Upper Dalmatia Travel Guide

The area from Senj to Trogir, a region known as Upper Dalmatia, is a collection of contradictions: The cities and sites are among some of Croatia's most accessible and enchanting; but the region also is home to what is arguably among the most forbidding and barren terrains in the world. Still, there is something for everyone in this gateway to Croatia's coastal playground, whether your interests tend toward poking around ancient ruins, getting an adrenaline rush rock climbing the challenging Velebit range, feeding your cultural appetite with classical music at the Church of St. Donat in Zadar, or taking the night air from the top of Trogir's Kamerlengo fortress.

All roads to and from Upper Dalmatia seem to go through Zadar, the largest city on the region's coastal highway. In many ways Zadar's mix of monuments and commerce, of ancient history and proactive civic vision make it one of Croatia's most cosmopolitan centers. Senj, the Velebit, and Pag Island make up the Velebit Coastal Area in the northern part of Upper Dalmatia, while Paklenica National Park, Nin, and Zadar and the Kornati Archipelago offshore to the west are its center. Krka National Park, Primosten, Sibenik, and Trogir extend to the south just above Split, which is the trail head for Lower Dalmatia.