Zadar, Croatia

A symphony of stone, sea and spirit.

Zadar doesn’t shout for your attention—it earns it with every step. Set on a small peninsula jutting into the Adriatic, this ancient coastal city is full of quiet power. Roman ruins meets medieval charm. Modern art meets old-world rhythm. And everywhere you look, the sea is never far behind.

“Zadar has the most beautiful sunset in the world.”

— Anonymous

Aerial view of a city with red-tiled roofs along harbor, including historic churches with bell towers, modern buildings, and boats docked at marina during sunset.

Zadar is a city where layers of history and innovation come together on the edge of the Adriatic. Once a Roman colony and later a stronghold of Venice, it carries the marks of every era in its streets—ancient forums, medieval churches and stone gates carved with the lion of St. Mark. Yet Zadar is also boldly modern, home to two of the Adriatic’s most unique attractions: the Sea Organ, which transforms the waves into haunting music and the Sun Salutation, a circle of solar panels that glows at dusk in a kaleidoscope of color.

Beyond its landmarks, Zadar offers a rhythm all its own. Locals gather along the waterfront for what Alfred Hitchcock once called “the most beautiful sunset in the world.” Markets brim with fresh produce, seaside cafés serve up Dalmatian flavors and the old town’s marble streets invite you to wander at your leisure.

Zadar is a city that surprises—old and new, sacred and playful, historic yet always forward-looking. More than a stop along the coast, it’s a reminder of how the Adriatic keeps reinventing itself while holding fast to its soul.

Highlights

People walking on a reflective, tiled promenade near the ocean at sunset with a boat in the water and mountains in the distance under a sky with clouds.

Just steps from the Sea Organ, Zadar’s waterfront glows with another masterpiece of modern design: The Greeting to the Sun. This vast circle of solar panels, set flush into the pavement, absorbs energy during the day and releases it after sunset in a dazzling display of shifting colors. As the sky fades to twilight, the installation comes alive—an ever-changing mosaic of light that mirrors the stars above and the sea beside it.

It’s more than spectacle. The Greeting to the Sun is a celebration of Zadar’s natural gifts—the sun, the sea and the rhythm of life on the Adriatic. Children dance across its glowing surface, couples linger in its glow and locals gather to watch as light and music (from the nearby Sea Organ) blend into one unforgettable experience. Together, these two works make Zadar’s waterfront one of the most magical places on the coast.

The Greeting to the Sun (Sun Salutation)

Sunset over an ancient stone church and bell tower in a city square, with modern buildings in the background.

St. Donatus Church

Rising above the stones of the Roman Forum, St. Donatus Church is Zadar’s most iconic landmark. Built in the 9th century and dedicated to the city’s patron saint, its round silhouette and thick stone walls are unlike anything else on the Adriatic. Constructed in part from Roman columns and blocks taken from the Forum itself, the church is a living symbol of how Zadar’s history layers one era upon another.

Inside, the space is striking in its simplicity. Bare stone walls soar to a domed ceiling, creating acoustics so pure the church is now used for concerts and festivals. Step outside, and the contrast between its austere beauty and the lively streets around it is unforgettable. More than a monument, St. Donatus is a reminder of Zadar’s resilience and creativity—a city that has always found ways to renew itself while honoring its past.

Stone stairs leading down to the water, with waves splashing against the edge, beside a body of water.

The Sea Organ

On Zadar’s waterfront, the sea itself becomes a musician. Hidden beneath broad marble steps are 35 pipes that capture the movement of the waves and transform it into sound—an endless, ever-changing melody carried on the breeze. Sometimes soft and haunting, sometimes playful and bright, the Sea Organ is never the same twice.

Locals gather here at sunset, sitting on the steps as the Adriatic’s music drifts through the air and the sky turns gold and crimson. It’s part art installation, part instrument and part pure magic—a reminder of how deeply the sea shapes life along this coast. Few places capture Zadar’s spirit better: ancient, inventive and forever in conversation with the water.

Historical buildings with twin towers, green trees, stone ruins, and a bright blue sky.

Roman Forum

At the heart of Zadar’s old town lies the Roman Forum, founded by Emperor Augustus in the 1st century BC. Once the political and social center of the city, it was lined with temples, columns and grand public buildings. Today, its remains are scattered across a broad stone square—fragments of columns, carved blocks and the outlines of ancient foundations that whisper of the city’s earliest days.

But the Forum is far from a silent ruin. Locals gather on its steps, children play between the stones and open-air events bring music and theater to the very place where Roman citizens once debated and worshipped. With the round silhouette of St. Donatus Church rising at its edge, the Forum feels like a bridge through time—linking Zadar’s ancient past with the vibrant life of the city today.

Close-up of an antique glass bottle with a worn, tarnished, iridescent surface, displayed among other similar bottles on a glass shelf.

Museum of Ancient Glass

Tucked inside an elegant 19th-century palace, Zadar’s Museum of Ancient Glass shines a light on one of the Adriatic’s most exquisite legacies. Home to one of the world’s finest collections of Roman glass, it holds thousands of artifacts—delicate flasks, jewelry, goblets and vessels, many unearthed from local archaeological sites. Each piece reveals the artistry and everyday life of a civilization that flourished here two millennia ago.

What makes the museum extraordinary is that it doesn’t just display the past—it brings it to life. Skilled glassblowers give live demonstrations, recreating ancient techniques before your eyes, transforming molten fire into fragile beauty. The blend of history and craft makes the museum not only a place to observe, but to experience. In a city where old and new constantly meet, the Museum of Ancient Glass is a jewel all its own—capturing Zadar’s timeless spirit in shimmering form.

Dave Koz sitting on a yellow sofa in a hotel lobby, wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans, smiling at the camera.

Why I Love Zadar

Signature-style white text on a black background that reads "Dave Koz."

Zadar has a quiet kind of charisma—the kind that grows on you, moment by moment. The first time I heard the Sea Organ, it stopped me in my tracks. There’s something so moving about letting the sea play its own music, something so poetic about watching the sun set where Romans once stood in wonder, too.

The Old Town is a delight—charming, walkable, with a pulse that’s gentle but strong. You can grab a coffee in a centuries-old square, stumble into a hidden courtyard or just lean against a stone wall that’s seen it all. And the seafood? As fresh as it gets.