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Introduction
The capital of northern Dalmatia and the cultural center of Northern Dalmatia, well known in antique, medieval and Venetian times. The old center of the town is located on a peninsula, filled with monuments, ancient churches and museums attract a multitude of visitors from all over the world.
History
The Illyrians colonized Zadar in the 9th century BC. At the end of 3rd century BC the Romans began a two-year struggle against the Illyrians and took over Zadar in the 1st century BC. Afterwards it gained the characteristic appearance of a Roman town. Zadar wasn't exceptionally important to the Romans, and when the Roman empire broke apart Zadar became the capital of Byzantium Dalmatia. In the 6th and 7th centuries the Slavs settled the town. In time it fell under the rule of Croatian-Hungarian kings. All was well until the rise of Venice in the middle of 12th century.
For the next 200 years Zadar was under relentless attacks from Venice, which gradually expanded its influence on the Adriatic. In 1202 Venice, with the help of French crusaders, has conquered the town and exiled its inhabitants. People from Zadar continued to wage war on Venice throughout the 13th and 14th centuries with the help from the Croatian-Hungarian kings, but in the end Zadar was sold to Venice in 1409 together with the rest of Dalmatia. The economic development of Zadar wascompletely stagnant under Venetian rule due to Turkish attacks and the Turkish-Venetian wars. With the fall of Venice in 1797 Zadar passed to Austrian rule.
Under the Austrians the Italian aristocracy ruled Zadar and the Italian influence lasted until the 20th century. After the war, Zadar was separated from the Kingdom of Serbs, Croatian and Slovenes, and remained an Italian province. When Italy capitulated in 1943, the town was occupied by Germans and then bombarded by the Allies. Almost 60% of the old town was destroyed. After the war the town was reconstructed according to the original arrangement of streets and a large effort was made to attractively combine newly built parts with the old parts of Zadar. As if Zadar possesses some sort of historical bad luck, history repeated itself in November 1991 when Serbian rockets were launched on the town, holding it under a blockade of terror for three months. The bombs had fallen, and the people were prisoners in their own houses with insufficient water and food supplies. Although Serbian artillery was pushed back in 1993 during an offensive of the Croatian army, few damages from the war are still visible. Zadar's countryside is truly fascinating and is a touristic riviera from Nin to the north, and to south towards Biograd. Many historical small towns like Nin, Pag, Biograd, Obrovac, Benkovac and others, as well as around 50 picturesque tourist areas and Paklenica, Plitvice, Kornati, Krk, Velebit, and Telašcica can all be found in the immediate vicinity of Zadar.
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