Zadar

Zadar

Zadar is a Croatian city located between Rijeka and Split, not far away from Sibenik. It is a few thousand years old town and it was the capital of Dalmatia for many centuries. The Zadar peninsula still preserves very old network of narrow and charming city streets, as well as a Roman forum dating back to the first century AD. The pre-Romanesque Church of St. Donat dates back to the 9th century, and it is certainly Zadar's most famous spot.

Zadar is also well known for having the attractive Romanesque churches: Cathedral of St. Anastasia from 13th century and Church of St. Chrysogonus from 12th century as well as the church tower of St. Mary dating back from 12th century too. The town is fortified with medieval walls, distinguished for their pretty and impressive ports – entries in the city all dating back to the sixteenth century.

Throughout history, Zadar was the centre of key Croatian and Dalmatian cultural events : the establishment of the first Croatian university (1396), the writing of the first Croatian novel (1536) and the publication of the first Croatian newspaper. The famous permanent exhibition of sacral art and the traditional St. Donat Musical Evenings represent only a small part of numerous cultural events that Zadar offers to its visitors.

Sukošan is a small town and a harbour in the vast bay „Zlatna luka“, 10 km south-east of Zadar on the Adriatic road. The basic economy of this area is agriculture, vineyard farming, olive growing, fruit-growing and tourism. Sukošan is the centre of the municipality of Sukošan to which villages of Debeljak, Glavica and Gorica belong.

The beauty of the sea and the beaches, luxurious accommodation, friendly hosts along with a rich offer on cultural and sightseeing programs, have been for years the main reason for domestic and foreign tourist to visit and come back to enjoy the „Sukošan summer“. The bond of the traditional and the modern, arranged beaches and untouched nature – a good medicine for body and soul.

A small town near Zadar, Nin has a very rich and tumultuous history. Its location is intriguing; the heart of Nin is its historical center on an islet only 500 meters in diameter. Nin is situated in a lagoon on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea , surrounded by natural sandy beaches and linked with the mainland by two stone bridges from the 16th century. According to historians the area of Nin appears to have been settled 10000 years ago. The present-day town on the islet developed 3000 years ago and is one of the older towns on the eastern Adriatic . The area of Nin was colonized by immemorial people of the Mediterranean .

Since the 9th century B.C. the civilization of the Illyrin tribe of Liburnians [1] was present before the Romans came, who had a strong sea and trade center called Aenona. The rich archeological finds prove strong sea links with Greece and the Hellenistic world: recent explorations revealed a rarity, a very well preserved Byzantine mosaic on the floor of a Roman villa .

The Croats colonized Nin at the beginning of the 7th century. The first Croatian state community was formed at the end of the 8th and beginning of the 9th century. Nin was the first Croatian royal town, with its period of glory being from the 7th to the 13th centuries. In the 9th century Nin became the seat of the first Croatian bishop. Bishops from Nin played a great role in the country's religious, a cultural and a political sense. Their struggle for national language (Glagolitsa) was a struggle for Croatian independence. Significant rulers connected with the history of Nin include Prince Višeslav , Prince Branimir , King Tomislav , King Petar Krešimir IV , King Zvonimir .

Because of the importance of Nin in the history of Croatia , tourists visit from Croatia and elsewhere in Europe . They come especially to visit two symbols of the old town: the church of Holy Cross from the 9th century called “the smallest cathedral in the world” and the coronation church.