Alex Crevar is a freelance journalist and regular contributor to New York Times Travel. He has lived in and covered Croatia for more than 20 years. Perhaps no place in Croatia is as nonchalant with ...

Zadar, Croatia, is the ancient capital of Dalmatia and the oldest town on the Adriatic. Located 70 mi/115 km northwest of Split, it has a historic core that juts out like a thumb into the Adriatic.

Zadar has long captured the imagination of those who step foot in it. It was the Romans who conquered it first, followed by the Venetians, and the influence of both empires dominate the city's ...