June 2, 2021
Caitlin is leaving Hvar for Protugal this morning so I figure it’s also my time to leave. Class is in swing so it’s best to get to better infrastructure and get a routine going. I pay 100 Kuna for the ferry to Split and then buy a bus ticket for 10 Euro to Zadar. There is a lot of traffic on this route but it’s not very far in the first place and the views are decent enough. I buy a bus ticket from the shop near the local bus station and take it toward the old town. Then I hop off and head inside to find my hostel.
Downtown Boutique Hostel is super nice. There’s so much space and the beds are private and comfortable. It’s really nice to work in, but it’s lonely. Restaurant Eden is below and is inexpensive. Even better is that we get half off food (at least for now).
I head to Svabos Soul Food and order pork kumpir and fries. I was disappointed by both, it’s really the only food I haven’t liked so far. However, it is a decent price for the amount of food. For dessert I head to Mlinar for a pastry. These shops are everywhere, and the pastry was okay. I recommend picking up breakfast items early in the day for the best quality.
June 3, 2021
I find a Studenac market (small grocery/convenience stores all over Croatia) to get basic lunch and breakfast supplies, but there’s not many options.
For dinner I’m craving pizza, so I stop by what seems like the best pizza in town: Pizzeria Tri Bunara. The pizza and beer are pretty good and cheap!
Even though I’m bogged down by work and there’s not much to do in Zadar, I don’t want to spend an entire day without seeing something new so I head to the waterfront. What is fun about the pier here is there is a sea organ. As the water laps up against the pier it enters pipes below it and makes beautiful music. There’s also an art installation called Greetings to the Sun which is a solar powered light show installed on the floor of the pier. As people hop and dance on the panels, the lights change. This is a perfect place to go for people watching and the sunset.
June 4, 2021
Today I’m hoping to visit a couple sites in town including Perivoj Vladimira Nazora. I think this is technically a fort but now it’s pretty much a wall surrounding a park that has trees and hills and some trails. It’s a bit strange because it’s really not that big, but due to the hills and foliage you can sort of disappear into it. It’s a nice green space at the edge of the cobbled old town but the views of the water are blocked by the walls. It could be nice to come here to read in the grass or take a jog.
For dinner I try Eden. I order the penne primavera which was disappointing and small. The service was even worse. Even with the large discount I would not recommend eating here. For dessert I head to Bob Rock’s ice cream to make up for this sad dinner. They have all of the standard European flavors and it doesn’t disappoint.
The reason I ended up eating at Eden was because I really couldn’t find another restaurant that seemed worth stopping at. I tried several which all appeared to have closed. I hope for Zadar that they have an economic rebound as the pandemic comes to an end!
June 5, 2021
Even though I stayed up until 4 am, I already had a plan to go to Plitvice Lakes so I drag myself out of bed. I catch the bus from Zadar bright and early and it takes you right to the park.
I stow my bag and get a map before entering. The bag storage is definitely not secure so be hesitant when storing valuables. There appears to be several trails marked by different letters. I try to start out on one but then get a bit lost. The map is more cartoonish than actually accurate so I found it quite difficult to follow. Even without phone service I was able to load up the map on my phone and guide myself back to the entrance that I left my stuff at. I think I ended up seeing a lot of the park by covering most of trails B, C, and H. I got back early so I grabbed some food and watched some Netflix using the park WiFi while I waited for my bus to Zagreb.
Zagreb is the capital city of Croatia and is much bigger than the others, so I actually have to rely on public transport this time. Some young Erasmus’ers help me figure out the system. They kindly gave me one of their tickets, but what you need to do is buy them yourself from a machine or a kiosk before going out to the light rail station. From there, the light rails themselves are very intuitive to navigate and can take you all over the city.
I make it to Swanky Mint Hostel, which I booked ahead of time. This hostel is really cool because it is made out of a refurbished factory. They have their own restaurant and bar that people other than guests frequent. The bunks are 3 bunks high and they have a kitchen as well. I think there are also a good amount of people here who are staying long term. I found it a bit intimidating to meet people to be honest, and this hostel is the definition of cou’hl, but you have to love it at the same time.
I’m exhausted from the day so I head to Capuciner to grab another pizza and beer and then go straight to bed.
Check Out My Guide to Zadar ⧉
My Google Maps Guides have all the important locations I mention in my blogs, and you can open them right in Google Maps to make it easy to plan your own trip!