Zadar~~Small town with many churches

Zadar, the fifth largest city in Croatia, was once the capital of the Dalmatia province of the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire). The old town of Zadar where we stayed is located on a small peninsula, surrounded by medieval walls and retains many ancient Roman ruins and buildings. The entire ancient city was planned according to the standards of the ancient Roman Empire, with the widest streets. The saying "All roads lead to Rome" comes from the requirements of the ancient Roman Empire for city building. The main street is only about 1 kilometer long from east to west. The main entrance to the city wall is the Land Gate, a gorgeous Renaissance building with a statue of a Venetian lion on it. The city wall extends along the coastline, and part of it has been built into pedestrian walkways and parks, displaying the city's development. There are more than twenty churches in the city. The Church of St. Donat (Crkva Sveti Donata), built of stone in the early ninth century, is shaped like a thick cylinder. It is one of the oldest pre-Romanesque buildings in Croatia and the symbol of Zadar. I entered the Zadar Cathedral (Cathedral of St. Anastasia) for a visit. It is the largest and most important church in Zadar. It was built in the 12th and 13th centuries. It is a mixture of Romanesque and Gothic styles. It has a towering bell tower that tourists can climb to the top to enjoy the panoramic view of Zadar. Next to the church is Zadar's Roman Forum, which contains many relics from the Roman era, such as altars, columns, wells and statues. Designed by renowned architect Nikola Bašić, the Sea Organ looks like a series of wide steps along the shore, but hidden beneath the surface is an ingenious sound-generating system consisting of 35 pipes and resonance chambers that produce different tones depending on the size and speed of the waves. This is also a good place to enjoy the sunset. The wind was strong and the clouds were thick today, so we couldn't see the sunset, but the sound of the organ was particularly loud. Life is not perfect, it is often a mixture of good and bad. If you think positively about everything, your life will be more comfortable and happy. The adjacent Sun Salutation is another stunning art installation made up of 300 multi-layered glass panels forming a circular platform with a diameter of 22 meters. These glass panels absorb solar energy during the day and emit brilliant light after sunset, creating a spectacular waterfront light show. Not only do these lights simulate the movement of the sun, moon and stars, they also interact with the music of the Sea Organ to create a dreamy atmosphere. This urban light corridor is very modern and attracts many young people to stop. There are five ancient wells on the Square of Five Wells, which were once the main source of water for Zadar during the siege period. This is the origin of the square's name. In the 16th century, the Turks continued to invade. In addition to building walls here to resist foreign enemies, the Venetians also built large water tanks in front of the moat. These five wells were the outlets of the water tanks, used to provide drinking water for the residents at that time. Next to the square is Queen Jelena Madijevka Park, the first public park in Croatia. People’s Square is the oldest and liveliest square in Zadar and is surrounded by many historical buildings, such as the City Hall, the Guardian Tower, the Loggia del Comune and the Church of St. Lawrence. There are stalls in the middle selling agricultural products such as jam, olive oil, wine, and handicrafts. After dinner, we went shopping and returned to the hotel in the cool October breeze of Zadar.