The eastern Adriatic coast is one of Mediterranean’s most beautiful coastlines. Sailors and travellers have always known that, as have Roman emperors. Empires and rulers contested it because of its rare beauty and wealth. It is indeed the best and the most attractive heritage of our ancestors. Few places in the Mediterranean can offer so many islands, bays and coves, attractive beaches and sunbathed cliffs. Such scenery defies description, and it must be experienced: the murmur of the sea and the cry of the gulls; the wind in the cypresses and the tireless song of the crickets; the fragrance of lavender, immortelle and rosemary; the old olive groves and vineyards; the musty smell of old parchment and incense in monastery libraries. Most of all, as many as five national parks and five nature parks bear witness to the unique beauty of the Mediterranean part of Croatia.
One of the cities on this coast is Zadar, a true jewel, where every stone has its story to tell, remembering the Roman galleys and the Venetian provveditori, with its Renaissance bell-towers, monasteries, churches, palaces and squares.
Zadar and its tourist region are situated in the middle of the Croatian Adriatic coast and along its most indented part, with more than 300 islands. Natural attractions, many bays and coves, cultural and historical monuments, hotels and restaurants offering savoury local specialities – all these make Zadar and its environs one of the most attractive regions in Croatia.
The historical part of Zadar is an irresistible lure for all lovers of monuments and of cultural heritage. Its highlights include the unique church of St. Donat, the symbol of the city; the cathedral of St. Anastasia (Sv. Stošija) and the church of St. Chrysogonus (Sv. Krševan), the most beautiful examples of Romanesque art in Croatia; the monastery of St. Francis (Sv. Frane) with the treasury and the oldest Gothic cathedral in Croatia; the Sea Gate with the incorporated Roman triumphal arch; the city walls with the Renaissance Landward Gate; the coffer of St. Simeon (Sv. Šimun), the most valuable example of Croatian medieval goldsmith art; and the permanent exhibition of religious art, better known as The Gold and Silver of Zadar, with more than a thousand exhibits. including reliquaries and church paintings.
The surrounding region also abounds in cultural monuments. About ten miles away, near the small town of Nin, is the smallest cathedral in the world, the church of the Holy Cross; in Nin itself a worthwhile monument is the remarkable small church of St. Nicholas (Sv. Nikola). There are several monasteries on the islands, the most interesting one being the Benedictine monastery at Čokovac on the island of Pašman.
Zadar and its region are also renowned for its local products. One of them is lace of the island of Pag, also called “white gold”: lace-making has a long tradition in the area, and Empress Maria Theresa is said to have hired a lace-maker to produce lace for her court. Culinary highlights include Pag cheese, of a specific and well-recognizable flavour, smoked ham (pršut) of Posedarje, produced the traditional way and dried on Dalmatian bora, dried pork neck (šokol), honey and exquisite olive oil. Olive-growing has a tradition of more than two thousand years in this part of the world. Last but not least, there is Maraschino, the fantastic maraska-cherry liqueur, of international fame. The plaited Maraschino bottle is a well-known Croatian souvenir and the right thing to take home from Zadar.
A new Croatian and international attraction on the waterfront is the ’sea organ’, a fantastic blend of human inventiveness and nature’s magnificence.
Zadar offers a variety of cultural events, such as the traditional Music Evenings at St. Donat’s, the New Theatre Festival, the Zadar Summer Theatre Festival, art shows, etc.
The feast of the patron saint of Zadar, St. Chrysogonus, is on 24 November.
The opportunities for sports and recreation in the area are indeed galore.

Situated at the bottom of a bay, Sukošan has nice sandy beaches, including the beach known as children’s paradise. The picturesque place is intersected by typical alleyways and natural walks. The local parish church of St. Cassian (Sv. Kasijan), with Early Croatian three-strand decorative fragments in stone, dates from the eleventh century (its actual appearance dates from the seventeenth century). There is another small seventeenth century church of Our Lady (also with three-strand motifs) by the cemetery. On the small island in the bay are the ruins of the fifteenth century summerhouse of the Zadar archbishops, and on cape Bribirčina remains of medieval fortifications built by the Counts of Bribir.
The place still keeps old traditions, such as the feast of St. Cassian, the patron saint (13 August); entertainment includes the so-called Sukošan Nights etc. There are many restaurants, inns and taverns offering savoury local fish and other dishes and good wine.