Explore Northern Dalmatia
The ancient capital of Dalmatia, ZADAR is one of the runaway success stories of the Croatian Adriatic, combining ancient and medieval heritage with a bustling café life, a vibrant bar scene and the kind of go-ahead architectural projects (such as the Sea Organ and the Greeting to the Sun) that give the seafront the appearance of a contemporary art installation.
Zadar was bombed no fewer than 72 times by the Allies during World War II, and it lacks the museum-like quality of so many Adriatic towns, displaying instead a pleasant muddle of architectural styles, where lone Corinthian columns stand alongside rectangular 1950s blocks, and Romanesque churches are jostled by glass-fronted café-bars. With a population of around 75,000, the city boasts an international airport and is also the main ferry port for northern Dalmatia, and Zadar’s growing popularity with visitors ensures that the central streets are swarming with life from June to September. Outside that time, the city’s invigorating café culture is left very much to the locals.
Brief history
Long held by the Venetians (who called it Zara), Zadar was for centuries an Italian-speaking city, and its university, established by Dominican monks in 1396, claims to be the oldest in Croatia. Ceded to Italy in 1921 under the terms of the Treaty of Rapallo, the town became part of Tito’s Yugoslavia in 1947 – when most Italian families were expelled. Postwar reconstruction resulted in something of an architectural mish-mash, and further damage was meted out in 1991, when the JNA (Yugoslav People’s Army), supported by Serbian irregulars, came close to capturing the city. Despite the UN-sponsored ceasefires of 1992, Zadar remained exposed to Serbian artillery attack right up until 1995, when the Croatian offensives finally drove them back.
After spending the 1990s in the economic doldrums Zadar became an important focus for investment from around 2000 onwards, when bars and clubs mushroomed and the city’s airport became a major entry point for tourists visiting the middle Adriatic.
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Greeting to the Sun
Greeting to the Sun
Two hundred metres up from the Sea Organ towards the tip of the peninsula is another of Bašić’s innovative set-pieces, Greeting to the Sun (Pozdrav suncu). Intended as a companion to the Sea Organ, it consists of a huge disk paved with light-sensitive tiles, which accumulate solar power during the daytime and radiate a seemingly random sequence of coloured lights at night. It’s absolutely hypnotic and enormously popular with tourists of all ages, who can spend hours here basking in the Greeting’s mood-enhancing glow.
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The Sea Organ
The Sea Organ
Most visitors ultimately gravitate towards the so-called Sea Organ (Morske orgulje) on the peninsula’s southwestern shoulder. Designed by local architect Nikola Bašić and completed in 2005, the organ consists of a broad stone stairway descending towards the sea. Wave action pushes air through a series of underwater pipes and up through niches cut into the steps, producing a selection of mellow musical notes. The organ is at its best when the sea is choppy, but even during calm periods the tranquil tones of the organ will be sufficient to lull you into a meditative state.
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Festivals in Zadar
Festivals in Zadar
The most internationally prestigious of Zadar’s summer arts festivals is the St Donat’s Musical Evenings (Glazbene večeri u sv. Donatu; early July to early August; w donat-festival.com), featuring solo and chamber music performers from around the world making the most of the excellent acoustics at St Donat’s Church. Running more or less concurrently is the Zadar Theatrical Summer (Zadarsko kazališno ljeto; late June to early August), with theatre and dance groups from all over the country – imaginative use of the city’s historic spaces (venues include the Church of St Dominic and various courtyards) makes for some striking visual entertainment. More accessible for non-Croatian audiences is Zadar Dreams (Zadar snova; July or August; w zadarsnova.hr), a festival of alternative theatre, performance art and music held in Old Town churches and squares.
