New York Times puts Zadar on 52 Places to Go in 2019 list

9 January 2019 – The New York Times has put Zadar on its 52 Places to Go in 2019 list.

The New York Times, which is one of the world’s most-read publications, have recommend readers to visit Zadar, and nearby islands on its annual list of 52 places to go, placing it in 11th place on the list which came out on Wednesday. 

New York Times writes: “After the Croatian soccer team captured the world’s attention in the World Cup last summer – its team captain Luka Modric’s inspiring play was particularly notable – soccer fans revved up their search engines and learned that Mr. Modric hails from Zadar, a pretty, compact town on the Dalmatian Coast. 

Zadar is often ignored as visitors hopscotch from Istria in the north to Split and Hvar and then down to Dubrovnik. But that may be about to change, especially with Ryanair adding regular flights from Prague, Hamburg, Cologne and Nuremberg, starting this spring. Beyond Zadar’s medieval core, the city’s seaside promenade and music-making “sea organ” created by the architect Nikola Basic, is a must-see (or hear). The magical sunsets alone were enough to wow Alfred Hitchcock, who visited the city in 1964, and said he’d witnessed the most beautiful sunset in the world there. The town is also a gateway to untrammeled islands, especially Dugi Otok; an hour-and-20-minute ferry ride takes visitors to the sparsely populated island with uncrowded beaches and taverns serving seafood. Seeking ultraclean waters? Then head to the island of Pasman, where the currents frequently change, making the surrounding waters some of the cleanest in the Adriatic.”

Zadar is the only Croatian destination on this year’s list. The island of Korčula, Dubrovnik and Istria have all made the list in previous years.

Puerto Rico was ranked the number one place to go on the 2019 list, followed by Hampi in India and Santa Barbara in California. 

So how do the New York Times select its list?

“We discuss the merits and drawbacks of each suggested destination in a marathon-length meeting (or two) before cutting down the list. Our main goal is to have a variety of regions and interests, with some surprises mixed in. We also try for a mix of scale, including cities, regions and even entire countries.”

Late last year, Lonely Planet named Zadar in its top 10 city destinations for 2019. 

Check out the full list here.