How To Spend 48 Hours In Zadar Croatia

Zadar, the main city of Northern Dalmatia, offers the most eclectic range of attractions in Croatia—some historic and traditional, others bizarre and off-beat. These can be interspersed with great coffee, top-notch restaurants, lively bars and the most influential nightspot on the Croatian coast.

1. Day 1: Morning

Church, Museum, Shop

The first morning in, head for the Forum, partly to get your bearings, partly to feel a sense of local history. Start the day with coffee where the Romans used to shop and gossip 2,000 years ago. You’re free to peruse the chunks of columns and broken pillars—there’s nothing behind glass or kept under lock and key. For a better idea of how the Forum looked, see the detailed model in the Archeological Museum. Other attractions here include the ninth-century St Donat’s Church, which is no longer a place of worship, but is still a symbol of the city.

Zeleni trg, Zadar, Croatia

St Donat’s | © Alistair Young/Flickr

2. Day 1: Afternoon

Take a short stroll along the Western embankment of the city-centre peninsula, Obala kralja Petra Krešimira IV, to relax, sunbathe and take in Zadar’s most celebrated public art installations. The peninsula runs all the way to the creations of local artist Nikola Bašić. First comes the Sea Organ, a series of holes in the pavement that emit bizarre noises when the waves hit. Many people sit on the sea-lapped steps or sunbathe alongside. Behind the Sea Organ, the Greeting to the Sun comprises a circle of 300 solar-powered glass plates that produce a wonderful show of light after dark.

Greeting to the Sun, Istarska obala, Zadar, Croatia

Greeting to the Sun | © Michael Pollak/Flickr

3. Day 1: Evening

Bar, Restaurant

Combine atmospheric waterfront dining—perhaps at the justifiably renowned Restoran Kornat, where you should try the monkfish medallions and tuna in spicy sauce—with the most celebrated sunset on the Croatian coast. The landscape and layout of offshore islands are so positioned that it causes the sky to bleed reds and oranges as the sun sinks. A short walk from Restoran Kornat, the Garden Lounge, a ground-breaking bar and nightspot, sits atop the Venetian city walls. The lounge first brought UK-quality service and sounds to the Croatian coast.

Garden Lounge, Liburnska obala 6, Zadar, Croatia, +385 23 250 631

Zadar sunset | © Patty Ho/Flickr

5. Day 2: Afternoon

Hotel, Villa

It’s time to explore the mainland, and what better way than to be rowed across by one of the traditional local barkajoli? Boats leave from below the Garden Lounge and head to Obala kneza Trpimira, where you’ll find Barka Bar & Café. The Maraska building is just behind and is linked with the renowned local cherry liqueur. Although the drink remains popular, these former headquarters will soon become a five-star hotel. Further around the embankment at Obala kneza Trpimira is the unusual sight of a Sphinx. Fronting his elegant villa, it was built by a Zadar nobleman in honour of his wife.

Barkajoli, Liburnska obala 6, Zadar, Croatia

Barkajoli | © Emilio Labrador/Flickr

6. Day 2: Evening

Heading back to the peninsula by rowboat, you will land near the Arsenal Zadar, a wonderfully flexible resource that can stage ballroom dancing one night, a DJ session the next, then a formal dinner the following evening, all in a converted warehouse. Often used for live shows, the Arsenal operates as a local market and exhibition centre during the day, and dining is also a viable and convivial option.

Arsenal, Zadar, Croatia, +385 23 253 833

Arsenal Zadar | © Coralie Ferreira/Flickr

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.