Zadar Old Town — The Relics of Zadar

Your quest for relics begins in Zadar, in front of Kopnena Vrata, the Land Gate. This imposing structure, built by the Venetians in 1543, served as the main fortified entrance to the city. Its 10-meter height is adorned with reliefs of the Lion of Saint Mark, symbol of Venice, and Saint Chrysogonus, patron saint of the city. A Latin inscription, 'RO. MICHAEL IANUS MDXLIII', commemorates Michele Zanin, the Venetian proveditore who oversaw its construction. This historical site, the gateway to Zadar's old town, immediately immerses you in an era when Dalmatia was a major strategic stake.

Continue towards Trg pet bunara, the Five Wells Square. Created in the 16th century during Venetian fortifications against the Turks, this square is dominated by five cylindrical wells. Built between 1544 and 1550, these 12-meter-deep wells served as Zadar's main cistern until the 19th century, storing approximately 300 m³ of water. Here, in this central site of Zadar's old town, you will decipher the plans of Venetian engineers, witnessing the colossal efforts to ensure the survival of the besieged city. This UNESCO Croatia heritage site is a key stop on your exploration.

The Rimski forum of Zadar is your next stop. This largest preserved Roman forum in Croatia, built around 20 BC under Emperor Augustus, reveals the foundations of Zadar's ancient life. Its dimensions of 90m x 45m once housed a civil basilica, a temple, and Corinthian columns. You will discover vestiges, including seven 4.5-meter-high columns dating from the 1st century, which will transport you back to the time when Zadar was a prosperous Roman colony. This preserved Roman forum is a powerful testament to Zadar's history.

Facing you stands the Crkva sv. Donata, the Church of Saint Donat, a cylindrical pre-Romanesque edifice of unique architecture. Built around 800-850 after peace with Byzantium, it was erected under Bishop Donat for the 9th Council of Zadar in 808. Its internal diameter of 9 meters and height of 27 meters recall the San Vitale church in Ravenna. This monument, one of the most emblematic of the 9th-century Church of Saint Donat, offers you a glimpse into the early hours of medieval art in Dalmatia, even before the construction of the Cathedral of Saint Anastasia began in 1091.

Your journey through Zadar's old town will then lead you to Katedrala sv. Stošije (Saint Anastasia Cathedral) and along Kalelarga (Ulica Široka), Zadar's main medieval street. Started in 1091 and consecrated in 1324, the cathedral is a Romanesque masterpiece, with its 54m Romanesque bell tower added between 1452 and 1507 and its sculpted portal depicting the Last Judgment. Kalelarga, paved with Dalmatian limestone since the 11th century, 300m long and 7 to 10m wide, was the commercial axis connecting the Land Gate to the Five Wells Square, named by the Venetians in the 15th century. When visiting Zadar, you follow in the footsteps of Nikola Bašić, the architect who designed the Morske orgulje (Sea Organ), inaugurated in 2005, a masterpiece of landscape architecture. These sites, along with Narodni trg and the UNESCO Croatia heritage, offer you a complete experience of the history of Zadar and Dalmatia, blending ancient past with modern innovations and confirming the importance of Zadar for families, through this thematic circuit of Dalmatia.