07 From Stari trg pri Lozu to Zadar via the Adriatic coast
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RouteXpert Leonor Orban - Sr. RouteXpert
Last edit: 12-02-2021
Route Summary
This ride is part of a holiday to Croatia and back. It is the seventh of a total of 18 routes through Germany, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Today you leave Slovenia for Croatia. The heat of the interior is slowly exchanged for a cooling breeze along the Adriatic sea via winding roads. For a large part of the day you drive along the coast, with a view of the many islands, part of Croatia.
Along the way you have endless places to stop and enjoy the view. You can also visit a number of historical sites (such as the Snežnik, Nehaj and Fortica castles). Nature is also maximized. You drive through National Park Risnjak, visit the Lokvarsko lake and drive over one of the largest islands in Croatia (Pag) where you can visit the salt pans.
Of course there are plenty of places to rest, so you can also enjoy the local delicacies along the way.
After a long day, you will arrive in the port city of Zadar, where you can view historic buildings, relax on the beach and enjoy the nightlife.
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Verdict
Duration
5h 59m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
268.74 km
Countries
Croatian Islands
RouteXpert Review
This is the seventh stage of a tour through Germany, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The routes were plotted and driven in 2015 by Marc Telkamp. Today's ride is inspired by one of Marc's routes: the route has been shortened to give you time for sightseeing along the way. Today you will leave Slovenia behind. Croatia with its more than 1000 islands welcomes you. First you drive a nice piece through National Park Risjnak. You will eventually drive along the Adriatic coast via an endlessly winding road. You take a trip to the island of Pag and finally spend the night in Zadar, where you can admire the Adriatic coast in peace in the evening from one of the many terraces. The diversity of the route means that this route gets 5 stars; you drive along impressive mountains and lunar landscapes, cross the sea with a ferry service and antique bridge. Together with the abundance of beautiful photo stops, terraces and cultural attractions, this route is definitely worth it.
Hopefully you spent a good night in the youth hostel and perhaps also visited the nature reserve in the area? Today you are back on the road with the bike. It will be a long sitting with 6 driving hours, but you will not be bored for a moment.
Immediately after departure you will be surprised with a beautiful castle along the route: Grad Snežnik (rp 2). It is first mentioned about this castle sometime around the 10th and 11th centuries. It has always had a residential function for various princely and other noble residents. The castle currently serves as a museum. It provides insight into how the nobility lived in this castle at the time.
After this trip, the long drive of today really starts. Soon you cross the border into Croatia (rp 3) and you enter the Risnjak National Park (rp 4). This park is known for the presence of four different climates. You can feel the continental climate of Pannonia, a somewhat stricter alpine climate, the fresh mountain climate of the Dinara mountains and already the mild Adriatic maritime climate. Later today on the route you will long for the cool breezes and the somewhat lower temperature in this park. The 35 km long road through this park you can drive almost without navigation. There are few side roads and exits. Simply follow the asphalt and enjoy how the curves pass uninterrupted under your wheels.
The road eventually takes you to the restaurant Carov Most (rp 6), located on Lake Lokvarsko (rp 5). You can take a lovely break here and perhaps enjoy a fish caught in this lake. After this break, the road winds a lot further to the South. Once this road crosses the highway, it's time to get your eye on your navigation again. The right turns will lead you to the D501 where you can catch the first sparkles from the Adriatic sea.
The road winds through the hills and villages along the coast, but soon the road follows the coastline, giving you beautiful mountains on the left and a magnificent view of the coast and the islands on the right.
After a short refueling stop (rp 8) you can visit the Nehaj castle (rp 9). This castle was built in 1558 by the Uskoks. This population group occupies a special place among the Croatian people. The Uskoks were soldiers who waged a guerilla war against the Ottoman Empire. Unfortunately, they were poorly paid by their patrons, which made them known primarily to the Venetians as pirates. In order to generate income, the Uskoks regularly attacked passing Venetian ships. The castle is now a museum dedicated to telling the story of these Uskoks.
Along the coast you will notice that you pass by one island after another. Some islands are inhabited, others, due to their small size, are exclusively inhabited by birds and sea animals. During your drive today you will visit the island of Pag (the 4th largest island in Croatia). At Prizna (rp 12) you take the ferry to Zigljen. For more information about times and prices you can visit the website of Croatian Ferries.
On the island of Pag you will be amazed by the almost moon-like landscape. Due to the few and especially low vegetation, the landscape sometimes looks desolate. The entire island is covered with a thin layer of salt. This makes it an ideal place to extract salt in salt pans. Solana Pag is therefore one of the largest salt-winning companies in Croatia. Their salt pans can be seen from the main road (rp 18).
Don't forget to take a break in the town of Pag (rp 17). It has a picturesque city center with various squares, churches and restaurants. If you want a bite to eat, the locals will recommend ordering Paški Sir or lamb. Paški Sir is a locally produced cheese made from sheep's milk and olive oil. The lamb is especially tasty because the lambs live on the salty soil of the island.
You leave the island via the Paski bridge (rp 20). Hold onto your bike as soon as you enter the bridge. The “Bura” can blow strongly here! This wind also ensures that the entire island is covered with salt: it chases sea fog onto the land. As soon as the damp mist has dried, a thin layer of salt remains. Few plants can survive these high salt values ...
The Paski bridge is of great significance to the locals. For a long time this was the only fixed connection to the mainland. During the Yugoslav war, the bridge was therefore bombed to achieve strategic gains.
At the viewpoint you can stop to take a picture of the bridge. You will notice that you also see a fortress along the bridge. Fort Fortica (rp 19) was an important defensive fort in the Middle Ages, which protected a busy trade route. If you visit the fort, you will also notice the thick walls.
Eventually you arrive in Zadar after a long day. You can refuel a bit (rp 22) before you reach the end point at Villa Hrešć (rp 24). This hotel is located a little further from the center, along the coast.
If you want to take the time to visit the city of Zadar, consider booking a hotel in the old town. Here you can visit Zadar Cathedral and St. Donatus Church. By far the most popular attractions in the town are the sea organ and "Greeting to the Sun." The sea organ is played by the sea. The wavy sea provides a continuous flow of sounds via a number of underground pipes. The greeting to the sun is a glass artwork that lights up in the evening and provides a true light spectacle.
Fortress Nehaj (rp 9)
Salt Pans Pag (rp 18)
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Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
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Zadar
About this region
Zadar (US: ZAH-dar, Croatian: [zâdar] (listen); see also other names) is the oldest continuously inhabited Croatian city. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea, at the northwestern part of Ravni Kotari region. Zadar serves as the seat of Zadar County and of the wider northern Dalmatian region. The city proper covers 25 km2 (9.7 sq mi) with a population of 75,082 in 2011, making it the second-largest city of the region of Dalmatia and the fifth-largest city in the country.
The area of present-day Zadar traces its earliest evidence of human life from the late Stone Age, while numerous settlements date as early as the Neolithic. Before the Illyrians, an ancient Mediterranean people of an Indo-European culture inhabited the area. Zadar traces its origin to its 9th-century BC founding as a settlement of the Illyrian tribe of Liburnians known as Iader.In 59 BC it was renamed Iadera when it became a Roman municipium. In 48 BC it became a Roman colonia. During Roman rule Zadar acquired the characteristics of a traditional Ancient Roman city with a regular road network, a public square (forum), and an elevated capitolium with a temple.
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and the destruction of Salona by the Avars and Croats in 614, Zadar became the capital of the Byzantine theme of Dalmatia. In the beginning of the 9th century, Zadar came briefly under Frankish rule, but the Pax Nicephori returned it to the Byzantines in 812. The first Croatian rulers gained brief control over the city in 10th century. In 998 Zadar swore allegiance to Doge Pietro Orseolo II and became a vassal of the Republic of Venice. In 1186 it placed itself under the protection of Béla III, King of Hungary and Croatia.
In 1202 the Venetians, with the help of Crusaders, reconquered and sacked Zadar. Hungary regained control over the city in 1358, when it was given to king Louis I of Hungary. In 1409 king Ladislaus I sold Zadar to the Venetians. When the Ottoman Empire conquered the Zadar hinterland at the beginning of the 16th century, the town became an important stronghold, ensuring Venetian trade in the Adriatic, the administrative center of the Venetian territories in Dalmatia and a cultural center. This fostered an environment in which arts and literature could flourish, and between the 15th and 17th centuries Zadar came under the influence of the Renaissance, giving rise to many important Italian Renaissance figures like Giorgio Ventura and Giovanni Francesco Fortunio, who wrote the first Italian grammar book, and many Croatian writers, such as Petar Zoranić, Brne Krnarutić, Juraj Baraković and Šime Budinić, who wrote in Croatian.
After the fall of Venice in 1797, Zadar came under the Austrian rule until 1918, except for the period of short-term French rule (1805–1813), still remaining the capital of Dalmatia. During French rule the first newspaper in Croatian, Il Regio Dalmata – Kraglski Dalmatin, was published in Zadar (1806–1810). During the 19th century Zadar functioned as a center of the Croatian movement for cultural and national revival in a context of increasing polarization and politicization of ethnic identities between Croats and Dalmatian Italians.
With the 1920 Treaty of Rapallo Zadar was given to the Kingdom of Italy. During World War II, it was bombed by the Allies and witnessed the evacuation of ethnic Italians. Partisans captured the city on 1 November 1944; in 1947 it officially became part of SR Croatia, a federal constituent of the SFR Yugoslavia, whose armed forces defended it in October 1991 from the Serb forces who aimed to capture it.
Today, Zadar is a historical center of Dalmatia, Zadar County's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, educational, and transportation centre. Zadar is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Zadar. Because of its rich heritage, Zadar is today one of the most popular Croatian tourist destinations, named "entertainment center of the Adriatic" by The Times and "Croatia's new capital of cool" by The Guardian.UNESCO's World Heritage Site list included the fortified city of Zadar as part of Venetian Works of Defence between 15th and 17th centuries: Stato da Terra – western Stato da Mar in 2017.
Read more on Wikipedia
The area of present-day Zadar traces its earliest evidence of human life from the late Stone Age, while numerous settlements date as early as the Neolithic. Before the Illyrians, an ancient Mediterranean people of an Indo-European culture inhabited the area. Zadar traces its origin to its 9th-century BC founding as a settlement of the Illyrian tribe of Liburnians known as Iader.In 59 BC it was renamed Iadera when it became a Roman municipium. In 48 BC it became a Roman colonia. During Roman rule Zadar acquired the characteristics of a traditional Ancient Roman city with a regular road network, a public square (forum), and an elevated capitolium with a temple.
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and the destruction of Salona by the Avars and Croats in 614, Zadar became the capital of the Byzantine theme of Dalmatia. In the beginning of the 9th century, Zadar came briefly under Frankish rule, but the Pax Nicephori returned it to the Byzantines in 812. The first Croatian rulers gained brief control over the city in 10th century. In 998 Zadar swore allegiance to Doge Pietro Orseolo II and became a vassal of the Republic of Venice. In 1186 it placed itself under the protection of Béla III, King of Hungary and Croatia.
In 1202 the Venetians, with the help of Crusaders, reconquered and sacked Zadar. Hungary regained control over the city in 1358, when it was given to king Louis I of Hungary. In 1409 king Ladislaus I sold Zadar to the Venetians. When the Ottoman Empire conquered the Zadar hinterland at the beginning of the 16th century, the town became an important stronghold, ensuring Venetian trade in the Adriatic, the administrative center of the Venetian territories in Dalmatia and a cultural center. This fostered an environment in which arts and literature could flourish, and between the 15th and 17th centuries Zadar came under the influence of the Renaissance, giving rise to many important Italian Renaissance figures like Giorgio Ventura and Giovanni Francesco Fortunio, who wrote the first Italian grammar book, and many Croatian writers, such as Petar Zoranić, Brne Krnarutić, Juraj Baraković and Šime Budinić, who wrote in Croatian.
After the fall of Venice in 1797, Zadar came under the Austrian rule until 1918, except for the period of short-term French rule (1805–1813), still remaining the capital of Dalmatia. During French rule the first newspaper in Croatian, Il Regio Dalmata – Kraglski Dalmatin, was published in Zadar (1806–1810). During the 19th century Zadar functioned as a center of the Croatian movement for cultural and national revival in a context of increasing polarization and politicization of ethnic identities between Croats and Dalmatian Italians.
With the 1920 Treaty of Rapallo Zadar was given to the Kingdom of Italy. During World War II, it was bombed by the Allies and witnessed the evacuation of ethnic Italians. Partisans captured the city on 1 November 1944; in 1947 it officially became part of SR Croatia, a federal constituent of the SFR Yugoslavia, whose armed forces defended it in October 1991 from the Serb forces who aimed to capture it.
Today, Zadar is a historical center of Dalmatia, Zadar County's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, educational, and transportation centre. Zadar is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Zadar. Because of its rich heritage, Zadar is today one of the most popular Croatian tourist destinations, named "entertainment center of the Adriatic" by The Times and "Croatia's new capital of cool" by The Guardian.UNESCO's World Heritage Site list included the fortified city of Zadar as part of Venetian Works of Defence between 15th and 17th centuries: Stato da Terra – western Stato da Mar in 2017.
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Route Collections in this region
Roundtrip Eastern Europe via Slovenia Croatia and Bosnia Herzegovina
This route collection builds up to one great adventure in Eastern Europe. All routes combined make a 19 day roundtrip through Germany, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia Herzegovina. It aims to show the beauty of Eastern Europe, displaying how relaxed it can be to ride here. Quiet roads, friendly people, good food and impressive nature and culture will be your host throughout the trip.
As there’s so much to see and experience along the route, you might want to plan a longer trip than the 19 days. What about staying an extra day at Lake Bled (Slovenia)? Or taking some time in Zadar (Croatia) to marvel at the old city and its beautiful sea view. Or what about the idea to stay an extra day in Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina) to soak up the coffee culture and the city’s atmosphere? Or go hiking at the Plitvice Lakes (Croatia)? Or do a via Ferrata in Logarska Dolina (Slovenia)? Or … The options are too numerous to mention them all.
And off course, travelling through the Black Forest, the Alps and Dolomites is always a beautiful experience. Along your way you’ll have plenty opportunities to enjoy impressive sights, both natural and cultural.
The length of the routes are long enough so you can cover distances, as well as spend time to stop and enjoy natural and cultural highlights. Please do note that the routes may demand solid riding skills and a good condition. The main roads in Eastern Europe are definitely improving, but for this collection a large number of smaller scenic roads have been selected to make the riding more adventurous. Please be aware that these smaller roads can be in poor condition as they are not so frequently used and maintained.
As there’s so much to see and experience along the route, you might want to plan a longer trip than the 19 days. What about staying an extra day at Lake Bled (Slovenia)? Or taking some time in Zadar (Croatia) to marvel at the old city and its beautiful sea view. Or what about the idea to stay an extra day in Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina) to soak up the coffee culture and the city’s atmosphere? Or go hiking at the Plitvice Lakes (Croatia)? Or do a via Ferrata in Logarska Dolina (Slovenia)? Or … The options are too numerous to mention them all.
And off course, travelling through the Black Forest, the Alps and Dolomites is always a beautiful experience. Along your way you’ll have plenty opportunities to enjoy impressive sights, both natural and cultural.
The length of the routes are long enough so you can cover distances, as well as spend time to stop and enjoy natural and cultural highlights. Please do note that the routes may demand solid riding skills and a good condition. The main roads in Eastern Europe are definitely improving, but for this collection a large number of smaller scenic roads have been selected to make the riding more adventurous. Please be aware that these smaller roads can be in poor condition as they are not so frequently used and maintained.
View Route Collection
19 Routes
4837.59 km
118h 13m