Zadar spent much of its life on the front line, and its walls prove it. Once the chief city of Venetian Dalmatia, it stood on the border between the Republic of Venice and the Ottoman Empire, and in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the Venetians turned it into one of the strongest fortress towns in the Adriatic. The ramparts, bastions and gates that survive are part of the Venetian Works of Defence between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, a group of sites across Italy, Croatia and Montenegro that UNESCO inscribed in 2017.
The best known gate is the Land Gate, designed by the Veronese architect Michele Sanmicheli and finished in the 1540s, a triumphal arch in stone with the winged lion of Venice above the central opening. Inside the walls, the old town is a maze of narrow lanes, and beyond the gate lies the Citadel and a huge moat that has been turned into a park. The Five Wells Square, near the walls, is named for the cistern that supplied the city during sieges and which still stands, its five stone wellheads in a row.
Walking the ramparts at dusk is a good way to feel the place. The stone is warm underfoot, the sea sparkles beyond the harbour, and the fishing boats come home. The walls have survived earthquakes, sieges, bombing in the Second World War and a good deal of neglect, and they still enclose a living town where people hang washing from the windows and drink coffee at pavement tables.
Zadar lies on the Adriatic Highway, and the roads in and out are busy in summer. The coast road north and south is a rewarding ride with sea views, but be aware of the bora wind in winter and spring, which can strike with little warning. Parking near the walls is tight, so park outside the old town and walk in.
With seventy-one thousand people, Zadar has plenty of fuel, shops and restaurants. Try the local fish and a plate of Pag cheese with olive oil, and finish with a small glass of maraschino.