Nin is the oldest Croatian royal city, which is 3000 years old. It is located about 15 kilometers from Zadar and is surrounded by beautiful natural beaches. The center of the old town is on a small island connected to the mainland by two stone bridges.
During the Roman period, the place was an important municipality and coastal port. With the arrival of the Croats in the 7th century, Nin became the first political center and royal city. The Church of the Holy Cross, also known as the smallest cathedral in the world, is a Roman Catholic church and the most famous monument in Nin. It was built in the pre-Romanesque style in the 9th century. It is located in the center of the old historical Nin. Due to its unique architectural form, the church was ranked among the most representative monuments of Croatian early medieval architecture. With its position and beauty, the building dominates the complex in which it is located. It is a building of an interesting central type, the base of which is a single-winged Greek cross with many irregularities in its layout. The outer shell is decorated with a series of blind niches. The dome, which is the dominant part of the church, has an irregular oblong elliptical shape and is narrowed at the top and decorated with niches.
The eyes of a careful observer will notice defects in construction which were not created by ignorance, but are the deliberate work of the old masters. All movements from the correct axis are carefully calculated mathematically, as the church of the Holy Cross represented a calendar and a sundial to the inhabitants of the early Middle Ages. Every year on the first day of summer, the Festival of Sun and Light takes place here. During the period of the Croatian national rulers, the church served as a venerable chapel of the duke's palace, which was located in the immediate vicinity. Inside the church complex are the remains of late antique residential architecture and material remains of the Croats who inhabited these areas since the 7th century. Around 180 medieval old Croatian graves from the 8th to the 15th century were discovered and explored in the nearby area.
Among the sights are also the church of St. Ambrose, church of St. Anselm and the belfry, the town hall, the statue of bishop Gregory of Nin, the remains of the city walls, the monument of Duke Branimir, the Petar Zoranic Ninjanin Memorial park, the Museum of Nin Antiquities and the Kraljevac Square.