Sukošan

Sukošan lies eleven kilometres southeast of Zadar on a broad bay historically connected with agriculture and the estates of Zadar’s church and nobility. Its most unusual historic remnant stands on a small islet in the bay: the ruins of the archbishops’ summer residence, commonly called Palac, remain isolated in shallow water and form one of the settlement’s defining views. In the centre stands the parish Church of St Cassian, while St Martin’s Church and the cemetery chapel of Our Lady of Mercy add further heritage points. In the Middle Ages Sukošan belonged to the Zadar district and later gained a defensive role during Ottoman incursions. Today its nautical identity is strongly shaped by D-Marin Dalmacija, located between Sukošan and Bibinje and among the largest marinas on the Croatian coast. Beaches and waterfront areas face the Zadar archipelago, while Zadar itself is close enough for an evening or half-day excursion without changing accommodation.

Sukošan is a village and small harbour in Zlatna Luka Bay, ten kilometres south-east of Zadar, where cultivated fields run down to the sea. Its present-day character is defined by Marina Dalmacija in Zlatna Luka and the shore leading towards the Tustica natural area. The older settlement emerges around St Cassian’s church, recorded in 1396 and reshaped in 1642, and at Palac in Sukošan Bay. Archbishop Maffeo Vallaresso built this summer residence in 1470; its ruins now stand in the shallow water.