Hotels in Zadar, Dalmatia, Croatia

ZADAR, a city and port in central Dalmatia; population 76,343. The old town, located on a sheltered peninsula with a suitable natural harbour, had good opportunities for establishing traffic connections with the hinterland. Zadar had the most favourable combination of heavy sea routes from Ravenna, Venice or Trieste with the Eastern Adriatic system of channel traffic.

The location of Zadar on the low littoral greatly contributes to its climate. An average air temperature in July is 25 °C and in January 6.5 °C; with 200 sunny days a year. Due to climatic conditions, ... + read more

...the Mediterranean vegetation prevails (in town parks grow exotic subtropical plants). The oldest part of the town had developed in the north-western part of the peninsula (4 km long and 500 m wide on average), closing the Old Port and the Jazine bay. New suburbs, Vostarnica and Brodarica, are located mainly along the north-eastern coast of the Old Port, outside the peninsula. In the north-western part of the town is the tourist zone with hotels and restaurants (Borik). In the south-east, around the port of Gazenica, a new port industrial zone is developing.

Zadar and the tourist region of Zadar are located in the very centre of the Croatian Adriatic, in the most indented part of the Adriatic archipelago. At a smaller or greater distance from Zadar are the national parks Plitvice, Paklenica, Krka and Kornati, nature parks Velebit and Telascica, as well as more than 300 islands and islets. Natural beauties, numerous coves and beaches, cultural and historical monuments, restaurants and hotels offering selected national specialities make Zadar and its surroundings one of the most attractive tourist regions in Croatia.

The historical part of Zadar easily fascinates to all those who respect historical monuments and cultural heritage. The church of St. Donat, the symbol of the city, is a must in each itinerary, as well as the museums of Zadar: the Archaeological Museum (established in 1830), one of the most important in Croatia, with about 80,000 exhibits from the Stone Age to the late Middle Ages, the National Museum with the Art Gallery and the Department of Natural Sciences, the Maritime Museum with exhibits of the development of navigation in northern Dalmatia, as well as the Permanent Exhibition of Sacral Art with about a thousand valuable exhibits from the past centuries, known under the popular name The Gold and Silver of Zadar (Zlato i Srebro Zadra).

In numerous restaurants and taverns of Zadar tourists should taste homemade specialities. Among drinks, the first place belongs to the famous liqueur Maraskino. As early as the 19th century, this unique drink was a favourite drink at European courts (London, Vienna, Moscow) and has been produced in Zadar since 1821.