Zadar with kids: the Sea Organ, the Greeting to the Sun and the view from the bell tower

Zadar is a city on the Dalmatian coast, and its old town sits on a peninsula with the sea on three sides. We spent a whole day here on 6 May 2025, during our May holiday in Croatia, the long bank holiday weekend Poles call majówka. We were staying in Zaton at the time, a dozen or so kilometres from the city. What we liked best was the singing sea, a glass circle that glows after dark, and the cats lazing about under the walls.

A walk along the waterfront

We left the car in a car park near the old town and walked through the narrow streets down to the sea. It was a cloudy day. A huge cruise ship was moored at the quay. We took a photo under its bow and carried on towards the tip of the peninsula, where Zadar's two most famous installations are.

The Sea Organ

At the very end of the peninsula, wide stone steps lead down from the waterfront into the water. Hidden underneath are pipes into which the waves push air, and sounds a bit like an organ come out of openings in the steps. Every wave plays a slightly different tune. The kids lay down on the steps with their ears to the openings and listened for a long time. The installation was designed by the architect Nikola Bašić and opened in 2005.

The Greeting to the Sun

A few steps further on, set into the paving of the waterfront, there is a huge glass circle. This is the Greeting to the Sun, another installation by the same architect. Under the glass there are about 300 solar panels that soak up energy during the day and light up in different colours after dark. The girls sat down by the name sign in a meditation pose, as if they were greeting the sun themselves.

Alfred Hitchcock is said to have called Zadar's sunset the most beautiful in the world. On our day the sun hid behind the clouds, but the evening light over the sea was lovely all the same.

St Donatus and the view from the bell tower

In the old town stands the round Church of St Donatus, and next to it St Anastasia's Cathedral with its tall bell tower. The St Donatus rotunda is the symbol of Zadar. We took a photo there of dad with our youngest daughter on his shoulders.

Narrow stairs lead up the cathedral bell tower, and at the top there is a viewing terrace. From up there you can see the whole old town with its red roofs, the dome of St Donatus, the harbour, and the islands of Ugljan and Pašman across the channel.

Cats, fountains and a playground

Zadar is a city of cats. They were lounging on the steps in front of the churches and under the walls, and the kids stopped at every single one. In the park by the walls we had a drink of water from a public fountain, and under the walls we found a playground with a seesaw, which dad rode with our youngest daughter.

In the evening we had dinner in the old town. On the way we came across a shop selling rubber ducks in all sorts of costumes, and to round off the day we took a photo by the lit-up sign with a heart and the city's name.

Practical info

Checked in November 2026.

Parking

• In 2026, parking in zone 1 by the old town costs 0.80 € an hour, and in summer, from 15 June to 31 August, 1.60 €. You can park there for a maximum of 3 hours.
• It is easier to leave the car in the Centar car park, about 500-800 m from the old town, and walk from there.

Sightseeing

• The Sea Organ and the Greeting to the Sun are free and open round the clock. The Greeting to the Sun lights are best seen after dark.
• In 2026, climbing the bell tower of St Anastasia's Cathedral costs about 3-4 €. The stairs are narrow and steep, so keep small children close.

With kids

The old town is small and flat, so you can easily see all of it on foot. The steps of the Sea Organ go straight down into the water and have no railings, so hold the little ones by the hand.