Zadar Promenade At Sunset

Zadar's waterfront promenade is a place to walk in the evening, and the sunset over the sea is the main reason people come. The old town of Zadar occupies a narrow peninsula, with the sea on both sides, and the west-facing seafront, called the Riva, looks out across the channel to the islands of Ugljan and Pašman. When the sun goes down behind the islands, the sky turns orange, pink and violet, and the whole promenade fills with people who come to watch. Alfred Hitchcock, the film director, is said to have declared that the sunsets in Zadar were the most beautiful in the world, a remark that local people are happy to repeat, and on a clear evening, it is easy to believe.

The promenade runs along the western edge of the peninsula, a wide, paved walkway beside the sea wall, and it links the area of the old town's harbour with the tip of the peninsula, where two modern installations are located. The first is the Sea Organ, an instrument of marble steps and underwater pipes that plays music with the waves, and the second is the Greeting to the Sun, a large circle of glass panels in the paving that absorb sunlight by day and give off a play of coloured lights at night. Both are described in more detail in other entries in this guide, and together they turn the end of the promenade into an open-air stage where the performance is the sea and the sky. Sitting on the steps with the sound of the organ and the glow of the sunset is one of the most characteristic experiences in the city.

The setting has a historical dimension. Zadar is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on the Adriatic, with a Roman forum, an early medieval church of St. Donatus, and Venetian walls and gates, and the promenade passes beneath the old fortifications, with arches and stone steps that recall its Roman and Venetian past. Cafes and restaurants line the inner side, with terraces where you can have a drink, and street musicians sometimes play. The atmosphere is relaxed, and the whole city seems to come out in the early evening.

The promenade is free and open at all times. Arrive about an hour before sunset to find a good place, particularly in July and August, when it can be very crowded. Bring a light layer, since the breeze off the water can be cool after the sun goes down. The Five Wells Square, People's Square and the park named after Queen Jelena Madijevka, all listed in this guide, are a short walk away.

Allow one to two hours. The walk suits everyone, from couples and families to photographers, and it is a gentle way to end a day of sightseeing.