Page 104 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Croatia

102  CRO A TIA AREA B Y AREA

4 Nin
Map C4. * 1,500. k Zadar, 24 km
(15 miles). £ Zadar, 17 km (11 miles).
@ Zadar, 17 km (11 miles). n Trg
braće Radić 3, (023) 264 280. ∑ nin.hr
The ancient core of Nin lies in
a natural lagoon, a sheltered
position that made it an attract-
ive choice for settlement. One
of its oldest sources of income
was salt-harvesting, and today The small Romanesque Church of St Mary in Ljubač, near Nin
its sandy beaches and warm,
shallow waters for bathing make use of the Croatian language of Princes Višeslav and Branimir,
it a popular holiday destination. in liturgy. The statue is said to now in the archaeological
Nin’s many archaeological grant wishes to those who rub museum in Zadar. The church
sites have enabled the town’s its big toe. Also inside the walls is a fine example of primitive
past to be traced from prehistory is the 12th- century Church of Croatian art.
through the Liburnian, Roman St Ambrose (Sv. Ambroz), built Ljubač is 13 km (8 miles)
and early Christian times to its in the Roman esque style with northeast of Nin and the site
period of greatest glory, in the Gothic additions. of some ruins: the wall, central
9th–12th centuries, when it was In Kraljevac Square is the buildings and towers of the
both a bishopric and royal small but interesting Museum medieval Castrum Jubae, built
Croatian town. Nin’s finest of Nin Antiquities. by the Templar Knights. It fell
monuments date from this time. into ruin after the order was
Within the town walls is the R Church of the Holy Cross, of dissolved. Still standing is the
9th-century Church of the Holy St Anselm and of St Ambrose 12th-century Romanesque
Cross (Sv. Križ), a fine example of Open daily (St Anselm & St Ambrose Church of St Marcela, noted for
pre-Romanesque churches in for Mass only). its three semicircular apses. Near
typical Croatian style (see p26). E Museum of Nin Antiquities the village is the small church of
The church’s harmony and Trg Kraljevac 8. Tel (023) 264 160. St John from the Middle Ages.
beauty encapsulate the spirit- Open May: 9am–2pm Mon–Sat; Jun–
uality of the era. Its windows are mid-Jul & mid-Aug–Sep: 9am–9pm R Church of St Nicholas
positioned to act as a kind of daily; mid-Jul–mid-Aug: 9am–10pm Open St Nicholas’ Day and St Mark’s
calendar by which, according daily; Oct–Apr: 9am–2pm by appt. Day only.
to the sun’s rays, the exact ∑ amzd.hr
date of the equinox and
solstice can be determined. Environs
Nearby is the former A short way southwest of
Cathedral of St Anselm Nin stands the Church
(Sv. Anselm), where the of St Nicholas (Sv. Nikola)
kings of Croatia were in Prahulje. This unusual
crowned. The first cathedral building, constructed on
in Croatia, it has a rich an Illyrian tumulus, has a
treasury with silver dome with an octagonal
reliquaries from the 9th watch tower from the
to 15th centuries. Near 12th century, added
the church is a statue Statue of Gregory of during the Turkish
by Ivan Meštrović of Nin, by Ivan Meštrović invasion. The church
Bishop Gregory of Nin, is built on a trefoil plan
promoter and defender of the and once held inscriptions and Church of St Nicholas in Prahulje, not far
Glagolitic script that enabled the tombs of members of the court from Nin

A Land of Salt Works
Salt trading was a very lucrative business in the Middle Ages. Three
areas were suitable for its production in the upper Adriatic: the
mouth of the River Dragonja, today the border between Slovenia and
Croatia, the bay of Pag, and the lowlands around Nin. The salt works
of Pag, of Roman origin, which were protected by two ranges of hills,
were the largest and most profitable, and were once owned by Nin.
The salt works on Pag, of Roman origin, The possession of these salt flats, still profitable today, has been the
still in use today cause of various wars through history.

For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp228–30 and pp240–45

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Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
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Date 1st October 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm