Zadar

Zadar sits on a narrow limestone peninsula on the Dalmatian coast, and people have lived on it for three thousand years — long enough that Kalelarga, the main street, still runs along the line the Romans drew. That's the pleasure of the place: a Roman forum, a ninth-century church built out of its stones, Venetian walls, and a modern waterfront that plays music when the waves come in.

When you're here, don't miss the Sea Organ and the Greeting to the Sun out on the tip of the peninsula, best saved for sunset. Step inside St. Donatus to hear how sound behaves under its round walls, climb the cathedral bell tower for the view over the rooftops and the islands, and make time for the market — Pag cheese, Maraschino, and whatever came off the boats that morning. With a day to spare, ferries to Dugi Otok and the Kornati islands leave straight from the old town.

Whichever way you wander, StoryHunt has tours in Zadar that fill in what the walls aren't saying. Let the hunt for stories begin!