June 1, 2022 - The latest flight news to Croatia as 35 Austrian Airlines flights to Dubrovnik, Zagreb, Zadar, and Split will run in June. 

Star Alliance member Austrian Airlines plans to operate 35 times a week to four Croatian airports in June - Zadar, Split, Dubrovnik, and Zagreb. The largest number of flights have been announced for Zagreb, while most seats are scheduled for Dubrovnik, reports Croatian Aviation. 

The Lufthansa Group member plans to operate to four Croatian airports in June, 35 times a week. Namely, daily flights to Zagreb, Zadar, Split, and Dubrovnik have been announced, and two flights a day from Vienna to Zagreb and Dubrovnik have been announced on certain days.

Vienna and Zagreb

Austrian Airlines is announcing two flights a day between Vienna and Zagreb, every day except Wednesdays and Saturdays when one daily flight is available. According to Zagreb, this airline will use only E195 aircraft with a capacity of 120 seats. In June alone, the Vienna-Zagreb route will offer over 12,000 seats. Croatia Airlines also operates on this route, 5 times a week, every day except weekends.

Vienna and Zadar

Between Vienna and Zadar, Austrian Airlines is announcing daily flights in June with E195 and A320 aircraft. In total, more than 9,000 seats are available on 30 rotations, and Ryanair also operates on this line, four times a week.

Vienna and Split

Daily flights have also been announced between Vienna and Split, but mostly with the Airbus fleet (A320 and A321), so a larger number of seats is available, over 11,000. Croatia Airlines also operates on this route two times a week, and Hungarian Wizz Air three times a week. 

Vienna and Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik is traditionally the most popular summer destination in Croatia in the Austrian Airlines network, so it has a higher announcement in terms of the weekly number of flights. Namely, Austrian will operate daily from Vienna to Dubrovnik, and from mid-June, two flights a day will be available on weekends, also exclusively with the Airbus fleet (A320 and A321).

Before the pandemic, Austrian came to Dubrovnik in the summer flight schedule with wide-body aircraft type B767-300ER. In June, over 13,000 seats were available on this line. In addition to this airline, Wizz Air also operates between Dubrovnik and Vienna three times a week, and Ryanair two times a week.

Between Vienna and the four mentioned Croatian airports, Austrian Airlines will offer more than 46,000 seats in June. Developing its destination network and Vienna as an important European hub, most seats in the summer season are occupied by transfer passengers from a number of European destinations, but also those in the US to which Austrian Airlines also has direct flights.

For more on flights to Croatia and other travel announcements, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

May 31, 2022 - The latest flight news to Croatia as 10 Transavia Croatia lines will operate next month!

Well-known low-cost airline Transavia is planning 10 international flights to five Croatian airports in France and the Netherlands in June, reports Croatian Aviation. 

Namely, the subsidiary of the Air France - KLM group will operate on 10 scheduled flights to 5 Croatian airports - Pula, Rijeka, Zadar, Split, and Dubrovnik.

One line has been announced from Rotterdam to Pula Airport, which will be in traffic three times a week, every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. Transavia mainly uses 737-700 KLM aircraft on this line.

Transavia has reduced the number of flights offered to Rijeka Airport in June. On the regular line between Rijeka and Eindhoven in June, only one flight on Sundays is available for booking.

According to Zadar, Transavia has announced two lines, from Paris and Rotterdam. From Orly Airport, planes will fly to Zadar on Tuesdays and Saturdays, while flights from Rotterdam are announced on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Split Airport has announced three Transavia flights for June from Rotterdam, Amsterdam, and Paris.

Transavia will operate between Rotterdam and Split 5 times a week in June (every day except Tuesdays and Fridays), between Amsterdam and Split 3 times a week (Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays), and between Paris and Split 4 times a week (Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays). Transavia will offer almost 19 thousand seats in June to and from Split Airport. 

Dubrovnik Airport has a line from Paris 5 times a week, from Rotterdam 3 times a week, and from Nantes 2 times a week.

This airline will offer more than 45,000 seats on its B737-700 and B737-800 aircraft on 10 international routes to the mentioned airports. A total of up to 30 flights per week were announced in June, with the airline leaving the possibility of increasing the number of weekly operations in the second half of June, depending on the movement of bookings.

For more on flights to Croatia and other travel announcements, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

May 27, 2022 - The latest flight news to Croatia as 79 Ryanair Croatia routes will run in June!

Irish low-cost airline Ryanair has modified its flight schedule for June. Next month, the well-known airline will offer almost 80 scheduled flights to and from six Croatian airports, reports Croatian Aviation. 

Ryanair plans to operate 79 international routes to 6 Croatian airports in June to Pula, Rijeka, Zadar, Split, Dubrovnik, and Zagreb, with based aircraft and crew in Zagreb and Zadar.

Here's the list of routes at Croatian airports with the number of weekly rotations and the days these lines operate.

From Zagreb to:
Brussels Charleroi, twice a week, Wednesdays and Saturdays,

Paphos, once a week, Wednesdays,

Paris Beauvais, twice a week, Thursdays and Sundays,

Dortmund, twice a week, Mondays and Fridays,

Dusseldorf Weeze, twice a week, Thursdays and Saturdays,

Frankfurt Hahn, twice a week, Mondays and Fridays,

Karlsruhe, twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays,

Memmingen, twice a week, Mondays and Fridays,

Thessaloniki, twice a week, Thursdays and Sundays,

Dublin, three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays,

Milan Bergamo, four times a week, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays,

Naples, twice a week, Mondays and Fridays,

Rome, four times a week, on Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays,

Malta, twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays,

Podgorica, twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays,

Eindhoven, twice a week, Mondays and Fridays,

Oslo Torp, once a week, Wednesdays,

Bratislava, three times a week, on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays,

Malaga, once a week, on Wednesdays,

Gothenburg, twice a week, Mondays and Fridays,

Malmo, twice a week, Tuesdays and Saturdays,

London, seven times a week, daily,

Manchester, twice a week, Thursdays and Sundays.

A total of 460 flights (incoming and outgoing) with B737-800, B737MAX, and A320 aircraft have been announced for June. More than 82,000 seats in both directions are available on the 23 mentioned lines.

From Pula to:
Brussels Charleroi, three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays,

London, three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays,

Poznan, twice a week, Mondays and Fridays,

Vienna, twice a week, Wednesdays and Sundays.

In June, Pula will have 86 Ryanair flights on four international routes, with more than 15,000 seats available on B737-800 and A320 aircraft.

From Rijeka to:
Brussels Charleroi, twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays,

Stockholm, twice a week, Thursdays and Sundays,

London, twice a week, Thursdays and Sundays.

In June, Rijeka Airport will have a total of 54 flights (incoming and outgoing) on three routes, with more than 10,000 seats on offer.

From Zadar to:
Vienna, four times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays,

Brussels Charleroi, four times a week, on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays,

Sofia, twice a week, on Wednesdays and Sundays,

Threshold, four times a week, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays,

Aarhus, twice a week, Mondays and Fridays,

Helsinki, twice a week, Mondays and Fridays,

Bordeaux, twice a week, Mondays and Fridays,

Marseille, three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays,

Paris Beauvais, twice a week, Wednesdays and Saturdays,

Berlin, twice a week, Mondays and Fridays,

Bremen, twice a week, Wednesdays and Saturdays,

Cologne, three times a week, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays,

Dusseldorf Weeze, four times a week, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays,

Frankfurt Hahn, twice a week, Mondays and Fridays,

Hamburg, twice a week, Mondays and Fridays,

Karlsruhe, three times a week, on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Saturdays,

Memmingen, three times a week, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays,

Nuremberg, four times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays,

Budapest, twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays,

Dublin, twice a week, Wednesdays and Sundays,

Bari, twice a week, Thursdays and Sundays,

Bologna, twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays,

Milan Bergamo, three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays,

Naples, twice a week, Mondays and Fridays,

Pisa, twice a week, Wednesdays and Saturdays,

Rome, four times a week, on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays,

Turin, twice a week, Mondays and Fridays,

Eindhoven, twice a week, Thursdays and Sundays,

Maastricht, twice a week, Mondays and Fridays,

Gdansk, twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays,

Krakow, four times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays,

Poznan, four times a week, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays,

Warsaw Modlin, twice a week, Thursdays and Sundays,

Wroclaw, three times a week, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays,

Bucharest, twice a week, Wednesdays and Saturdays,

Gothenburg, twice a week, Tuesdays and Saturdays,

Stockholm, twice a week, Wednesdays and Sundays,

Vaxjo, twice a week, Wednesdays and Sundays,

Birmingham, twice a week, Wednesdays and Saturdays,

Bournemouth, twice a week, Tuesdays and Saturdays,

Edinburgh, twice a week, Thursdays and Sundays,

Leeds, twice a week, Tuesdays and Saturdays,

Liverpool, twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays,

London, six times a week, every day except Monday,

Manchester, twice a week, Tuesdays and Saturdays,

Newcastle, twice a week, Wednesdays and Sundays.

Zadar Airport is definitely the number one airport in Croatia for Ryanair. Aircraft will fly to more than 45 destinations and will offer over 160,000 seats in more than 450 rotations. Certain lines were already scheduled to be in operation, but the carrier postponed the start of operations on several lines for commercial reasons until the second half of June.

From Split to:
Dublin, four times a week, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Dublin is the only Ryanair destination from Split. 17 rotations are planned for June, with Ryanair offering more than 6,000 seats.

From Dubrovnik to:
Vienna, twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays,

Dublin, four times a week, Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays (34),

On the two mentioned lines, Ryanair will offer almost 10,000 seats to and from Dubrovnik Airport in June.

In June, Ryanair will operate a total of 79 international routes to and from Croatian airports, and according to current data, the number of routes should increase in July. In June alone, the Irish airline will offer more than 285,000 seats to and from Croatian airports, with Zadar Airport and Zagreb International Airport having the largest share in the number of seats (and consequently the line).

To read more about sports in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

May 25, 2022 - The latest flight news to Croatia as Air Serbia flights to Croatia have been significantly boosted from Belgrade this summer. 

Serbian national airline Air Serbia will launch two seasonal routes to Split and Dubrovnik by the end of May, and flights from Belgrade to Pula, Rijeka, and Zadar by mid-June, reports Croatian Aviation.

Namely, Air Serbia plans to operate to six Croatian airports this summer, with only the route to Zagreb being year-round.

Already this Thursday, May 26, two lines will start operating from Belgrade to Split and Dubrovnik. These are also the two most popular of Air Serbia lines to and from Croatia.

The line between Belgrade and Split will operate from May 26, twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays, and the number of weekly operations will gradually increase. Namely, first on June 6, an additional flight will be introduced on Mondays, and then on June 24 with a flight on Fridays, which will allow Air Serbia to operate between the two cities four times a week, using ATR72, A319, and A320 aircraft.

The line between Dubrovnik and Belgrade will start operating on the same day. Currently, two flights a week have been announced, also on Thursdays and Sundays, with an additional flight available on Mondays from June 13. ATR72 and A319 aircraft have also been announced on this route.

From mid-June, there will be lines from Belgrade to Pula, Rijeka, and Zadar, and everything will start around the same period. Namely, the line between Belgrade and Zadar will start with traffic from June 14 with two flights a week, a day later (June 15), the line between Belgrade and Rijeka will begin, and from June 16, flights between Belgrade and Pula will launch. 

All three mentioned lines have announced two flights a week in June with ATR72 aircraft. The line to Zadar will operate on Tuesdays and Saturdays, to Rijeka on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and to Pula on Thursdays and Sundays.

The only year-round Air Serbia route between Belgrade and Zagreb will also have more flights in June than the current schedule. Namely, on Mondays and Fridays, the airline will offer two flights a day between the two cities, while one daily flight is available on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

In June, Air Serbia will operate on 6 mentioned routes to Croatia with a total of 20 weekly flights, which is a significant increase, especially compared to the same period last year and the year before. The number of flights will continue to grow in the peak summer season.

For more on flights to Croatia and other travel announcements, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

May 20, 2022 - Shorter and Perkovic lead KK Split to a 74:64 (39:33) win in front of 1500 fans.

The KK Split basketball team has started well into this year's semi-final play-offs of the Croatian Championships against Dalmatian rival KK Zadar.  Both teams only needed 2 games to pass through the quarter-finals where Zadar eliminated Zabok and Split went through Škrljevo. 

With well-rested and complete squads, the debut game was played in front of a very supportive atmosphere. Additionally to the regular supporters, 50 kids of K.K. Solin’s youth teams were invited as special guests and became witnesses to a high-level display from both sides. While all players started the game a little nervously and with a focus not to make mistakes, the defensive effort and intensity were at 100% right from the start. 

The Yellows were able to rely on Shannon Shorter again as so often this season to give them confidence. The American guard scored the first five points for the home team and was always there with important points and eight rebounds when the game was close. The team from Zadar on the other side needed Justin Carter to contribute 16 points in order to stop the game from being decided early. 

The guests made every effort to keep the game close and even had a few leads during the game and tied the game in the final quarter at 62:62 with five minutes left to play. However, Shannon Shorter was not the only sharpshooter in a yellow uniform tonight. Toni Perković’s 22 points coming off the bench and hitting 6 of 10 tries from three-point land were just too much for guest coach Vladimir Anzulović’s team to digest. 

“We made an important step and finally played the home game against Zadar at the right level. After six or seven minutes of nervousness, we stabilized. I think that was the decisive factor that we kept the game under control," said the coach of Split, Srdjan Subotic to sum up the evening.

The first game of the best of 3 series bears great importance as from now on reigning champion Zadar is already with their backs to the wall. Split could finish the series with an away win in Zadar on Monday but even if they should lose in Zadar, they would have another shot at home.

Result by quarters: 74:64 (18:22, 21:13, 16:17, 19:12).

Referees: Josip Radojković, Alfred Jovović and Martin Vulić.

Box Score: https://fibalivestats.dcd.shared.geniussports.com/u/HKS/2095496/bs.html

To read more about sports in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

May 18, 2022 - The latest flight news to Croatia as 14 easyJet Zadar and Pula flights will operate this summer. 

British low-cost carrier easyJet will operate to five Croatian airports this summer. While it has already announced several routes to Pula, the carrier will soon increase the number of operations and resume flights to Zadar Airport, reports Croatian Aviation.

This summer, easyJet will operate 5 international routes to Zadar Airport and 9 routes to Pula Airport. 

Namely, easyJet will operate on 9 international routes to Pula Airport this summer from:

Berlin (already in traffic), three to four times a week,

Bristol (already in circulation), twice a week,

London (already in traffic), three to seven times a week,

Amsterdam, from 29.06., twice a week,

Basel, from 28.06., three times a week,

Geneva, from 29.06., twice a week,

Glasgow, from 27.06., twice a week,

Luton, from 04.06., twice a week, and

Paris, from 27.06., three times a week.

From mid-May to the end of the summer flight schedule, easyJet will offer more than 125,000 seats to and from Pula Airport on the 9 listed routes.

easyJet is announcing fewer flights to Zadar Airport, or a total of 5 international routes, all of which will start operating at the end of June. easyJet will thus operate from Zadar to:

Amsterdam, from 28.06., twice a week,

Basel, from 27.06, three to four times a week,

Berlin, from 28.06., twice a week,

London, from 28.06., twice a week, and

Milan, from 28.06., four times a week.

Due to the smaller number of routes and weekly rotations, easyJet will offer almost 50,000 seats to and from Zadar Airport this summer, but passengers to and from Zadar are not a problem given that Ryanair has a large base at this airport. For the airport itself, it would certainly be better if the number of routes was diversified across multiple airlines.

In the peak summer season, easyJet will have several lines to Split and Dubrovnik, while only two lines have been announced to Rijeka.

For more on flights to Croatia and other travel announcements, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

May 6, 2022 - A new Zadar destination film is here just in time for summer - Meet. Feel. Explore. Zadar.

The new destination video by the Zadar Tourist Board entitled 'Meet. Feel. Explore. Zadar' was solemnly presented on Thursday at the Providur Palace by director Igor Goić and his team, reports Antena Zadar.

The story follows Jack (Dejan Marcikić) who describes a beautiful dream to his partner Jill (Nevena Dujmović Prižmić) and creatively shows the pride of Zadar, from the peninsula and city as a whole to the islands, and museums, but also customs, gastronomy, and locals. The film also features the well-known caterer Erik Pavin in the role of a chef, Hrvoje Dukić as a restaurant guest, and Gabriela Marin and Tea Šegić. Goić especially emphasizes the original soundtrack of the Vodice musician Tomo Cukrov, who composed the music.

"We wanted to provoke emotion, and we succeeded. Suppose local people react to the film in this way. In that case, we believe that the reaction of guests and those who do not know much about Zadar as a destination will be equally strong," said the director of the Zadar Tourist Board, Mario Paleka, after the film promotion. 

The film has undoubtedly already attracted media attention. 

"We continue filming promotional videos that the tourist board has done for many years. After the last film that Igor made in 2014, there was a need to present new content in a modern and interesting way. We are lucky to have people like Igor in the city who do worldly things. The film will initially be shown intensively in Croatia, Slovenia, and Austria, for which campaigns have already been contracted and created. Together with its shorter versions, it will be available to our tourist entities and renters, who will also be able to show guests where they come from," added Paleka.

"I did not want it to be a classic vignette mostly shot by other tourist boards and destination companies, but a small film with its dynamics, i.e., a story. To do it well, we first had to write and agree on the script, and then we did most of the filming last October and earlier this year. Us creatives need to be given the opportunity, and we had it to a considerable extent with the Tourist Board, and that is exactly why the film is as it is," said director Igor Goić.

"One thing is for sure, in Zadar, you can always find adventure, inspiration, a secret or ancient monument no matter which direction you go. And with every step in this city, you are further away from the worries of everyday life. Exactly what you need for a dream vacation, which you will not dream of this time!" concluded the Zadar Tourist Board.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

May 2, 2022 - The Ryanair Zadar-Vienna winter flight announced last week by the airline may still be too good to be true, as ticket sales on this winter route were removed from sale over the weekend. 

Although Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair released tickets for the winter flight schedule this year less than a week ago, offering regular flights between Zadar and Vienna, tickets on this winter route are no longer available to book, reports Croatian Aviation.

Although Ryanair released tickets for most of its lines in the winter flight schedule, which takes effect at the end of October, additional changes were made over the weekend. Namely, as was announced last week, Ryanair released tickets between Zadar and Vienna throughout the winter, which was certainly great news for Zadar Airport, but, as Croatian Aviation stated in its original announcement of the news, they ensured readers that operational changes should be expected - and that happened just a few days ago. 

In less than a week, Ryanair withdrew this line from sale and it is no longer available for booking in the winter flight schedule. As a reminder, the line was to be offered twice a week, every Friday and Sunday throughout the winter.

The question is whether there will be certain changes in the coming months and the possible announcement of winter routes to Zadar Airport, from which Ryanair operates on several international routes but currently exclusively in the summer flight schedule, from late March to late October.

Croatian Aviation reported initially that this line would be extremely important for the airport and tourism in the region and that Ryanair would announce more winter routes to Zadar Airport. This also falls in line with the Split winter tourism initiative, which is pushing for flights to be extended into the Split Airport winter schedule. You can read more about that here. 

For more on flights to Croatia and other travel announcements, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

2May 1, 2022 – Welcome to your day trip to Zadar: open all your senses and let yourself be carried away on this short journey to taste your first 24 hours in Zadar.

Zadar is the oldest continuously-inhabited Croatian city. According to some research and discoveries, Zadar was founded around the year 1000 BC, making it one of the most ancient cities in Europe, even older than Rome!

The city has witnessed and bears the inheritance of the Roman Empire, the Venetian Republic, has passed through Austrian and Italian domination, then was part of the Yugoslavian Federation and finally took its place in the independent Republic of Croatia.

Destroyed and rebuilt several times through its turbulent and yet rich history, Zadar has always risen stronger and ever more beautiful. That is why even a simple stroll in this city will strike you with wonder, curiosity, fondness, and of course...lots of fun!

10.00 a.m - 13.00 p.m.

We recommend you make a grand entrance and enter Zadar from the historical Land Gate, located by the Foša harbor. The Venetians built the gate in 1543 and feature a huge triumphal arch and two side arches, all decorated with images of saint Chrysogonus, one of the four patrons of the city. The winged lion of St. Mark hovering over the central arch is a reminder of Venice’s long rule over Zadar. So, make a nice roar and enter the city.

Foša harbor (Image: Zadar Tourist Board/Screenshot)

As soon as you pass under the arch, almost immediately on the right, you find a narrow passage that takes you to the Five Wells Square, located between the medieval City Walls and the Renaissance bastion Grimani, hosting the oldest park in Croatia named after Queen Jelena Madije. The wells no longer provide drinking water, but they serve as "gates" for skateboarders, who like to practice their techniques during the daytime.

However, in the evening, this square is transformed mainly thanks to the two clubs that excel in Zadar’s nightlife. Ledana Lounge bar is open from 8 am and offers refreshment under the trees during the summer heat, whereas evenings will give place to an exciting and chilling atmosphere on one of three terraces where you can indulge in some live music and concerts as well as huge theme party nights.

Svarog Bar instead offers theme music evenings of R’n’B, Salsa, and house music directly on the square.

Starting from The Petar Zoranić Square, you will admire the Two Palaces' recently renovated art and cultural complex. Next to this, there is the Church of St Simeon, where the main Altar holds a silver casket with the relics of St Simeon, dating back to 1380.

Then, you can start walking along the main road to get to the People's Square in Zadar, the Platea Magna, today’s administrative center of the City, together with the exhibition space City Loggia. From the People's Square, streets lead in four main directions: Kalelarga, the Seafront (Riva), the pedestrian bridge, and the market. On the opposite side of the Square, you can admire the City Sentinel, dating back to the second half of the 16th century, with a clock tower that has stayed in continuous operation since 1803.  

In People’s square, you will find one of the historical bars in Zadar, Kavana Sveti Lovre. You will barely ever find free places outside, but few know that the inside is surprisingly located in one of the oldest buildings in Zadar, an 11th-century church. 

People’s Square, the clock tower, Kavana Sveti Lovre (Image: Zadar Tourist Board/Screenshot)

From there, you will move your first steps towards Kalelarga, the city's main street, not always wide as the name suggests, but definitely a cult space where locals always meet someone they know. Officially called Široka ulica, it is mentioned in many songs, known to be the place of all city gossip or news. If you walk here on a Saturday morning (a time called Subotnja Špica) with fashionable outfits, you can be pretty sure the next day you will appear in some photo gallery of the most popular online local newspapers.

We recommend you to take a sweet stop at the beginning of the Kalelarga and delight yourself at Art Hotel Kalelarga. The Gourmet area is offering a relaxing and enjoyable experience of a unique Dalmatian atmosphere. Here you can start your day with coffee and fresh delicious pastries.

Fresh pastries at Art Hotel Kalelarga (Image: Art Hotel Kalelarga/Facebook)

From there we suggest you dive into the narrow streets and head towards the city market, one of the most picturesque and colorful ones on the seaside. Here, fishermen supply fresh catches every day, but you'll also find herbs, fruits, olive oil, and cheese in the outdoor stalls, as well as an indoor meat market. The best time for a visit is between 6 a.m. and 1 p.m., just do not forget to haggle over the price.

Then you may return to the right path or Kalelarga, and reach the St. Donatus Church dominating the ancient Roman Forum, which was built between the 1st century BC and the 3rd century AD.

The Church of St Donat in Zadar has long been desacralized, meaning no liturgies are held here. But thanks to its exceptional acoustic characteristics, it is the venue for music festivals and in particular the Musical Evenings of St. Donatus that are held in July and August every year.

On one side of the Forum you will find the Church and Monastery of St Mary, founded in 1066, and most of all famous for the Permanent Exhibition of Religious Art – the Gold and Silver of Zadar – with around 200 artifacts that date from the 8th to the 18th centuries. Close to the Monastery, there is the Archeological Museum of Zadar. 

St. Donatus, Roman Forum, and St. Mary Church (Image: Zadar Tourist Board/Screenshot)

If you don’t’ want to miss a 360° view for only 15 KN (2 euros), then climb up the Anastasia Bell Tower, 56 meters tall and about 200 steps to climb. But take care of the wind up there!

Do not forget then to visit the largest church in all of Dalmatia, the Cathedral of St Anastasia, a monumental Romanesque building. It’s closed to tourists on Sundays and remember that rules prohibit bare shoulders and shorts. 

13.00-15.00 p.m.

For lunch, we recommend taking a break in the historic district of Varoš, where you can dive into scenes of everyday social rituals and endless chit-chat (ćakula). There is a large selection of top restaurants, dynamic coffee bars for young people, and cult places for socializing.

Take a moment to fully enjoy a meal in the restaurant and pizzeria 4 Kantuna located right between the four corners of the district and delight yourself with a Dalmatinski pijat and a Ribarska teća alla Četiri kantuna. You won’t regret it!

Dalmatinski Pijat (Image: 4 Kantuna Restaurant/Facebook)

15.00-17.00 p.m.

In the afternoon we propose different options according to your interests and your level of fatigue.

Category: lazy but curious. 

Stay in the center and visit The Museum of Ancient Glass, a contemporary and unique archaeological museum, focused on ancient glass. It presents a unique collection of over 5000 various glass objects dating to ancient times. They also organize glassblowing demo workshops where replicas of ancient glass are made by using the free-blowing technique. During the summertime, they are open until 9 pm.

After the visit, you can delight yourself with ice cream from the best-known Slastičarnica Donat in front of the Cathedral of St. Anastasia. Otherwise, you can sit on the western Riva, in Gelateria Eva, where they serve both ice cream and vegan sorbet gluten-free. 

Don’t forget to drop in the Maraska Shop where you can buy the original Maraschino, a liqueur obtained from the distillation of dalmatian Marasca cherries, or Pelinkovac, another liqueur produced according to a traditional maceration method and using selected curative herbs, such as Pelin. The company Maraska offers also a wide variety of different fruit juices and nectars (Maraska Shop at Ul. Nadbiskupa Mate Karamana 3).

Maraschino Ad (Image: Maraska/Facebook)

Category: lazy and suffering heat.

Walk to the town beach of Kolovare and enjoy as locals do. The pebble beach and piers are also equipped with deckchairs and sports gear to rent, bars, and children’s activities. From here you can walk back to the Land Gate, the Fosa harbor, and admire the City Walls from another perspective.

Category: active and never tired 

Enjoy a few hours in Preko, on the island of Ugljan, reachable by a no-car boat from Liburnska Obala with the Jadrolinija ferries (ticket office, Liburnska Obala, 7). The routes are very frequent and the journey takes about 15/20 min for a 38 Kn return ticket. Here you can find the timetable. After admiring the shore of Zadar from the sea, you will then enjoy a very lively town full of ice cream bars, pekare (bakeries), restaurants, and activities. In the old town of Preko, you cannot fail to catch sight of the small island of Galevac or so-called Skoljic, which is only 80 m from the shore and is covered by lush vegetation that hides, but not entirely, the beautiful Franciscan Monastery dating back to the fifteenth century. On the islet you can get literally on foot as the depth of the sea between the shores does not fall below 175 cm.

Islet of Galevac – Skoljic (Image: Preko Tourist Board/Screenshot)

19.00-21.00 p.m.

Regardless of the category, you belong to, remember to come back in time on the shore of Zadar by 19.30 and walk up to the Sea organ and Greeting the sun, the two new MUST DO in Zadar. We’ve left these to the end of our day for a very specific reason.

Whether you have a romantic soul or not, the sunset is always a spectacular event. In Zadar, sunsets are the best on the Adriatic coast. No wonder the famous director Alfred Hitchcock declared: “Zadar has the most beautiful sunset in the world, more beautiful than the one in Key West, in Florida, applauded at every evening”.

Zadar's sunset (Image: Like Zadar/Facebook)

The Sea Organ is a unique blend of architecture and music. It stretches out in open water for about seventy meters from the Zadar waterfront (Riva), located at the western point of the city Peninsula. Here, below the level of the lowest low tide, 35 pipes of various lengths, diameters, and slopes have been installed. While the most beautiful sunset spreads over the horizon, the game of lights of the Greeting to the Sun starts. This contemporary installation is made of 300 multi-layered glass solar panels in the shape of a circle with a 22-meter diameter. Throughout the day, it collects the energy of the Sun and transforms it into electricity, which is then used by the installation and its surroundings throughout the night. 

Besides the main circle representing the Sun, looking from the west side, there are similar smaller circles representing other planets of the Solar System. The size of the Sun and planets are proportional, as well as the distance from the center of each plate. On the metal ring that frames the Sun are inscribed the names of all of the saints after which churches on the Zadar peninsula have been named. 

Riva seafront with Sea Organ and Greeting to the sun (Image: Pixabay)

21.00-23.00 p.m.

With fatigue in your legs and eyes full of beauty, you can enjoy an excellent dinner from Cookhouse and club Harbor. It is located on the north side of the natural cove of Zadar port, on the other side of the pedestrian bridge. Once there was the rowing center here, and now this recently built cafe/restaurant is enjoying great success due to its strategic position, a place from which you can admire the illuminated city center and especially the city walls.

Delicious food at Harbor. (Image: Cookhouse and club Harbor/Facebook)

23.00 p.m - early hours

Once the sun sets and your belly is full, it’s time to hit the town. You can choose to explore the nightlife all over the historical peninsula and dance the evening away at the Svarog Dance & Night Club at Five Wells Square (that we have mentioned before) and at the Ledana Lounge & Bar in the nearby Queen Jelena Madije Park.  

You can choose instead to go back to Varoš, the historical district in the south-eastern part, where you can stumble across random parties (the so-called feštice) that sometimes start in the afternoon and simply continue throughout the night, usually on Fridays. 

Or you can really chill out on great sofas and pillows in Garden Lounge bar and restaurant, the open terrace bar facing relaxing views from Zadar’s city walls. 

Having entered the city by the Land Gate, now, if you want, you can leave Zadar by the sea with the Barkajoli, the Rowing Boatmen that, from early morning to the late evening, take passengers and tourists with a little rowing boat across the Zadar peninsula to the mainland and back. This tradition is passed down from father to son, from one generation to another.

And there you have it, the best 24 hours in Zadar very well spent, hopefully showing just a small taste of what the city can offer. On the other hand, 3000 years of history cannot be lived in just 24 hours, don’t you think?

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

April 29, 2022 - Sunset Sports Media Festival, the first international festival on the global sports and media industry, will be held in Zadar from June 9 to 11, 2022.

Apart from being the most important sideline globally, sport is the most-watched TV spectacle and the only remaining media event that must be followed live. Moreover, the trend of globalizing sports today is stronger than ever, which is why the interest in the world of sports is incredible.

Sunset Sports Media Festival is a project that will set new standards in organizing sports business events. It combines the global sports and media industry and brings together the greatest professionals in sports. The Peppermint agency organized the Festival, which is also behind the Weekend Media Festival and has more than 20 years of experience.

"As active participants in the global sports and media scene, we have the opportunity to understand the main challenges of the industry and recognize innovators and key players on the scene, and the position and role Croatia has in the world of sports allows us to become a leader in such events," said Boris Kovacek, organizer of the first Sunset Sports Media Festival in Croatia.

The program features global world stars. Visitors will have a unique opportunity to listen to lectures by football legend, former goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, winner of many trophies, including the Champions League with Manchester United and the European title with the national team, but also former American football players like multiple Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman, who played 12 seasons for the NFL for the legendary New England Patriots, and Ray Lewis considered one of the greatest linebackers in NFL history.

Some of the most exciting topics to be covered at the Sunset Sports Media Festival are "Everybody wants to rule the world: Football vs. Football," what lies behind a phenomenon called the NFL, and what are the key elements that separate the two football worlds as they fight for global dominance and spectator attention. In addition, Stephen Espinoza, President of Showtime Sports, shares his insights into the historical success of boxing in the lecture "Inside the ring with Stephen Espinoza." Visitors will also learn all about sports betting, digital and traditional challenges, and many other topics through the lens of the man who revolutionized Sky Sports and currently chairs the executive vice president of IMG and head of global production, Barney Francis.

Pete Radovich, a producer, director, and winner of more than 40 Emmy awards, executive producer in the NFL, coordinating producer, UEFA Champions League, vice president of production, and creative director of the media house CBS Sports, will be an ambassador at the event and bring visitors closer to the "Power of Story."

Sport is traditionally one of the strongest assets for promoting Croatia in the world. I believe that this commendable project will position Zadar on the world map in the way that this beautiful city, with some of the world's best athletes, deserves," said the advisor to the Minister of Tourism and Sports, Josip Pavić.

Martina Srnec, director of the CNTB's Promotion and Advertising Department, is convinced that such projects can contribute to creating a unique experience and present Croatia in the best possible light.

"In the Croatian Tourist Board, we recognize the importance of sports in promoting our country, which is the most recognizable globally in terms of sports and tourism. The Sports Media Festival will certainly give Croatia, and especially Zadar, additional visibility on the international market. The festival's program is rich, high quality, and full of renowned names from the world of sports, and everything will be followed by numerous representatives of the world media."

Sunset Sports Media Festival strengthens two areas in which Croatia is the best and by which it is recognizable - sports and tourism.

"We are happy and proud that the production of Sunset Sports Media Festival has chosen Zadar as the venue for this important media and sports event. Zadar has always been a city of sports, and it has many years of successful experience in combining the concepts of sports and tourism. Athletes are the best promoters of Croatian tourism. We believe that this is a beautiful continuation in spreading the glory of our city around the world," said Mario Paleka, director of the Zadar Tourist Board.

"We are more than honored that the city of Zadar is the host of such a world-class project, which we believe will, with all the capacities and climate we have, infrastructure, and transport connections, further highlight Zadar as one of the centers of sports tourism," said Zadar Mayor Branko Dukić.

More info here. 

To read more about sports in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.