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From an overlooked cultural gem to a world famous summer destination in just a few years, Dubrovnik has become the city that currently best represents Croatia internationally:
It has become synonymous with ‘King’s Landing’ Game of Thrones fans, and it seems to be on the bucket list of every traveler to Europe lately…result?
The biggest crowds you’ve ever seen, hotel prices soaring, and overtourism so severe that even wheeled suitcases are banned.
Fortunately for the first visitor who really wants to feel welcome and don’t go bankrupt: there’s no shortage of Dubrovnik-like towns on the country’s breathtaking Adriatic coast, and the less known, equally beautiful city is a great (cheaper) alternative:
The true pearl of the Adriatic
Zadar, located in Northern Dalmatia, 350 km from busy Dubrovnik, is one of Croatia’s cultural hotspots and a historical city most Americans have yet to discover it.
It is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Croatia, founded in the 9th century BC, almost 3,000 years ago, and as it straddles the Adriatic Sea, a tributary of the wider Mediterranean Sea, its importance as a historic port cannot be overstated. underestimated.
You see, before there was a “Croatia,” Zadar was actually part of the once-mighty Roman Empire, and after that polity’s dissolution it joined the also extinct Republic of Venice, a European country that existed before over a thousand years.
As you explore the maze-like old town, with narrow pedestrian streets flanked by narrow pastel-colored buildings with green shutters, don’t be surprised if you see Venice without the canals: they goods two cities under one flag for much of their recorded history.
Modern-day Zadar is Croatian, yes, but it has remained true to its Venetian pastSo don’t be alarmed if you hear that young children are being chased by their ‘nonno’or if there is not an abundance of stuffed peppers, sarma and and ćevapi in local restaurants.
However, you can expect delicious seafood pasta, generously filled calzoni and Dalmatian-style pizza.
What to see in Zadar
As you can see from the photos, Zadar is oldand it will take you more than a few days to admire all the sights, but also to explore the wider province, with all its picturesque coastal towns with origins lost to time and heavenly islands.
The main sights are centered in Zadar’s UNESCO-protected Old Town, or ‘Stari Grad’, including the Church of St. Donatus, a thousand year old Romanesque temple distinctive for its round shape, the 4th-century Cathedral of St. Anastasia, the ruined Roman Forum and the ‘Pet Bunara’.
The latter is a large medieval square on the edge of the walled city, best known for its perfectly preserved five wells, which provided water to Zadar’s residents for centuries, a lone Roman column that remains intact, and informal cafes and bars .
However, Zadar’s most notable attraction is the Sea organan experimental art installation located on the water’s edge: beneath the marble steps leading down to the sea are organ-like tubes that play ‘music’ as the waves crash against them.
The nature here may be breathtaking, but it isn’t exactly well versed in Bach, so don’t expect a particularly soothing rendition of Toccata and Fugue in D minor.
However, you can sit on the steps and wait for the most beautiful sunset in the world, like described Through former visitor Alfred Hitchcock himself.
Pristine Adriatic beaches
Zadar is also highly sought after for its beaches: the city itself is home to one pristine, pebble beach Kolovare Beachwith some of the clearest waters found anywhere in the Mediterranean basin, not to mention the hermits of Lipauska and Punta Rožica, further away from the city.
Our personal favorite, however, is the lagoon-like beach in Nin, nestled against the rugged mountains of Dalmatia, so shallow and warm that it feels like a heated swimming pool; the walled town of Nin itself is incredibly charming, with its cobbled alleys and ice cream shops, and it’s half an hour’s drive from Zadar.
If you’re into island hopping, the main islands are within a short ferry ride from Zadar’s port Dugi Otok, surrounded by turquoise waters, and Losinj, an inhabited islet with a rich Italian baroque architectureand Olib, where there are enough sandy beaches to satisfy the pebble haters.
Zadar is cheaper than Dubrovnik
And the best part is that Zadar – and the wider Zadar province – remains largely undiscovered by a majority of international tourists: they are still mainly Poles, Czechs, Hungarians, middle to low income German families and occasionally a British tourist who goes on holiday here.
The problem with places like Dubrovnik, and most recently Split, is that the surge in demand has led to both crowds and a a staggering increase in prices (good luck finding a modest hotel in central Dubrovnik for less than $198 a night this summer).
In Zadar there are many offers from just $103and if you book a week’s stay with a local guesthouse owner, you can probably negotiate a discounted rate, and the food isn’t that expensive either.
According to Budget your trip, you need to budget $64 per day: a large Margherita pizza at a cheap restaurant costs $8, a pasta dish costs between $12-15, pastries from local bakeries cost $1-3, a pint of beer costs $2.5-3, and a glass of wine usually costs $6.
Croatia has certainly become more expensive since adopting the euro as its currency last year, but Zadar remains very affordable by Mediterranean standards: tourists spend average $665 per weekadded accommodation, food, transport and admission to museums and tourist attractions.
How to get to Zadar this summer?
If you are coming from the United States, you should know that there are no direct flights to Zadar airport.
Our recommendation is that you fly to a major hub firstsuch as London, Rome or Frankfurt, and then book an intracontinental flight to Zadar, if possible as cheap as $19 of the European budget airline Ryanair.
If you are already in Croatia, there are many ways to reach Zadar: you can fly from Zagreb, the capital, or take a bus leaving from the main station in Zagreb, or any other major city along the Adriatic coast, such as Pula, Split or Dubrovnik.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, and not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included in the post.
