Nadin Hillfort Ruins

The small karst hilltop of Nadin, about 30 km east of Zadar, rises 200 metres above the surrounding limestone plain and is topped by the impressively substantial ruins of one of the largest Illyrian hillforts in Croatia — first fortified around 1000 BC by the Liburnian tribe and then continuously occupied and expanded through Roman, Byzantine and early medieval times. The visible circuit of cyclopean stone walls (huge unmortared blocks up to 2 metres long) is exceptionally well-preserved and encloses about 4 hectares of hilltop, with a central acropolis platform where the Illyrian ruler's palace once stood; excavations have recovered exquisite bronze jewellery, silver Roman coin hoards, and — most spectacularly — a 3rd-century-BC Illyrian warrior burial with a full bronze helmet and greaves, now displayed in the Zadar archaeological museum. The site itself is unmarked, free, and completely uninterpreted; a rough 15-minute walk from a small car park in Nadin village brings you to the walls, and you can walk around the entire circuit in about 40 minutes with astonishing panoramic views over the karst polje as your reward. The wild flowers on the hillfort meadow are spectacular in April and May — 47 species including several rare orchids. A magical off-the-beaten-track experience for anyone interested in the pre-Roman Adriatic.