We had a few days off surrounding the Easter holiday weekend, so Jen, Shelby, Rachel, and I took a vacation to Zadar, Croatia. Now, you may think that is a random place, especially since Dubrovnik, the Jewel of the Adriatic, is in Croatia, but I will get there someday. Zadar is smaller, more affordable, less touristy, and closer to the national parks we wanted to visit. Zadar is at the northern end of the Dalmatia coast, Split is somewhere near the middle, and Dubrovnik is at the bottom. Zadar has passed through many hands, including Roman, Byzantium, Venetian, Turk, and Austrian. It’s an interesting city with many layers to its history and architecture. Overall, it was a successful trip, and our Airbnb was charming, cozy, and our hostess was above and beyond. We even received a loaf of homemade Easter bread (light and citrus-y) for Easter morning!
On our first full day in Zadar, we played an interactive game that is a cross between an escape room and The Amazing Race. It’s called Jadera Secrets (when Zadar was a Roman colony, its name was Jadera), and as you solve the puzzles and riddles, you also learn about the history of several locations in Old Town, including the history of Zadar’s famous liquor, Maraschino. It was a fun, interesting way to get acquainted with the layout and landmarks of Zadar. Though the company was on a break until high tourist season, Shelby emailed them and they graciously set aside a morning for us to enjoy the challenge. I highly recommend it!
This is one of the ancient locations in which we had to solve a puzzle to find the combination to a lock. A more modern cafe is in the front part of the building, and I loved the juxtaposition of the old architecture with the new.
Another place we were able to visit on our adventure was St. Anastasia’s Cathedral. The facade of the Roman Catholic cathedral was completed in 1324. It was the day before Good Friday, so much of the church was shrouded in darkness with relics covered until Easter Sunday. However, the sun shone through the oculus above the altar, and that beam of light in the quiet and darkness was really beautiful.
Since Zadar was a Roman city for quite some time, there are Roman ruins in the old part of the city! Below is a view of the old Roman forum. This is a gathering area, and children played among the ruins, a market was set up nearby, and adults enjoyed ice cream and/or drinks at the tables in the square. The forum is just a neat at night, when everything is lit up.
After wandering the old part of Zadar all day and enjoying a delicious dinner at Restaurant Bruschetta (highly recommended by our Airbnb hostess), we bought a bottle of red Macedonian wine and settled along the sea wall promenade for one of the spectacular sunsets the Dalmatian coast is known for. We were not disappointed.
After the sun set, we wandered down to the Sea Organ, which is a truly unique experience in experimental music. White marble steps lead down from the promenade into the sea. These steps have openings and tubes in them. When the waves of the Adriatic come in, harmonious organ sounds are created. It is at the same time relaxing and moody, a lovely experience in sound.
Next to the Sea Organ is the Greeting to the Sun. The largest piece of this installation is the 22-meter diameter circle of solar panels representing the sun. The solar panels absorb the energy of the sun during the day. At night, the solar panels light up and change colors, and it is really lovely. The other planets of our solar system are represented the same way, relative in size to, and distance from, the sun installation.
My parting image to you is that of an old fisherman sailing along the coast of one of the many islands surrounding Zadar. I was so relaxed here! I definitely want to go back to this jewel of a country.
A Patriot in Prague 