Splendid Split
When we first started talking to friends about going to Croatia, Split was almost unanimously recommended as a top place to visit. We spent three very packed days in this beautiful coastal Croatian town.
Split, the second largest city in Croatia, is definitely a big tourist destination. We visited in mid-September so it wasn’t overrun with tourists but was still lively and seasonal places were still open.
The old town area of Split is comprised of cobblestone, windy streets lined with shops, cafes, and bars. This area of town borders the sea and a lovely waterfront area with a lot of fancier restaurants with outdoor dining. There’s a large park just above the city, Marjan Park, which provides great views of the area and a nice place to get some fresh air.
In the middle of the historical centre is Diocletian’s Palace, a Roman complex from the 4th century. This is probably thought of as the site in Split and I would agree. You can visit parts of these buildings for free and admittance to other areas require a ticket. The complex isn’t very large and we saw the majority of it in a couple of hours max. One of the more surprising things that I saw were the two damaged syphnx statues outside of the cathedral.
From Split, we made the 40 minute drive to Trogir, another coastal town and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Trogir’s old town is very well preserved and a joy to wander around and get a drink or a cup of coffee. We visited the Kamerlengo Castle, a 15th century fortress. Having been to some other Balkan fortresses, the structure itself wasn’t that impressive and wasn’t particularly well-preserved. There was, however, a great view of the surrounding landscape from the fortress that I think was worth the low-price of admission.
In great contrast to seeing the historical sites, we did a skywalking tour of Split’s football stadium. The skywalking itself was not scaring as we were wearing a harness and clip in to steel ropes, similar to Via ferrata. This was an exciting way to see the area around Split from a different perspective. We also learned about Stadion Poljud, the stadium, which was built in 1979 and its design and construction was ahead of its time. It is in remarkable shape for its age and has needed little upkeep over the years. While walking on the exterior part of it, our guides pointed out bullet holes in the plexiglass from the war in the 1990s. The tour culminated in a 70-meter free-fall rope swing through the middle of the stadium. To say it was exhilarating and terrifying is an understatement. It was one of those experiences that I was glad to do but never want to do again.
Besides site seeing, falling from extreme heights, and truffle hunting, we spent the majority of the rest of our time in Split eating at fabulous, though expensive (for Croatia, at least), restaurants.
My favourite place in terms of ambiance was Ćiri Biri Bela where we had both dinner and breakfast while in Split. Dining is outdoors in a beautiful, small garden and there’s even an adorable kitten that the owners have adopted who often pays guests a visit. The dinner felt a bit overpriced but was still delicious and a lovely experience. The breakfast stood out, though. We got the Breakfast for 2 which was an overflowing board of fruits, meats and cheeses, smoked salmon, breads, individual yogurt and granola, and eggs cooked to order. It could have powered us for the rest of the entire day.
We had a fantastic dinner at ARTiČOK where we ate on their rooftop close to the water. Again, this restaurant knocked it out of the park with ambiance. We were blown away with everything we ordered – from appetizer to dessert. The sea bass ceviche was out of this world both in terms of beautiful presentation and bright, stunning taste.
Our last dinner in Split was at Sug which had a private patio in the back of the restaurant. The food was elevated Dalmatian cuisine and our favourite dish was the venison stew. Their version dish was a unique twist on this classic and felt more innovative than offerings at other restaurants. The desserts were outstanding — we devoured the chocolate truffles and the Croatian take on a vanilla pot de creme.
We also stumbled across a delicious ice cream spot. The long line in front of it drew us in and the line was definitely deserved. The ice cream shop, Gelateria Emiliana, served the classic Italian type of ice cream and was the best we had in all of Croatia.
Split was a splendid place to spend a few days. If we had another day, we would have ventured out to one of the nearby islands which are reportedly amazing. The coastal Dalmatian town is worth a stop on a visit to Croatia but I’d recommend doing so outside of the height of tourist season.
