Welcome to the second largest city in Croatia, a city that has a lot of interesting historical stories to tell you. The center, namely the old part of the city is a UNESCO protected Diocletian’s palace. Yes, you have read it correctly, a palace. Why is that so special you ask yourself, there are a lot of palaces in the world? Well, this one is the only, i repeat the only palace in the world where people live, work, drink their coffees, do their groceries etc. However, it is not just the palace that Split has to offer, there are various other interesting places and activities to experience while in Split.
WANDERING THE OLD ROMAN STREETS:
Be sure to take at least a few hours of your time to really explore the old city. If you want to emerge yourself into the Split history and at the same time to get to see and experience the local culture and local people there is no better way to do this than on foot, trust me!
Although the Split was earlier inhabited by the Greek colonies, hence the name Split (the city draws its name from the spiny broom, after which the Greek colony of ‘Aspálathos’ was named), the Roman Emperor Diocletian should be considered Split’s first citizen. He ruled between AD 284 and AD 305. Before his retirement he started planning his ‘resting’ palace on the sea, where he would enjoy his retirement. The project began in AD 294 and was completed just in time for Diocletian and his family to move in.
His palace is one of the most well-preserved monuments from the Roman Empire and now covers almost half of the old town of Split. However, Split has changed ruling hands quite a few times, from the Byzantine Empire, Venetian Republic, Kingdom of Hungary to the Kingdom of Croatia all the way to the independent state of Croatia.
Therefore, while wandering down the Split streets you will definitely notice the many influences of various rulers on the architecture itself. Today, the palace is still ‘alive’ and full with life: there are many various shops, restaurants, coffee bars and apartments, which people either rent or live in themselves.
It is not just a historical side of Split that is breathtaking, but Split has been a true focus of many urban events. The music (concerts, festivals, little local gig bands) and art scene are blooming, just like the local cuisine in numerous restaurants. So, while walking down the old center, be sure to take a break, choose any restaurant that is on your way and enjoy a delicious local dish. But know one thing, once you visit Split you will definitely be hooked and want more of the city and with every new visit there will be something new and interesting to discover.
DISCOVERING THE MARJAN HILL:
Let me introduce you first to what is Marjan?
It is a 123m high hill overlooking Split and at the same time it is its biggest natural recreational zone to the local people. Marjan carries an interesting nickname: it is also known as ‘the lungs of the city’. I am sure you can guess why? ………. Yes, you got it right: because it is the biggest surface covered with pine forest and cactuses and we know that trees are the ones who give us oxygen.
The best about Marjan is that you are just a few minutes walking away from the old center of Split. It makes it just perfect when you desire some quiet time, fresh air and/or excersise or just to see the spectacular view from the top. However, Marjan also hides beautiful natural beaches to enjoy with your friends and family.
To sum up: hiking, climbing, running through the wooden paths up and down the hill or long walks by the sea, children playground, coffee bar, beaches – as you can see, there is everything for everyone on Marjan! So, the best way is to just go and experience it for yourself.
EAT AND DRINK LIKE LOCALS:
As Split has rich and diverse history it also has rich and diverse cuisine. It is not simple to put Split’s traditional kitchen in just one menu, because every culture and people that passed through this city left their culinary practices and knowledge. For example, the Greeks taught us all about cultivating olive trees, figs and grapevine, which even today are still on the top of other agriculturals and Romans brought with themselves the knowledge about growing crops etc. In other words, dalmatian cooking reflects all the cultures that have influenced the country over the history.
That is just to give you a feeling of how the rich gastronomy of Split today is. It is not just about grilled fish or meat, it is way more! Each region in the country has its own dish specialties, but wherever you go you will notice that every dish is made from fresh and seasonal ingredients.
Referring on the previous matter, be sure to visit Split’s open-air vegetable and fruit market as well as its famous fish market. Fun fact about this fish market is that it is the only fish market in the world where you won’t see any flies flying around. How is that possible?! It is because of the fact that is was built in a sulphur spring, close to the Town thermae in Marmontova street. Pretty cool, ha!
Let’s go back to the food and some dishes you should try: Dalmatian ham with Paski sir (famous sheep’s milk cheese from island of Pag), Scampi and shells ‘ala buzara’, Black risotto, Fish stew, Pasticada stewed beef, just to name a few.
And now to beverages: Split has a long tradition of wine production and two popular local drinks are ‘Bevanda’, a mixture of water and table wine (red or white), and ‘Gemischt’, white wine and sparkling water, both of which can be ordered at cafes. A typical act at the end of a restaurant meal is a complimentary glass of the hard stuff on the house and this hard stuff is called ‘rakija’. Rakija is schnaps and it can be made out of walnuts, honey, figs, lemon and even olives. Just be careful, because some of it can be very strong. As for the beers, we also do have various local beers but the two most popular Croatian brands are Ozujsko and Karlovacko.
But one thing you will notice is that the coffee bars are always full with locals sipping their coffee. Coffee culture is very strong in Split and everyone will use their free time, be it just a half hour, to enjoy some coffee with friends or colleagues. Usually a coffee is served with a glass of tap water and a biscuit and when it is not a lunch break at work, the locals sip their coffee for more than an hour! So, yes, we love to enjoy a good coffee with friends and chat and gossip for hours. It is a kind of therapy for us.
RENT YOURSELF A BOAT AND FLOAT AWAY:
Croatia has 1246 islands and its coast is a natural wonder. When in Split it would be a shame not to visit some islands like Brač, Hvar, Šolta. You will find many boat excursions from Split to some of the islands, but also a numerous charter agencies, where you can charter a motorboat or a yacht. Stock your bags with food and drink and embark yourself on island adventures.
SPLIT’S SURROUNDINGS WORTH EXPLORING:
While in Split you should definitely go explore its beautiful surroundings and here are just a few places you must visit:
Klis fortress:
This ancient fortress built above the terraced hills by the Illyrians was, throughout the medieval era, the seat of the Croatian Kings. Once you see it you will understand why this place is special and majestic. The location of the fortress, just on a pass that separates the mountains Mosor and Kozjak, is perfect and had served as a defense in Dalmatia, especially against the Ottoman empire.
Do we have to tell you about the breathtaking view it has? Words can’t describe it enough, you will just have to go and see it for yourselves!
And one last interesting fact for those Game of Thrones fans: the Kliss fortress was introduced when Daenerys and her army marched towards Meereen to free the slaves. The streets of Meeren were shot there and for the major part of the fortress they didn’t need any additional CGI editing. Today you can visit there an exhibition dedicated to this show, where they present photos from the set.
Salona:
Another historical site worth visiting. Salona was the Roman Empire’s foremost city in the Balkans with 60,000 people living there at the city’s peak. Although it was destroyed and abandoned, today this archeological park has preserved significant fragments of the whole structures that used to stand there. Definitely the most outstanding is the amphitheatre, which once had a capacity for 18,000 spectators. Today you can trace the perimeter of the area and get the idea of how the terraced seating once was.
Stobreč:
This charming little place with rich history is located on a peninsula and only 7km from Split. It was first mentioned 300 years BC, when Greek colonists founded Epetion. The Greek Epetion becomes the roman Epetium, without its municipal autonomy as it was situated near Salona. The importance of the Roman Epetium was also in its good harbor, traffic connections and the rich agricultural hinterland. Today Stobreč has developed into a charming little place with many beautiful beaches, a variety of restaurants and coffee bars.
