Zadar, is a three thousand year-old town. It was the capital of Dalmatia for many centuries. The Zadar peninsula still preserves the ancient street grid of the town, as well as a Roman forum dating back to the first century AD. The pre-Romanesque Church of St. Donatus dates back to the ninth century, and it is undoubtedly Zadar's most famous site.

However, the town is also renowned for having the most beautiful Romanesque churches in Croatia, such as the Cathedral of St. Anastasia (13th century), the Church of St. Chrysogonus (12th century) and the Bell-tower of St. Mary (1105).

The town is fortified with thick walls, renowned for their impressive ports, such as the Harbor Port and the Mainland Port, which date back to the sixteenth century. The walls encircle the Square of Three Wells, the Square of Five Wells, the Municipal Loggia, the Municipal Guard Tower and many palaces that slumber under the protection of the town's four patron saints: St. Simon, St. Anastasia, St. Chrysogonus and St. Zoilus.

Throughout history, Zadar was the center of important cultural events, such as the establishment of the first Croatian university (1396), the writing of the first Croatian novel (1536) and the publication of the first Croatian newspaper. The world famous Permanent Exhibition of Sacral Art and the traditional St. Donatus Musical Evenings represent only a small part of numerous cultural events and manifestations that Zadar offers to its visitors.

The waterfront is an ideal place to admire a beautiful sunset or to visit its rich and colorful green fish markets, which are always bustling with life.

Zadar region is also know for the nearby islands beginning with the largest: Pag, Dugi Otok, Ugljan, Pasman, leading to the smaller ones: Silba, Molat, Olib, Premuda, Iz, Vrgada, Sestrunj.

From World66 Based on work by lpx.Photos by Alaskan Dude. Content is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0.