Zadar travel guide

Background

First mentioned in a Greek document from the fourth century BC as a settlement founded by the Illyrian tribe of the Liburnians, Zadar was later taken by the Romans, who called it Jadera and developed it into a port and fortified market town with a forum, theatre and public baths.

Following the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the fifth century, Zadar became the capital of the Byzantine thema (province) of Dalmatia: within the ancient walls a medieval town developed, with churches decorated with frescoes and mosaics, and workshops where goldsmiths crafted ornately detailed objects for religious ritual use.

In 1105 Zadar came under the Hungarian king, Koloman, and around the same time Venice, which wanted the city for its sheltered port, began a series of repeated attempts to conquer it. Upon the request of the blind Venetian Doge, Enrico Dandolo, when the Fourth Crusades set off for Constantinople in 1202, they stopped at Zadar and after a five-day siege captured and ransacked the city, an act for which Dandolo was later excommunicated by Pope Innocent III. However, Venice continued to dispute Zadar with Hungary and, in 1409, finally obtained permanent possession of the city.

By this time Zadar was the largest urban centre in Dalmatia and possessed the strongest naval fleet on the East Adriatic. So as to retain control, the Venetians rapidly curtailed all political and economic rights of its citizens. In the early 16th century, when the Ottoman Turks conquered the Zadar hinterland, the city was fortified with a system of sturdy defensive walls, and became an important stronghold for ensuring the safe passage of Venetian merchant ships up and down the Adriatic. During the 17th century, refugees from the Turkish occupied territories of Bosnia and Albania arrived in the area, and still today several villages outside Zadar have retained a local dialect heavily influenced by the Albanian language.

After the fall of Venice in 1797, Zadar came under Austria (and remained so until the Second World War except for a brief period of French rule (1805-1813). During the 19th century the city walls were largely demolished, and new public buildings such as an army barracks and post office were erected. Hotel Bristol, later renamed Hotel Zagreb, opened in 1902, hailing the birth of tourism.

At the end of the First World War, the 1920 Treaty of Rapallo awarded the city to Italy; unfortunate timing, given Mussolini’s rise to power in 1922. Thus when Italian fascists occupied Dalmatia in 1941, they chose Zadar as their headquarters. After Italian capitulation in September 1943, the Italian forces left, the Germans moved in, and the Allies began a brutal bombing campaign, so that by the time the Yugoslav partizani arrived in 1945, two-thirds of the city centre lay in rubble. Zadar was officially reunited with the rest of Yugoslavia in 1947. The Tito years saw a period of rapid reconstruction coupled with industrial development, and the building of new high- rise residential suburbs and modern tourist facilities.

Best time to visit

Like most cities along the coast, Zadar is at its most animated in summer, when you’ll find open-air restaurants and cafés, plus a variety of outdoor cultural events in the old town.

Getting around

The old town, compact on a peninsula closed to traffic, can easily be explored on foot. However, most of the large hotels and many of the sports facilities are at Puntamika, 5 km northwest of the centre. Puntamika can be reached by bus No 5 and No 8, both of which depart from outside the main bus station and stop en route close to the footbridge near the old town.

Ins and outs

Getting there

Zadar is 190 km from Zagreb, 190 km from Rijeka, 288 km from Pula, 160 km from Split and 376 km from Dubrovnik. Through summer, Croatia Airlines run regular flights to and from most European capitals. The airport is at Zemunik, 7 km from the city centre. A Liburnija airport bus leaves Zadar bus station 60 minutes before each flight, ticket 25Kn. For bus departure information, T023-343700.

The city port is on Liburnska Obala, immediately outside the old town walls, accessed through the Sea Gate. Jadrolinija run an overnight ferry to Ancona, Italy, plus local services to the surrounding islands.

Zadar

Air

Zadar Airport, T023-205800, www.zadar- airport.hr. Through summer, there are regular flights to and from Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Copenhagen, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Gothenburg, Hamburg, Helsinki, Lisbon, London (Gatwick and Heathrow), Munich, Oslo, Paris, Prague, Rome, Skopje, Stockholm, Vienna, Zagreb and Zurich. The number of destinations and the frequency of flights are reduced in winter.

Airlines offices

Croatia Airlines, Poljana Natka Nodila 7, T023-250101.

Bus

For all information about buses to and from Zadar, T023-211555, http://www.liburnija-zadar.hr.

Internal services include 22 buses daily to Zagreb (3½-5 hrs); 11 to Rijeka in Kvarner (4½ hrs); 3 to Pula (7 hrs) and 16 to Split (3½ hrs).

There are also daily international bus lines to Ljubljana (Slovenia), Trieste (Italy), Munich (Germany). Buses depart several times a week for various other destinations in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

Car

Dollar & Thrifty, Hotel Kolovare, B Peričića 14, T023-315733, http://www.subrosa.hr; Zadar, Liburnska obala 3, T023-251700, www.renta carzadar.com.

Ferry

Schedules vary from day to day and season to season, so check times with the relevant ticket office.

Jadrolinija, T023-254800, www.jadrolinija. hr, run overnight ferries to Ancona (Italy) several times per week, 8 hrs. Days and times vary from month to month, check at the ticket office for details. Mia Tours, Vrata Sv Krševana (Sea Gate), T023-254300, http://www.miatours.hr, run a hydrofoil service to Sali and Zaglav on Dugi Otok. Split Tours, T021-352533, http://www.splittours.hr, operate a ferry mid-Jun to mid-Sep from Pula to Zadar, stopping at Unije, Mali Lošinj and Silba en route (no cars taken to Unije or Silba). Tickets can be bought in Zadar from Jadrolinija agent, Poljana Natka Nodila, T023-251052. Jadrolinija also runs daily ferry services connecting Zadar to the nearby islands of Ugljan, Dugi Otok, Olib, Iž, Rava, Premuda, Mali Lošinj, Sestrunj, Molat and Ist.

Taxi

Liburnska obala, in front of the ferry port, T023-251400.

Train

Zadar train station, T023-212555.

National train information, T060-333444, http://www.hznet.hr.

There are 3 trains daily from Zadar to Knin, from where it is possible to take connecting trains to Zagreb and Split, though this may involve a long wait.

Directory

Zadar

Emergencies

Ambulance: 94; Fire: 93; Police: 92.

Internet

Acme, M Matafara 2a, T023-250708 and Libar, Stjepana Radića 11b, T023-301135 are both in the old town and are open daily throughout the summer.

Medical services

General Hospital Zadar, at Bože Peričića 5, between the old town and the bus station, T023-315677. Pharmacies: are marked by a glowing green cross. Ljekarna Donat, T023-251342, Braće Vranjanina 14, usually open 24 hrs. If closed, there will be a notice on the door saying which pharmacy to go to.

Post offices

The main post office is at Kralja S Držislava 1, Mon-Sat 0700-2100.

Telephones

If you prefer to telephone from a peaceful phone booth, rather than calling on the street, go to one of the post offices . Otherwise, you’ll find numerous phone kiosks around town.