Northern Dalmatia is the lesser-known stretch of Croatia's Adriatic coast. Its centrepiece is the port of Zadar, with as much Roman, Byzantine and Venetian history as the more familiar hubs of Split and Dubrovnik further south. Stuck out on a peninsula, Zadar has been isolated from the mainland for much of recent history. Italian (Zara) between the wars, after severe Allied bombing Zadar became part of Tito's Yugoslavia until 1991. This part of the coast also suffered most from the Yugoslav war - Zadar was shelled and nearly occupied. Recovery has been slow, and parts of the compact old Roman city centre are still clad in scaffolding. Recently, key new spots, notably the DJ terrace The Garden, DJ bar Space Lab, the multi-purpose arts venue the Arsenal and the marvellous Sea Organ installation, have brought a welcome burst of energy to the city.

Everything takes place in a criss-cross of streets on a tongue of land some 600 metres (1,968 feet) long and 300 metres (985 feet) wide, encircled by Venetian fortifications. Part of the old Roman Forum forms focal Zeleni trg. On and adjacent to Zeleni trg are Zadar's five main sights. St Donat's Church (Zeleni trg) is no longer in service but the rounded cylinder shapes of this Byzantine church are the symbol of Zadar itself. Its high-ceilinged space is used for recitals. Beside St Donat's, the cathedral (Trg sv Stosije) was built in late Romanesque style in the 12th century. The belltower allows a fabulous view of Zadar. Nearby, the Archaeological Museum (Trg Opatice Cike, 023 250 516) was founded in 1832 but since rehoused in a modern building, 100,000 artefacts are arranged on three floors, from prehistoric weaponry to bizarre local gravestones from the Middle Ages. Don't miss the model of how the Forum would have looked in Roman times.

The jewel in the crown is St Mary's Church & Treasury (Trg Opatice cike, 023 250 496). St Mary's is the church of a Benedictine convent. The nuns were responsible for curating the stunning treasures next door, the Gold and Silver of Zadar. Set over two floors, the Treasury houses Zadar's finest ecclesiastical artefacts, finely carved, ornate examples of Byzantine craft and religious Venetian art from the 16th century. Alongside the Forum runs the spinal street of Siroka, linking the new cultural hub of Three Wells to historic Five Wells at each extremity of the city centre. Around the edge, the south embankment was once the chic side of town. The quay was almost completely destroyed by Allied bombing. All that remained was the hotel, renamed the Zagreb and the subject of a long-running saga to rebuild it.

Focus has shifted to the north shore. As if by way of announcing it, bizarre noises greet you, sounding not unlike the Clangers sighing for want of soup. Thirty-five organ pipes emit unworldly tones through holes bored into the smooth, new paving stones, their size and velocity played by the waves of the sea. The eccentric Sea Organ, inaugurated in 2005, was designed by Nikola Basic and built in nearby Murter.

Tourist information: Ilije Smiljanica 5 (023 212 222, www.zadar.hr).