Nin

Nin is a small town on a shallow lagoon north of Zadar, and it is one of the oldest settlements in Croatia, a residence of the early Croatian kings and the seat of the first Croatian bishop in the 9th century. The old town sits on a tiny islet connected by a stone bridge, little bigger than a single square and a grid of narrow streets.

The most important building is the church of the Holy Cross, a tiny 9th-century pre-Romanesque church often called the smallest cathedral in the world, whose walls hold an opening that the sun strikes at a precise angle on the solstice, a primitive calendar. There is also a Roman temple on the square and a statue of Bishop Gregory of Nin, whose bronze toe visitors rub for luck, a tradition attached to the work of the sculptor Ivan Meštrović.

Nin sits behind a long stretch of shallow sandy beach backed by medicinal mud, and the area is a family destination built around that combination of history and beach. The mud baths are a local institution.

For photographers, the Holy Cross church against the sky and the shallow lagoon at low tide are the shots. Combine Nin with Zadar, which is a short drive south.

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