The city walls have had several entrances knocked through them at more confident points in Zadar's history. Some of them were walled up for good, but four remain as the vital link between the town within the walls and the sea outside them.
The Venetians built the Land Gate - then the main entrance into the city - on the little Foša harbour in 1543. It's considered one of the finest monuments of the Venetian rule in Dalmatia, and has the form of a triumphal arch with a central passage for wheeled traffic, and two smaller side arches for pedestrians. It's decorated with motifs such as St Chrysogonus (Zadar's main patron saint) on his horse, and the Shield of St Mark (the coat of arms of the Republic of Venice). Previously, the area had been highly defensive, with a surrounding moat.
Between the ferryport and market is the Harbour Gate (also known as St Chrysogonus' Gate, because of its proximity to the church of the same name), built in 1573 to celebrate the victory of the Christian fleet over the Turks at Lepanto. Near the bridge on the north side is the neo-Renaissance Bridge Gate, knocked through by the Italians only 70 years ago, and leading directly to Narodni trg and the Kalelarga. Further west, by the old Arsenal, is the fourth and smallest gate, named after St Rocco, connecting the Three Wells Square with the harbour area. [...]

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In most Dalmatian towns the market is a sight for sore eyes, and Zadar's is one of the biggest and best. It's been here since the Middle Ages, but the large open space dates back to WWII, when many buildings were flattened in this part of town. Some around the edge of the square are only just being reconstructed. The outside stalls are where you'll find mouthwatering displays of fruit, vegetables, fresh herbs and more... all locally grown and bursting with flavour. Little old ladies (bakice) also sell home made olive oil, rakija and cheese – usually far better than the shop-bought equivalent. The indoor meat market is to one side of the square, and the fish market is opposite, coolly located inside the city walls. Proud locals claim it's the best fish market on the coast. To one side is a section of the market for cheap clothes and bric-a-brac, great if you need an emergency pair of flip-flops or a cheap snorkel. Hours of fun browsing, bargaining and banter.

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Once the largest city-fortress in the entire Republic of Venice, Zadar's walls allowed it to retain more of its independence than most of its neighbouring cities, and meant that it was never captured by the Turks. Previously, there were even more fortifications than there are now, but what [...]

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Vladimir Nazor Park (Perivoj Vladimira Nazora)

Named since WWII after one of the most famous Croatian writers, Zadar's biggest park lies on top of the city's biggest fort, just east of the peninsula and the Land Gate. It was created in 1888-90 by an Austrian deputy, Dragutin Blažekovic, born to a noble family in Osijek (east Croatia). Despite working for the Austrians, he was a supporter of Croatian rights, and resigned when the Austrians refused to concede them. He left something beautiful to the city - a richly planted park with winding pathways, a pond, and an elevation giving great views of the sea. He died three years after it was completed, and the park was named after him – against his wishes.


Queen Jelena Madijevka Park (Perivoj kraljice Jelene Madijevke)

Vlaimir Nazor Park is not the city's oldest – that distinction goes the park named after Queen Jelena Madijevka (Medici), built on top of the Grimaldi bastion by Five Wells Square. Founded by Austrian commander Baron Franz Ludwig von Welden in 1829, a passionate botanist and admirer of Dalmatian flora, it was the first public park in Dalmatia. To create a garden on top of a military object was an unusual move, but one Zadar is eternally grateful for. [...]

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If you come to Zadar you must see the Forum and St Donatus. If you only see one other thing, make it the Silver and Gold of Zadar. It's housed in the Benedictine convent of St Mary's, where it has been guarded by nuns since the end of the Second World War. It forms the Permanent Exhibition [...]

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Imposing and austere, yet absolutely harmonius and original in form, it's not surprising that the pre-Romanesque St Donatus' is taken as the very symbol of Zadar and an image of the unique spirit of Dalmatia. The circular shape is typical of the early Byzantine age in Dalmatia. It was [...]

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“Riva” is a generic word meaning “waterfront”, usually a place to enjoy a stroll and a coffee in seaside towns. When people in Zadar talk about the Riva, they mean the pleasant promenade on the edge of the Old Town peninsula called Obala Petra Krešimira IV, named after [...]

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