Zadar Region - Beauty in Diversity
It’s the sea, coast and the islands. It’s rivers and lakes. It’s mountains, hills and valleys. It’s typical charming villages, lovely historical towns and a buzzing city. It’s culture and history, adventure and romance. There are a lot of attractive reasons for a visit to the colourful region full of diversity - Zadar region. Here’s just a glimpse of excitement awaiting you:
Sailing bliss
A perfect piece of paradise on Earth! That’s what you can find by exploring the coast and the islands of Zadar region. Almost 600 km2 of islands’ surface is unevenly distributed among various islands, islets and rock of all shapes, sizes and landscapes.
Go for a swim in the turquoise water of Sakarun beach, see the famous Veli rat lighthouse, sail past the cliffs and into the breathtaking Telašćica Bay (Nature Park), all on Dugi Otok island. Discover the charm of the tiniest inhabited island in Croatia, Ošljak island, whose 0,33 km2 tell a story of the authentic Mediterranean way of life. Make the ultimate romantic gesture by taking your beloved to the heart-shaped Galešnjak island. Explore the fascinating moon-like scenery of Pag island and compare it to the refreshing green Ugljan. Or find your very own personal favourite among the numerous wonderful islands of the Zadar archipelago.
Image source: Zadar Region, author: A. Gospic
Neverending shades of blue in rivers and lakes
Actively explore the amazing rivers and lakes! Cycle around Vrana Lake Nature Park for amazing views and exciting bird sightings. Hike around salty lake Mir on Dugi Otok island and to the hidden gem of the Una river source on the mainland. Paddle your way along the extraordinary Zrmanja river and its tributary Krupa in a raft or a canoe.
Down and up, from valley to mountain top
What better way to appreciate the beauty of nature than to go up to its highest points? Hike along numerous trails and climb the exciting rocks in Paklenica National Park. Walk past olive groves and vineyards to reach the peaks on the islands of Ugljan (Šćah, 286m) and Pašman (Veliki Bokolj, 274m) or to Grpašćak fort on Dugi Otok for spectacular views.
Image source: Zadar Region, author: A. Gospic
Explore the fertile valley of the Zadar hinterland - Ravni kotari! Discover its vineyards and take a walk along the educational path Karišnica following the course of Karišnica river and past old watermills.
A treasure chest of culture and history
Go on a history quest and follow the traces of the past both on the coast and the mainland! Discover historical sites such as Asseria near Benkovac, old villages with fascinating monuments such as Vrana, the history and legends of charming towns like Nin, Biograd na Moru, Novigrad and Pag, only to bring your history adventure to a close in Zadar. Walk along its defensive walls (UNESCO World Heritage Site), historical streets and squares. Finish your tour with irresistible modern attractions, Sea Organ and Greetings to the Sun, along with the most beautiful sunset in the world.
Zadar region in numbers
All roads lead to Zadar! For centuries, it has been the administrative and cultural-historical centre of the region with more than 40% of its population currently calling it home. Zadar region is one of the largest in Croatia, with almost the equal size of land and sea surface. So, there are altogether almost 7500 reasons to visit Zadar region. To be precise, it’s 7500 km2 of pure beauty on land and sea everyone should experience. Over and over again.
