Zadar is often ignored as visitors hopscotch from Istria in the north to Split and Hvar and then down to Dubrovnik. But that may be about to change, especially with Ryanair adding regular flights from Prague, Hamburg, Cologne and Nuremberg, starting this spring. Beyond Zadar’s medieval core, the city’s seaside promenade and music-making “sea organ,” created by the architect Nikola Basic, is a must-see (or hear). The magical sunsets alone were enough to wow Alfred Hitchcock, who visited the city in 1964, and said he’d witnessed the most beautiful sunset in the world there. The town is also a gateway to untrammeled islands, especially Dugi Otok; an hour-and-20-minute ferry ride takes visitors to the sparsely populated island with uncrowded beaches and taverns serving seafood. Seeking ultraclean waters? Then head to the island of Pasman, where the currents frequently change, making the surrounding waters some of the cleanest in the Adriatic.
