Best Things to do in Zadar, Croatia

Zadar, Croatia 

Zadar, Croatia is another beautiful beach town located on Croatia’s famous Adriatic Sea. Although Zadar is quite touristy during the peak summer season,
I found it to be quieter and more relaxed than other places such as Dubrovnik and Split. Like most major cities in Croatia, Zadar also has an old town with city walls and winding narrow streets filled with shopping, souvenirs, and restaurants.
I personally only spent one full day here and thought it was the perfect amount of time to explore the city, unless you want more beach days to just relax and soak up the sun. So here is my list of 5 things to do in Zadar, Croatia on a budget:

The Young Globetrotters

Photograph by Dani De Leo

Climb up the bell tower- 15 kunas or $2.30 USD

For a very cheap price of only 15 kunas, or $2.30, you can climb several steep stairs up to the top of the bell tower which is located in the center of the old town.
You will have great 360-degree views of Zadar, specifically the surrounding old town, as well as views of the sea. Whether it is hiking, climbing stairs, taking a cable car or a car ride,
I am someone who LOVES finding high view points and vantage points that will give me spectacular city or nature views.
So, if this is something you are into, then for a budget activity, it checks off all the box for a beautiful city view. Make sure to have cash on you as this is the only payment method and expect a bit of exercise to reach the top

Watch the sunset while listening to the sea organ- free

I never even knew what a sea organ was or its concept until I visited Zadar! The sea organ is a staple for Zadar and one of the unique and cool things about the city that makes it quite famous and attracts visitors from all over.
It is the first natural musical organ that is played by the sea waves ever to be created. Whether it was during the day underneath the hot sun, or late at night, the seas organ area
was always packed with a crowd while I was there as people sat and enjoyed the view while relaxing to the magical sounds of the sea organ. For those of you who do not know what a sea organ is,
it is a natural musical instrument that creates beautiful sounds naturally by the waves. The way it works is that when the waves go up and down, the water goes inside several different tubes that are located underneath the marble steps on the water front in Zadar, creating musical like sounds. The sea organ
does not play any kind of songs or melodies, so before you go there expecting to hear songs, do not get your hopes up. It does sound very soothing and beautiful, but the sounds are just random notes.
I highly recommend going for the sunset, as the sunset sets right in front of the sea organ, over the water, and I can honestly say it was the prettiest sunset I had seen in quite a while. The colors were amazing and the sea organ’s music just added to the serenity of the moment. Make sure to arrive 10- 15 minutes earlier than what the sunset time says online, because the colors always start before that and I noticed the online weather times are a little inaccurate sometimes (especially the iPhone weather app). So, if you want a relaxing evening watching the sunset and listening to the beautiful and unique
sounds of the only sea organ in the world, I would recommend adding this free activity to your list.

Shop at the outdoor markets- free

Who does not love outdoor markets? Especially when they are filled with all the good souvenirs and collectables! If you walk down past the old town towards the water front, you will pass more than a dozen white tents set up filled tight with souvenirs and other products that could be useful for you.
I found that some prices for certain products, like fridge magnets for example, were cheaper than the prices in the old town itself, so if you want the best deals, head to the markets near the water front.
The prices seemed to be mostly marked and set, so I am not too sure if there is room for bargaining, but it never hurts to try!

Take a stroll along the water front- free

There is a path way along the water front of Zadar that is a great place to take a stroll and admire the beauty of Croatia’s water.
The pathway will lead you to the sea organ one way, and to Kolovare beach the other way. Zadar is a nice and relaxed city that I personally found to be more budget friendly compared to Split and Dubrovnik, in terms of paying for activities. Zadar is also a more leisure and
relaxed city with not as big of a party scene, but that does not mean that there is not a busy night scene.
Tons of people will flock to the old town or water front for the sunset and for all the night and evening street performances they have, whether it be stunt shows, music playing, or magicians, if you want to see the city at night and feel some good energy, the water front is the place to be! Zadar is very hot during the summer months, but at night time it actually cools off enough for a light sweater if
you are a cold natured person like I am and this seems to be the best time to really enjoy the city.
You can swim practically anywhere you want along the water front, as there are frequent ladders positioned for an easy get in or get out as well as a few docks to jump from. The best part about visiting these coastal cities during the hot months is the opportunity to swim, so do not forget your swim suit!

Go inside the Cathedral of St. Anastasia- 15 kunas or $2.30

If you are looking for another budget friendly activity that is worth doing in Zadar, then why not stop and take a look inside Zadar’s beautiful cathedral?
Located in the Oldtown and very close to the water front, you will find Zadar’s cathedral, known as the Cathedral of St. Anastasia, is technically open from 8am-7:30pm, but when I visited in July 2021, the cathedral closed during the day for a few hours so try to either go first thing in the morning or in the late afternoon to avoid the closures

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