People's Square (Narodni Trg)

Zadar's principal medieval public square has been the civic heart of the city for over 800 years — the place where laws were proclaimed, criminals sentenced, festivals held and, from the 15th century, coffee first drunk in Croatia. The square is dominated by three magnificent historic buildings: the Renaissance City Loggia (Gradska Loža) of 1565 with elegant arcading and a beautiful clock tower, the medieval City Guard Building (Gradska Straža) with its iron-grilled windows, and the elegant 19th-century Town Hall. All three are still in daily civic use. In the middle of the square stands the small but atmospheric Church of St. Lawrence (11th century), one of the oldest pre-Romanesque buildings in Dalmatia. Café tables spill across the flagstones from three sides and this is where you should come for morning coffee and evening aperitif alike — locals have done exactly the same for four centuries. On summer evenings buskers and outdoor concerts fill the square with music. Try the classic Zadar drink — a small glass of Maraschino liqueur, first distilled here in 1821 by the Luxardo family — at any of the surrounding cafés. Free walking tours of the old town typically start from this square.