However, there is a spiaggia libera in the centre, off Corso Trento Trieste, and it’s fun to take the trolleybus ( filobus, line U) west to the free beaches of Bagni Azzurri and Tre Ponti. It’s popular with families, and in true Italian style most beaches charge for entry. Mary Novakovich Sanremo, Liguria, ItalyĬalled City of Flowers for its bloom-laden streets, Sanremo is Italy’s Monte Carlo – with a grand 1905 casino but not Monaco prices. Ryanair flies from Manchester and Stansted easyJet from Luton – both May-October only. Getting there Zadar airport is 13km east of the old town. Where to stay Book well ahead for one of the four double rooms at Kuća Bajlo (doubles from £56), a stylish B&B in the south of the town. For cocktails, grab a sunlounger at the Garden Lounge overlooking the main harbour. Where to eat/drink Foša (four courses from £29) serves gorgeous seafood in a romantic spot by Foša harbour, including prawn and smoked mussel gnocchi. The town is a great base for day trips: to islands, like Dugi Otok (from £6, 1½ hours, jadrolinija.hr), one of the loveliest in the Zadar archipelago and glorious national parks such as Paklenica. For old-fashioned seaside atmosphere, head north along the coast to the Borik and Diklo beach resorts. You can dive into the sea from the promenade or walk 15 minutes south to the pebbly Kolovare beach. Then there are the remains of the Roman forum and the imposing ninth-century St Donat church and wonderful Venetian marble lanes and stone houses. Among its attractions is Nikola Bašić’s underwater art installation, Sea Organ, with its mournful sounds and disco dancefloor-like Greeting to the Sun companion piece. With a fascinating Roman, Byzantine and Venetian history, laid-back beaches, a shimmering promenade and audacious public art, Zadar is instantly beguiling. View image in fullscreen Foša restaurant.

Picturesque cities in europe