Zadar: An underrated gem

Last month we travelled to Zadar in beautiful Croatia. It was a pretty random choice, since originally I wanted to go somewhere more exotic, but after hours of researching potential travel destinations and looking for affordable flights, I'd spotted Zadar on the map and thought, why not give it a go?! My father used to tell me stories of how he used to travel to Croatia on his motorbike back in the eighties, but since we only had a week, my partner and I decided to fly.

Only two hours after boarding the plane in Weeze, Germany, we landed in a post-war Croatia that proved to be very different from the Croatia I knew from my fathers stories. We were surprised to find a modern, bustling city with strong German influence. In fact, most people we met preferred speaking German rather than English.

As most tourists tend to visit the more Southern cities like Dubrovnik and Split, Zadar truly is an underrated gem and also a bit of newbie when it comes to seeing large numbers of tourists. We absolutely loved the old town with its shiny floors, polished by millions of feet since ancient Roman times. The Roman influence is obvious in the architecture and the rustic, typical mediterranean restaurants tucked away in narrow alleyways, drew us into this part of town almost every night. On our first evening we sat by the Sea Organ - an amazing construction which uses the waves of the sea to produce sounds - listening to the hauntingly beautiful melodies.

Perhaps the best thing about Zadar is its unique location - cut off from most of the country by the Velebit mountains on a peninsula that sticks out into the sea, it is sheltered from cold weather fronts and experiences warm adriatic climate basically all year round. Our host Vesna informed us that she and her family only cross the mountains to go skiing - it seemed surreal, but when we emerged from the tunnel on the other side of the Velebit on our way to Plitvice Lakes a few days later, we couldn't believe our eyes. One side was sunny, dry and sandy, the other cloudy with plenty of hills and lush green vegetation!

An added bonus of Zadars location is its fairly close proximity to four stunning national parks, three of which we were able to visit: Paklenica, Kornati Islands and Plitvice Lakes - unfortunately we didn't make it to Krka Falls this time.

The people of Zadar are proud of their city and the progress they've made since the nineties. The new mountain tunnel and highway make it easier for them to reach other cities such as Zagreb and the new airport brings in tourists from all over the world - a great opportunity for business. Yet the wounds of the war are still fresh and prevalent: Bullet holes in many houses facades, craters in the pavements where less than 25 years ago explosives have blasted holes into the concrete. Despite these scars, Zadar is enchantingly beautiful - not just the old town, but also many residential areas where every villa has fruit and veg gardens and fig and olive trees peek over the fences whilst tiny, agile green lizards whizz around on stone walls soaking in the warmth of the sun.

Just off Zadar's coast you'll find an abundance of small islands, some more remote than others. Ugljan has an excellent ferry connection and the idyllic little island quickly became a favourite place of ours where we would relax away from the city hustle and bustle.

There's so much to see and do in and around Zadar that we could easily have stayed for another week. The sea was still too cold to go for a proper swim, but I was daring enough to go for a quick dip. We met some of the friendliest people, who seemed more than happy to tell us about their hometown and its history. Apparently the best time to visit is September, when the main season is over, but the sea is still warm. All I need to know for my next Croatia trip is when the figs are ripe!

We had an amazing time and if you're looking for a travel destination for your next mediterranean break, you might want to consider Zadar. Keep your eyes peeled for a full travel guide on what to do in the area and upvote or resteem if you liked this post!