Biograd Waterfront (Riva Biograd)

Biograd na Moru, whose name means the white town on the sea, sits on the Adriatic in northern Dalmatia, facing a screen of islands and the entrance to the Kornati archipelago. The Biograd Waterfront, known as the Riva, is the natural centre of the town: a broad stone walkway along the harbour, with cafés and restaurants on one side and boats and the open water on the other. It is where residents take their evening walk, where visitors arrive, and where most of the town's events take place in summer.

The setting is helped by history. In the early Middle Ages Biograd was a significant royal town of the medieval Croatian kingdom, and tradition holds that King Coloman of Hungary was crowned as king of Croatia here in 1102. The town was destroyed by Venice in the 12th century and rebuilt only slowly, so little of that period survives above ground. Traces of old walls and the layout of the old town, however, can still be read in the streets just behind the Riva, and the Church of St. Anastasia (Crkva svete Stošije) and the Church of St. Roch (Crkva svetog Roka) are within easy walking distance.

The Heritage Museum, close to the sea walk, is a highlight for anyone interested in the past. Its main attraction is a collection of finds from a Venetian merchant ship that sank off the coast in the 16th century, carrying a rich cargo of glass, ceramics and metalwork bound for the eastern Mediterranean. The wreck, found near the island of Gnalić, has given archaeologists an exceptional view of the trade of the period, and the museum shows thousands of objects recovered from it. Opening times vary by season, so it is wise to check.

As a working harbour, the Riva is also a departure point. Boats leave for the nearby islands, and the Marina Kornati, one of the larger marinas on the coast, makes Biograd a base for sailors heading out to the Kornati. Soline Beach and the Biograd City Park lie a short distance away, giving the option of a swim or a shaded rest after a walk.

The waterfront is at its best in the evening, when the heat fades and the lights come on across the water. It suits families, couples and sailors, and takes little planning: simply stroll the quay, stop at a café, and watch the boats come in. A longer visit can include the museum and the old churches, for those who want to understand the historical layers beneath the holiday atmosphere.