Bozava Island, Premuda Island and the heart-shaped Galesnjak Island. Kornati Island even has its own national park!
Quick Budget Fact Overview
Croatia Facts
Short History Recap
Around 400BC: First Greek colonies on Adriatic Islands. 100BC: Roman rule. 600s: Croats arrive. 1102: Union with Hungary. 1527: Croatian Assembly after defence against Ottomans, dynasty Habsburg to Croatian throne. 1699: Liberation of Ottomans. Adriatic coast and islands under Venice. Dubrovnik Republic independent. Napoleon abolishes Venice and Dubrovnik Republic. → 1815: Habsburg Monarch. ’47: Croatian official language (replacing Latin). ’48: Defence Croatia against attempts of Hungarian occupation → Croatian provinces united. 1918: Entry Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes after dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. ’29: Renamed Yugoslavia. ’41: Nazi Germany invades → "Greater Croatia" formed, incl Bosnia & western Serbia → fascist puppet government. The regime acts brutally against Serbs & Jews as it seeks to create a Catholic, all-Croat republic. ’45: 1 of the 6 constituent republics of the Yugoslav socialist federation. ’71: "Croatian Spring" (nationalist movement). ’80: Tito dies → slow disintegration of Yugoslavia. ’89: Collapse of communism in eastern Europe. ’91: Independence declared. ’92: UN sets up 4 protected areas in Croatia keeping Croats and Serbs apart. Involvement in Bosnia War, supporting the Bosnian Croats against the Bosnian Serbs, then against the Bosniaks (Muslims). ’95:Croat forces retake 3 of 4 areas created by the UN. Croatian Serbs flee to Bosnia and Serbia. ’96: Restores diplomatic relations with Yugoslavia. Joins Council of Europe. ’98: Croatia resumes control over the 4th UN area. 2003: EU application. ’09: Nato. ’13: EU member.
Croatia Facts
- Capital: Zagreb
- Language: Croatian
- Population: ± 3.8 mln (Zadar: 70,800)
- Sq km: ± 56,594 (Tallinn: 194)
- Currency: Euro (€ - EUR)
- Electricity Outlet: C + F / 220-240 V / 50 Hz. Check here.
- Country Code Phone: +385
- Emergency Phone: 112
- Visa: Schengen visa (Croatia is part of the EU). Easy visa application here.
- Vaccinations: None.
- Climate: Oceanic Climate (Cfb)
- High season: June-August
Short History Recap
Around 400BC: First Greek colonies on Adriatic Islands. 100BC: Roman rule. 600s: Croats arrive. 1102: Union with Hungary. 1527: Croatian Assembly after defence against Ottomans, dynasty Habsburg to Croatian throne. 1699: Liberation of Ottomans. Adriatic coast and islands under Venice. Dubrovnik Republic independent. Napoleon abolishes Venice and Dubrovnik Republic. → 1815: Habsburg Monarch. ’47: Croatian official language (replacing Latin). ’48: Defence Croatia against attempts of Hungarian occupation → Croatian provinces united. 1918: Entry Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes after dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. ’29: Renamed Yugoslavia. ’41: Nazi Germany invades → "Greater Croatia" formed, incl Bosnia & western Serbia → fascist puppet government. The regime acts brutally against Serbs & Jews as it seeks to create a Catholic, all-Croat republic. ’45: 1 of the 6 constituent republics of the Yugoslav socialist federation. ’71: "Croatian Spring" (nationalist movement). ’80: Tito dies → slow disintegration of Yugoslavia. ’89: Collapse of communism in eastern Europe. ’91: Independence declared. ’92: UN sets up 4 protected areas in Croatia keeping Croats and Serbs apart. Involvement in Bosnia War, supporting the Bosnian Croats against the Bosnian Serbs, then against the Bosniaks (Muslims). ’95:Croat forces retake 3 of 4 areas created by the UN. Croatian Serbs flee to Bosnia and Serbia. ’96: Restores diplomatic relations with Yugoslavia. Joins Council of Europe. ’98: Croatia resumes control over the 4th UN area. 2003: EU application. ’09: Nato. ’13: EU member.
FREE Sights / Activities
PAID Sights / Activities
Evening Entertainment
Local Festivals
- Sights: Sea Organ / Greeting to the Sun, Paseo Maritimo, City Gates, Sea Gates, Five Wells, Pilar of Shame, Bell Tower, Main Square (Narodni Trg u Zadru), The Forum, Statue of Spiro Brusina, Sfinga Statue, Gradski Most Bridge, Arsenal, Croatian Theatre House, University of Zadar, Church of St. Donat, Zadar Cathedral, Church of St. Krsevan, Monastery of St. Francis of Assisi, Church of St. Donatus, St. Simon’s Church, St. Elias Church, St. Mary’s Church, St. Roko Church, Church of our Lady of Health & even more churches.
- Hikes / Nature: Kornati National Park, Paklenica National Park, Zrmanja, Kolovare Beach, Borik Beach, Punta Rozica Beach, Lipauska Beach, Uskok Beach, Perivoj Vladimira Nazora Park.
- In the area: Ugljan Island, Vir Island, Galesnjak Island (heart shaped), Iz Island, Sestrunj Island, Zverinac Island, Molat Island, Ist Island, Dugu Island, Zut Island, Kornati Island, Rava Island, Galevac Island, Osljak Island (the smallest inhabited one in the Adriatic), Piskera Island, Olib Island, Silba Island, Rivanj Island, Brbinj Island, Bozava Island, Premuda Island.
PAID Sights / Activities
- Sights: Bablja Kula.
- Museums: Museum of Ancient Glass, Archeological Museum, Permanent Exhibition of Religion Art, Rector’s Palace, Zadar City Museum, Maritime Museum, National Museum.
- Other: Degarra Winery, Fiolic Winery.
Evening Entertainment
- Nightlife Areas: Old Town, Pag Island (Zrce Beach).
- Theatres: Croatian National Theatre Zadar.
Local Festivals
- Zadar Wine Festival – Feb.
- Zadar Street Food Festival – Apr-May & Sep-Oct.
- Zadar Sunset Festival – Aug.
- Ful Moon Festival – Aug.
- Craft Beer Festival – Aug-Sep.
- Outdoor Festival – Sep.
Budget Bites
Sleep Cheap
- Main Supermarket Chains Croatia: Spar, Plodine, Konzum, Kaufland, Studenac, Lidl, Bakmaz, Tommy.
- Markets: Trznica.
- Local Dishes: Crni Rizot (black risotto), Pag Lamb / Janjetina (spit roasted), Ispod Peke (slow cooked meat/fish under dome in ashes), Pasticada (marinated beef stew), Corbanac (meat stew), Boskarin (oxen), Brodet / Brudet (fisherman’s stew), Gregada (fish stew), Odojak (suckling pig), Mijesano / Raznjici (skewers) Buzara (mussles in wine broth), Istarski Fuzi (pasta), Pljeskavica (Balkan hamburger), Cevapcici (sausages with bread), Kotlovina (grilled meats), Riba S Gradela (grilled fish), Rastika (collard greens stew), Grah (pork hock bean stew), Varivo od Mahuna (green beans stew), Manestra (bean soup with meat), Punjene Paprike (stuffed peppers), Sarma / Sinjski (stuffed sauerkraut), Zganci (polenta), Salata Od Hobotnice (octopus salad), Burek (cheesy pastry), Strukli (cottage cheese pastry), Viska / Komiska Pogaca (sarine pie), Soparnik (savory swiss chard pie) Truffles, Oysters, Sardines, Paski Sir / Skripavac / Skuta (typical cheese), Prsut (prosciutto), Kulen (sausage), Fritule (deep-fried donuts),
- The Veg Situation: Going veg is not so complicated in Croatia, as vegetarianism and veganism is widely accepted. Most supermarkets contain veg products, be it very processed at times. Veg restaurants can be found here. That said, these are concentrated in the bigger cities, you won’t pass many of them hiking.
- National Drink: Rakija (brandy), Dunjevaca (quince spirit), Slavonska Sljivovica (plum brandy), Biska (misletoe brandy), Teranino (liquor), beer, wine (mainly Istarska Malvazija, Dingac, Posip, Babic, Grk, Plavac Mali, Prosek, Teran, Zlahtina, Grasevina).
Sleep Cheap
- Hostels / Hotels / Guesthouses: Of all Balkan countries, Croatia is the most expensive one. Expect Western European prices for food and accommodation. Without being paid to say so, I love Booking.com: They have the biggest selection, are transparent about the final price and have an efficient search engine tailored to your specific needs (cheapest first!). If you use it often enough, Genius-discounts are applied. Agoda is often not transparent about prices, adding a lot of additional costs in the last booking-step. Opodo is another decent option. Air BnB is not what it used to be, price-wise, and seem to focus on the more upscale boutique stays nowadays.
- Couchsurfing: allows you to stay with locals. Nowadays it has a moderate sign-up cost (unless you put a third-world country as homebase), but paying extra for verification is unnecessary: Positive reviews are way more important. Once active, there are no costs for staying at someone’s house. In order to get accepted, make sure to write an elaborate review explaining why you applied to this specific profile and think you and your host are a good match (copy-pastes tend to be ignored). The Couchsurfing community in Croatia is a rather active one. If your’re bikepacking you can also look into Warm Showers, which is a bikepacking community focussing on 1-night stays.
- Wild Camping: is officially illegal in Croatia. If you would like to do so, make sure you hide well and be rather stealthy.
Mama Said
Transport
Next?
- Safety: Croatia is a very safe country with a low crime rate.
- Tap Water: is safe to drink.
- The best credit/debit card for traveling is Wise, as they use the live conversion rates with minimal exchange fees. Wise also has the lowest fees for sending money to foreign accounts. Revolut is comparable, but they have higher exchange fees in the weekend and less wallet-options. Also, you can only wire money to Revolut in the currency you opened the account with, whereas Wise has IBAN’s from a wide variety of currencies, so you don’t have to pay a double exchange fee. Most Croatian ATMs charge a fee for cash outs, but card payments are generally accepted everywhere, even in the countryside.
- Simcard: Buying a local simcard is by all means cheaper than using your international roaming option. The main providers are T-Mobile, A1 and Telemach. T-Mobile has the biggest coverage, Telemach the smallest. Part of the data will also work within the EU (although some tourist packages will only work in the EU). E-sims are also increasing in popularity, which can be ordered online. As usual, never buy a sim at the airport, where you’ll be ripped off with expensive tourist packages. Instead, buy it in the phone stores in the cities or even in convenience stores, post offices and gas stations (Tisak, INA, Hrvatska Posta, iNovine).
Transport
- Walking: Zadar has a very compact and walking-friendly city centre.
- Cycling: The Old Town area has pretty narrow streets, which makes cycling rather hard in high season when it’s full with pedestrians. However, cycling is definitely a good option outside of the city centre and throughout Croatia.
- Public Transport: Zadar has a network of buses serving different parts of the city. However, as a tourist it’s not so easy to get your head wrapped around the schedules and routes, as apps such as Google Maps and Moovit don’t work here (anno 2023). A map can be found here, but you have to know the city from inside out to really easily navigate with just that map. The overal service is poor: Buses often don’t show up at all, and prices are very high compared to the rest of Europe. Tickets can be bought from the bus driver, at the bus station, at a “Liburnija” or “Tisak” stand or by the Smartica app. The ticket is valid for 50 minutes. The main bus station for international buses is called Autobusni Kolodvor, which is located a 20-minutes walk outside of the Old Town area (or take bus 2 or 4).
- Taxi / Uber: Croatia has taxi apps such as Uber and Bolt.
- Train: Croatia has a train network, with train station in Zadar. It is operated by HZPP and it’s possible to buy tickets online here.
- Car Rental: This is not a cheap endeavour in Croatia. However, the best deals can generally be found when the car is picked up from the airport.
- Airport: Zadar Airport (ZAD). There are relatively cheap airport buses driving to the downtown area. More info here.
- Hitchhiking: is relatively safe and easy in Croatia, but definitively not common. I hitchhiked on plenty occasions in Croatia and I always managed with relative ease (as a woman alone). More info on hitchhiking in and out of Zadar can be found on Hitchwiki.
Next?
- In Croatia: Rijeka, Pula, Sibenik, Trogir, Split, the islands as specified in the the “Sights & Activities” section above.
- International Destinations Close By: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia, Montenegro, Italy.
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