Climbing the Bell Tower in Zadar in Croatia.
As the bells rang while I was walking up the stairs… they nearly deafened me!
The views from the top of the tower were awesome though… even though my ears were ringing!
I had had a wander through Zadar Old Town on my first afternoon in the quirky Croatian city and had spotted the Bell Tower peaking through the gaps above the quirky buildings.
So I decided to go and climb it, twice! Once in the day, and once in the night!
The iconic feature of Zadar’s Old Town belongs to St Anastasia’s Cathedral and offers the best views in Zadar.
Read this blog to find out whether it is worth the climb and how much it costs.
Beautiful views of Zadar’s Old Town.
Can you climb the Bell Tower in Zadar?
Visitors are welcome to climb the 180 steps to the top of the Bell Tower for the small fee of €3 (kids free).
In the summer, the tower is open between the hours of 8am until 10pm, so you have plenty of time to squeeze it into your Zadar itinerary.
The steps wind up the different floors of the building, and they do get narrow at certain points, especially when they are crowded with tourists going up and down the stairs simultaneously.
The tower is over 50 metres tall, so as you can imagine, the steps can also be steep at times!
If you visit early in the morning or late at night, you will avoid the crowds and your experience will be more enjoyable and much faster.
Posing in front of the Bell Tower.
What is the Bell Tower in Zadar?
The bell tower in Zadar is a structure which is part of the Cathedral of Anastasia located in the Old Town area.
The iconic cathedral of Zadar was built as early as the 12th century, and has been the Jewell of Zadar’s crown ever since. Tower boasts Baroque architecture and offers the best panoramic views of the city.
The cathedral has had to go through several reconstructions as a result of damage caused by a war in 1202, along with bombing in WW2.
After the Bell Tower was added to the cathedral in 1894, it went through some issues with vibrations from the heavy bells causing damage to the joints of the building.
I can see how this happened, as the bells are very loud!
The architect behind the iconic tower ‘Ćiril Iveković ‘, replaced the iron brackets causing the problem with wooden ones and it fixed the issue.
The Bell Tower is the symbol of the Old Town.
A close up shot of the Bell Tower.
How to get to the Bell Tower in Zadar.
The Bell Tower stands tall and proud above all of the other buildings so can’t be missed in the Old Town.
It is within walking distance of most of Zadar.
If you are travelling from an Island or up the coast, you need to just head for the Old Town.
Map showing Bell Tower in relation to Zadar Old Town.
The side of the cathedral.
There is somequirky art in the modern art shops in the Old Town.
Beautiful views from the top.
Once you reach the top of the tower, and successfully overcome the 180 steps, you will walk through a door onto the observation deck.
You will then be rewarded with beautiful panoramic views of Zadar’s Old Town, Harbour and the Adriatic Sea.
There is no doubt that this was my favourite view of the Croatian city!
Are the views better at day or night?
The birds eye views of Zadar Old Town glowing at night are awesome, as the narrow walkways look golden, however, the beautiful architecture of the Romanesque buildings in Zadar can only be admired in the daytime.
One of my favourite things about Croatia are the brightly coloured terracotta roofs that add plenty of character into the cities.
The bells in action.
I noticed four giant bells as I was walking up to the observation deck, and all four started ringing when I was right next to them!
They ring every half hour, on the hour, and at half past the hour, so bare this in mind when planning your climb.
They can leave your ears ringing - literally!
Other things to add to your Croatia itinerary.
Zadar is a beautiful city which has been swept with modernity in recent times, as quirky coffee shops and contemporary art galleries pop up alongside the Romanesque buildings of yesteryear.
This Zadar guide details the best things to do in the Croatian city, following my backpacking trip in September time.
You are guaranteed to love Croatia, so you should also consider adding the secret cliff bar in Dubrovnik and Krka National Park to your travel plans!
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