{"id":2141,"date":"2019-06-17T21:20:36","date_gmt":"2019-06-17T20:20:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.samsonandsuzi.com\/?p=2141"},"modified":"2021-06-17T21:41:07","modified_gmt":"2021-06-17T20:41:07","slug":"dalmatian-coast-zadar-nin-pag-islands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.samsonandsuzi.com\/?p=2141","title":{"rendered":"Dalmatian Coast – Zadar, Nin & Pag Islands"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Zadar<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We took a day trip to Zadar, a small peninsular city on the coast. It had become a became a Roman colony in the 2nd century, the Romans brought with them civilisational advances, for example hot air central heating in homes and an aqueduct to and from Vransko lake 40km away. The remains of the old Roman Forum are surrounded by what is left of the walls, churches and other Roman buildings. Very little remains of the original city walls or gates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the centuries, the inhabitants of Zadar focused on shipping, and the city became a naval base to rival Venice. In the 16th century, Turkey invaded Dalmatia, and Zadar retreated behind reinforced walls in the city and, aided by the Venetian colonisers, became the largest city-fortress in the Venetian Republic. It was then ruled by French, Austrians, Italians and then the Germans, until it was liberated by the Allies in 1944 to become part of Tito’s Yugoslavia. Unfortunately, in the process, the Germans bombed 65 percent of the city to ruins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was slowly being rebuilt but during the Yugoslavian war of 1991-1995, Zadar was under siege for three months, and bombarded from positions further afield for most of the duration of the war. The population was forced underground, surviving on inadequate supplies of food and water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The scars of these wars are just visible as rebuilding has taken place in every sense but the city has changed dramatically in the last ten years since the last war ended. It feels modern yet old, as though the Romans had been again, rebuilt the city then left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the seafront, several sculptures reflect the new part of the town, the blue circle in the picture below is a huge globe made of reflective blue glass sections, in the pattern of a compass. Beside it, the stepped promenade had gaps underneath that play an organ type sound caused by the wind. It’s called the Sea Organ, click here for more info and to listen. http:\/\/www.oddmusic.com\/gallery\/om24550.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n