The picturesque Croatian city of Zadar welcomes guests with the fresh, cool breeze of the Adriatic Sea and the warm amber sun. As soon as you arrive, the friendly and hospitable Croats invite you to taste the local lemonade and traditional national dishes. Gaining strength before a long walk through the city, tourists listen to local stories about the history and culture of this amazing country.

For many centuries, great empires fought for the right to own local land. By the way, the reign of some gave the city many architectural monuments, which have survived and have become popular tourist attractions. Most of all, the citizens of Zadar are proud of their fortifications, built by the Venetians to protect their territories from the attacks of the Ottoman Empire. Powerful fortress walls have surrounded the ancient city since the beginning of the 16th century. In the 19th century, they were fortified by the Austrians. And just a few years ago the majestic monument of defensive architecture was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The ancient stone walls were broken apart only by the four city gates, which have preserved an almost pristine appearance. One of these gates was built in 1543 and was called the Land Gate. Decorated with an equestrian statue of St. Christopher and a bas-relief of a winged Venetian lion, the gate leads to the Old City, to one of the main attractions of Zadar – the Square of Five Wells.

Located at the foot of the stone walls, the old city square stands on the site of the former defensive moat that surrounded the Old City. Built by the Venetians in 1574, it was designed to provide Zadar with drinking water from wells in case of a siege by the Ottoman soldiers. The five wells were built on the site of deep holes, hence its name "the Square of Five Wells". By the way, medieval wells served as a source of water until the beginning of the 19th century. Only then did they become popular tourist attractions. The square looks especially romantic at night when colorful modern lighting highlights the beauty of the fortress walls, bastions, and, of course, the five wells.