The civic heart of the old town, Narodni Trg has been Zadar's main public square since the Renaissance — when the Venetian loggia (a long, columned building used as a public court and assembly hall) and the Town Guard House were built on its eastern side. Both buildings are still standing, the loggia now hosting exhibitions and the Guard House serving as an ethnographic museum.
The square is at its best in the early evening when locals come out for the obligatory passeggiata. Cafés around the edge are reliably overpriced; settle for an espresso rather than a meal.