Roman Forum and St Donatus

The Roman Forum is the historic heart of Zadar, and the best way to read the city is to stand in the middle of it and look around. Laid out between the 1st century BC and the 3rd century AD, it was the main civic space of Roman Iadera, the largest forum on the eastern side of the Adriatic. What remains today is a wide open pavement with scattered column bases, a single standing Roman pillar, and fragments of stone built into later walls. The pillar was used in medieval times as a place of punishment, which is why locals sometimes call it the pillar of shame. Dominating the square is the Church of St Donatus, a circular building from the 9th century and the best known example of pre-Romanesque architecture in Croatia. Its thick round walls and stripped-back interior feel older than the churches around it, because they are. The builders used stones and column fragments taken from the Roman forum below, and if you look closely at the foundations you can see carved Roman blocks and inscriptions pressed into the base.

Inside, St Donatus is almost bare, which is part of its power. A circular nave, a gallery above and three apses at the east end create a space that feels both monastic and surprisingly acoustic. The church is now used as a concert venue, and in the summer months it hosts a well known series of early music recitals, so a visit in the evening may mean hearing a performance in a room that has barely changed in more than a thousand years.

During normal visiting hours the interior can be entered for a small admission fee, and you can climb to the gallery for a closer look at the architecture and a view down into the nave.

The square around the church is a lesson in layers. Next to St Donatus stands the Cathedral of St Anastasia, and facing them you will find the Archaeological Museum and the old Archbishop's Palace, so a short walk takes you through Roman, early medieval, Romanesque and Baroque Zadar in about a hundred metres.

Cafes line one side and make a good place to sit and watch the light change on the stone. Guided tours are worth considering here, because the forum looks like scattered ruins until someone points out the paving, the temple foundations, and the carved reliefs reused in the church wall.

A group history walking tour of the old town covers the forum and St Donatus alongside other major sights and is a good way to learn the stories behind the stones, from the Roman founding through Venetian rule and the rebuilding that followed damage in the Second World War. Without a guide, plan for around an hour to wander the square, step inside the church and read the information plaques.

Opening times vary by season, and the church may close for events or services, so check the current schedule locally before you go. Visit in the morning for fewer crowds and softer light, and wear sun protection in summer because the square offers little shade. Dress modestly if you want to enter the neighbouring cathedral, since shoulders and knees are expected to be covered.