Aboard Silver Spirit with Silversea
Cruise Overview
Dalmatia's capital for more than 1,000 years, Zadar is all too often passed over by travelers on their way to Split or Dubrovnik.
What they miss out on is a city of more than 73,000 that is remarkably lovely and lively despite—and, in some measure, because of—its tumultuous history.
The Old Town, separated from the rest of the city on a peninsula some 4 km (2½ miles) long and just 1,640 feet wide, is bustling and beautiful: the marble pedestrian streets are replete with Roman ruins, medieval churches, palaces, museums, archives, and libraries.
Parts of the new town are comparatively dreary, a testament to what a world war followed by decades of communism, not to mention a civil war, can do to the architecture of a city that is 3,000 years old.
A settlement had already existed on the site of the present-day city for some 2,000 years when Rome finally conquered Zadar in the 1st century BC; the foundations of the forum can be seen today.
Before the Romans came the Liburnians had made it a key center for trade with the Greeks and Romans for 800 years.
In the 3rd century BC the Romans began to seriously pester the Liburnians, but required two centuries to bring the area under their control.
During the Byzantine era, Zadar became the capital of Dalmatia, and this period saw the construction of its most famous church, the 9th-century St.
Donat's Basilica.
It remained the region's foremost city through the ensuing centuries.
The city then experienced successive onslaughts and occupations—both long and short—by the Osogoths, the Croatian-Hungarian kings, the Venetians, the Turks, the Habsburgs, the French, the Habsburgs again, and finally the Italians before becoming part of Yugoslavia and, in 1991, the independent republic of Croatia.
Zadar was for centuries an Italian-speaking city, and Italian is still spoken widely, especially by older people.
Indeed, it was ceded to Italy in 1921 under the Treaty of Rapallo (and reverted to its Italian name of Zara).
Its occupation by the Germans from 1943 led to intense bombing by the Allies during World War II, which left most of the city in ruins.
Zadar became part of Tito's Yugoslavia in 1947, prompting many Italian residents to leave.
Zadar's most recent ravages occurred during a three-month siege by Serb forces and months more of bombardment during the Croatian-Serbian war between 1991 and 1995.
But you'd be hard-pressed to find outward signs of this today in what is a city to behold.
There are helpful interpretive signs in English all around the Old Town, so you certainly won't feel lost when trying to make sense of the wide variety of architectural sites you might otherwise pass by with only a cursory look.
The Croatian island of Hvar bills itself as the "sunniest island in the Adriatic." Not only does it have the figures to back up this claim—an annual average of 2,724 hours of sunshine—but it also makes visitors a sporting proposition, offering them a money-back guarantee if there are seven consecutive days of snow (snow has been known to fall here; the last time being February 2012).
Cruise Itinerary
Aboard Silver Spirit
Launch Year: 2009 Length: 211 Width: 27 Currency: USD Capacity: 608 Crew Count: 411 Deck Count: 8 Cabin Count: 270
Fully refurbished in 2018 for a superlative onboard adventure, the all-new Silver Spirit has never looked better nor felt cosier.
Silver Spirit offers its guests one of the most complete cruise experiences available. With one of the highest space-to-guest ratios in the business and eight superlative luxury dining options, she retains our world-famous service standards and home away from home feel. Spacious decks leave plenty of room for relaxation, yet the cosy niches make sure that there is something for everyone. Meet like-minded friends, enjoy first-class dining and relax on our original Silversea flagship.
Refurbished and remodelled in 2018, Silver Spirit is the epitome of Silversea elegance. Her guest capacity of 608, her large, open spaces, her many dining options and her all-suite accommodation make her a modern answer for ultra-luxury cruising. View the deck plan here.
Silver Spirit Facilities
Silver Spirit Includes
Cabin Details
Silversea’s suites offer one of the highest space-per-guest ratios of any luxury cruise accommodations. All Silversea suites have ocean views, and most include a private teak veranda so that you can breathe in the fresh sea air simply by stepping outside your door. And regardless of the ship or suite category, all guests will be pampered with the personalised services of an attentive butler.
For a truly personal experience, customise your suite with an abundance of thoughtful options and luxurious amenities from Bulgari toiletries and personalised stationery to a bar with your favourite wines and liquors. Settle in with a complimentary movie or choose instead to simply watch the ocean swim by. You can even have dinner in-suite served course by course by your butler. Then, when it’s time to retire, curl up beneath Egyptian cotton linens and a fluffy duvet, with your choice of nine different pillow types. The ultimate in luxury cruise accommodations, Silversea’s suites are your home away from home.
