People's Square (Narodni trg)

Every old Adriatic town has a place where the community came together, and in Zadar it is People’s Square, in Croatian Narodni trg. The square lies at the centre of the old town peninsula, a few steps from the main street, Kalelarga, and it has been the civic centre of Zadar since the Middle Ages, when it was known as the Platea Magna, the Great Square. In a town of narrow lanes, it is a rare open space, and for centuries it was the place where the city's business, justice and gossip were conducted.

The buildings around it tell the story of power. In the 16th century, the Venetian rulers added a City Loggia, an open hall with arches in the Renaissance style, which served as a court and a place for public announcements, and a guardhouse with a clock tower, the City Guard, which housed the soldiers who kept order. Later, the old town hall and other civic buildings were grouped around the square, and it became the administrative centre of the city, which it remains today. The City Loggia now houses exhibitions, and the square's other buildings contain offices, shops and cafés. The façades, in pale stone and plaster, give the square a calm, harmonious look, though many buildings were damaged in the bombing of the Second World War and rebuilt afterwards.

Today the square is a lively but relaxed meeting point. Café terraces spill out onto the paving, and locals sit for a coffee in the morning, while in the evening the square fills with strollers, and musicians sometimes play. From it, streets lead in every direction, to the Roman Forum and the Church of St. Donatus to the north-west, to the Seafront (Riva) on the harbour side and to the Five Wells Square (Trg Pet Bunara) to the south, which makes it a useful place to get your bearings. The Compact Fortified Old Town, the Sea Organ and the Greeting to the Sun are all within a short walk, and the Zadar Promenade At Sunset is a favourite evening route.

There is no admission charge, and the square is open at all times. It is busy at midday in summer, when tour groups pass through, and quieter in the early morning or the afternoon. If you want to sit down, choose a café a little off the main flow, where the prices are gentler and the view is just as good.

The square suits couples, families and anyone exploring the old town on foot. Look up at the façades, the loggia and the clock tower, and spend half an hour watching the life of the town.