Croatia 6 - Krka National Park & Zadar

February 02, 2026

Croatia 6 - Krka National Park & Zadar

After breakfast the previous day, I started thinking about breakfast for the 6th day. What I chose was baked pancakes. That was the best breakfast of the trip! The pancakes weren't American style but British, which were close to French crêpes. They were filled with mix berry compotes, covered with Crème anglaise, baked and served super hot! It would be fantastic to wake up with the dish every morning. J had smoked salmon and scrambled eggs. I guess he liked them.

We saw the black kitty the day before when a hotel's receptionist told us that the black kitty was their security staff. He (or she?) was on duty in this morning too.

We drove up to the Krka National Park, located near Sibenik, quick 20 minute drive to Lozovac, one of the main entrance to the park. The park protects over 70 km of the Krka River, spanning from the Dinaric mountain range to the Adriatic, with seven main waterfalls including the most famous and largest, Skradinski Buk that consists of 17 individual cascades. We followed the wooden pathways of the approx. 1.5 to 2 km (about 1-1.2 miles) circular walking trail, surrounding Skradinski Buk. The pathways allowed us to walk over or pass very close to the cascading water. We entered the park a few minutes earlier than the opening time. There was only us and the water sounds on the trail. It was an extraordinary experience! Here are parts of dozens of photos taken on the trail...

The Krka National Park was the top of my "must-go" of the trip although it was possible that we couldn't make it due to inclement weather (rain, ice or snow) since it was in December. We were very fortunate that the day was beautiful and even it wasn't so cold. We had a fantastic hike! In fact I would choose the park as the most memorable place we visited during the trip. After the great exercise, we looked for a place for lunch, but we couldn't find any places around the park. We ended up traveling for about an hour to Zadar, another city on Dalmatian coast. The city's Old Town is located on a small, narrow peninsula. We crossed a bridge that connect between the mainland and the middle of the peninsula. It was a short cut to the center of the Old Town.

Originated in the 9th century BC as a Liburnian settlement, Zader evolved under Roman, Byzantine, Venetian, and Austro-Hungarian rulers. Despite its 3,000 year rich history, the Old Town looked pretty much modern comparing with Split, Sibenik, and Trogir. The giant candy canes over the streets were cute by the way.

Before exploring the Old Town, we had a lunch, which was our primary reason to visit Zadar. Trattoria Mediterraneo offers fusion of Dalmatian and Italian cuisine, using local ingredients. The dining room was small but cozy.

We both ordered Brodet, or Dalmatian Fish Stew, served with polenta. It was rustic, comfy and delicious. We also liked bread that our friendly hostess suggested and brought to us. It was a kind of flat bread and nicely charred.

The lovely lunch was followed by a nice walk in the Old Town. The Forum, an area including Roman ruins and the Church of St. Donatus, a 9th-century Pre-Romanesque building was probably the place where you can feel the city's history the most in the Old Town.

Founded in the 11th-century, Benedictine Monastery of St. Maria was also surrounding the Forum.

A Roman column dating back to the 1st century BC–3rd century AD has survived a major earthquake in the 6th century and it was used for public punishment in the Middle Ages. That's why it's called the Stup srama (Pillar of Shame). How would the ancient pillar think about it?

The Baroque bell tower near the pillar was of the Church of St. Elijah, a 18th century Orthodox church.

We passed through a little park square with some busts. I don't know who they are.

We arrived at the western tip of the peninsula, where you can find the Sea Organ (Morske orgulje)! It's an experimental, tide-powered musical instrument and architectural installation. Sea waves push air through 35 pipes of varying lengths and sizes under white marble steps and create a melodic "Orchestra of Nature." It sounded phenomenal, dreamy and organic. It could be a call or talk of a kind of creature. It's hard to describe. I thought it was romantic to listen to the sea's harmony, born only for that moment.

The Sea Organ spot also provided a great water view. We had a tranquil time there for a while.

We walked into Narodni trg, or, People's Square. It's the city's hub surrounded by historic buildings including an 11th-century church and the 16th-century City Guard building with an iconic clock power. Unfortunately the City Gard building was covered at that time while the huge Christmas tree was a nice seasonal addition.

We walked down to the southend of the peninsula connecting to the mainland. We found another Roman pillar there.

A Christmas market was set up at the area but it was rather an outdoor bar. We just passed through the food/drink stands to get to a park behind them.

Queen Jelena Madijevka Park is a 19th century public park built on top of Zadar's old fortifications. It was a small greenery oasis. We climbed the small hill at the center of the park. The view was just ok but it was a nice escape from the loud music and smoking at the Christmas "bar" market.