Nin
About the town
The town of Nin is proud of the fact that it has been continuously inhabited for an impressive 3000 years. It is located on an islet in a small sandy lagoon, and is connected to the mainland by two centuries-old stone bridges. The Illyrian tribe of Liburnians strongly marked the development of Nin in the period from the 9th to the 1st century BC. This is evident from the fact that Nin is the site with the biggest number of Liburnian tombs and the largest amount of material remains which help to understand the entire development of Liburnian culture.
With the arrival of the Romans, the lifestyle and culture changed significantly. The most important edifice from Roman times is the forum with the Capitol, which housed a monumental temple, the largest temple on the east coast of the Adriatic, indicating a very high level of culture and civilization during the Roman Empire. Nin was economically very developed thanks to salt production, trade and various crafts.
During late antiquity, Nin became one of the most important early Christian centres on the Adriatic, also known as the Croatian Bethlehem. With the arrival of the Croats, Nin became their first political, cultural, administrative and religious centre. The monumental treasure found in Nin belongs to the most important monuments of Croatian national history.
Sights
One of the symbols of Nin is the Coronation Church of St. Nicholas, located on a prehistoric hill. According to folklore, seven kings were crowned in Nin, and on that occasion the crowned ruler would ride to the church of St. Nicholas, introduced himself to the people and cut with a sword to all four corners of the world. At the entrance to the town of Nin, visitors are greeted by a monument to the famous Croatian ruler Branimir. The bronze statue of the bishop and great advocate of the Old Slavonic language and the Glagolitic alphabet, Grgur Ninski, is associated with a legend that, if touched, its big toe fulfils wishes. Numerous Nin churches are a real treasure trove of valuable works of art. The Church of St. Anselmo, which was the cathedral of Nin during the time of the Croatian national rulers, is home to a small but rich church treasury called “Gold and Silver of Nin”. The oldest preserved monument of church architecture, also known as the smallest cathedral in the world, and a symbol of the town of Nin, is the Church of St. Cross, which served also as a sundial and calendar. The baptistery of Prince Višeslav, the first Croatian prince, originates from Nin and is the most important monument of Croatian Christianity. All this is just a part of the rich cultural heritage preserved in the town of Nin for centuries. Another undeniable treasure of Nin and Croatian history is certainly the old Croatian ship Condura Croatica, since ships of this type are considered the smallest and deadliest warships in world history.
Beauty of the town
The unique flora and fauna, Nin salt and the delicious meat speciality called ninski šokol are additional reasons why Nin should definitely be visited. One can relax on the beautiful sandy beaches of the town of Nin. The most famous one is Kraljičina plaža (Queen’s Beach), with an interesting legend associated to it. Nearby one can also find a location with healing mud that cures many diseases. The Nin waters delight all lovers of surfing and hang-gliding, as the winds in the lagoon make it ideal for such activities.