In the South-East of Europe, tucked in between the coastal mountains and turquoise waters of the Adriatic Sea, lies the second biggest city in Croatia – Split. Apart from the beaches, Split is also widely known for its rich history, delicious food, vibrant nightlife and love for sports.
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Split’s History
The history of Split goes back to the ancient Greeks, whose town Aspalathos stood at the place of today’s Split. Later on, Romans conquered this area and renamed it Dalmatia (a name still in use for this region of Croatia). Around 295 AD the Roman Emperor Diocletian started the construction of a huge palace for his retirement home.
Diocletian’s palace: A Tourist Attraction
Today, Diocletian’s palace is an inevitable part of the city tour, since it spreads throughout the whole Old Town. This includes the Palace’s gates, the well-preserved sub-structures, Peristil square, and the Imperial mausoleum. You’ll surely feel like you’re in a real ancient city. For 15 Croatian Kuna (around 2 €) go up the Cathedral of St. Dominus. After climbing the steps, enjoy the outstanding panoramic view of Split from the top of the bell tower.
Outdoor and Indoor Activities
Nature in Split is as astonishing as the city’s cultural and historical heritage. The incredible contrast of mountains touching the sea is not something you’ll see very often. You can literary go hiking at Marjan hill or Mosor mountain in the morning and then enjoy a swim afterwards! The most notable beaches of Split are Kašjuni, Kaštelet, Žnjan, Bene and of course Bačvice beach.
Bačvice beach
Bačvice beach (pronounced: Batch-wee-tse) is without a doubt the most popular city beach and another symbol of Split. Only a few minutes away from the main bus station and ferry port, it’s easily reachable by foot. It’s the closest beach from the city center and at night it turns into a party and nightlife hotspot.
Picigin: An Authentic Croatian Sport
Since Bačvice is the biggest sandy beach in Split, it’s the perfect place to play the original Dalmatian sport: Picigin. This ball game was first played at this very beach in the 1900s, before spreading to the whole Croatian coast. The rules are simple – it’s played in shallow water, with a small ball that must not touch the water. The players should be passing the ball between each other by slapping it instead of grabbing the ball. Just imagine using your palms as tennis rackets. Also, a big plus is if you make some amazing dives and acrobatic jumps when reaching for the ball!
Although the game is played just for fun, without points and score, the Picigin World Championship is organized annually on Bačvice. The winner is selected by the artistic impression of his/hers acrobatic leaps and hits. If you don’t want to participate, at least come to watch, it’s really amusing! In the below video clip, see a few locals playing Picigin at Bačvice beach.
Kayaking
Also, at Bačvice beach you can rent your own kayak or go on an organized kayak tour. It’s great cardio and upper body exercise as well as a nice way to spend a day exploring the Adriatic coastline. You should definitively try it out!
Marjan Hill
Less than 10 minutes of walk from the Old Town Split there’s a wonderful green oasis – Marjan Hill. Marjan (pronounced: Maryan) is often called Split’s lungs due to the evergreen pine forest that spreads over the whole hill and peninsula in the western part of the city. At the base of the hill, there are many spots where you can go for a swim in privacy, away from the buzz of the city.
Bene is a popular beach here, surrounded with pine forest that offers a perfect shade for hot summer days. The enchanting smell of pines will follow you everywhere you go in Marjan. It’s the perfect place for a morning or afternoon jog, with hiking trails leading all the way to the top of Marjan. Difficulty level: Not that hard.
In addition, everything is reachable by bicycle! There’s a bike rental at the entrance, and the price is around 20 kunas an hour (around 3 €). The price for either two hours rental or the whole day is cheaper. It’s a bit challenging to cycle through Marjan, but still do-able. Definitely worth a shot if you like outdoor activities.
After a few minutes of walking through the Marjan park, you’ll find the wonderful, old church of St. Nicholas. Next to it, there’s a place to refill your water bottle.
At the eastern part of Marjan, near the park entrance, you have to visit the cafe restaurant Vidilica, with its astonishing panoramic view of Split and the Adriatic Sea. It’s one of those sights that can’t be described with either words or photos, you simply have to experience it yourself. Grab a coffee or tea, but as for the food there, in my opinion, there are better places in Split for lunch.
Dalmatian Food Specialities
Traditional dalmatian meals are mainly based on fresh seafood caught the same morning. Thus it’s healthy, light, and packed with lean protein. In addition, food usually gets prepared with homemade cold extracted extra-virgin olive oil.
Black risotto
Black risotto is certainly one of the most popular traditional meals not only in Split but in the whole Adriatic coastline. Great to try if you’re tired of classic fish dishes but still crave for fresh seafood. It may seem unusual at first, because who eats black food? But don’t get put off by the appearance.
The main ingredients are cuttlefish (squid), garlic, olive oil, wine and squid ink which gives the rice the unusual black color. If prepared in a classical dalmatian way, it’ll leave you wanting more, and maybe even become your new seafood favorite.
Once you’ve had enough seafood, know that Dalmatian cuisine has much more to offer.
Pašticada
Pašticada is a traditional Dalmatian beef steak dish served only on special occasions since the preparation time is rather long. The key to this delicious and soft beef steaks is that meat should be pierced through, filled with garlic and bacon, and left overnight drenched in wine vinegar. The cooking sauce is made from celery, carrots, tomatoes, onions, and other vegetables all mixed up together. Thus even though it’s a bit spicy and strong, it’s rather healthy.
Soparnik
You’re not impressed by the Black risotto nor the Pasticada? Well, then you must be vegan. Don’t worry, dalmatian cuisine offers a remarkably tasty dish called Soparnik. It’s my favorite dalmatian dish, and I’m not even vegan! The preparation method is what makes this simple combination of ingredients so delicious. Olive oil, chard and garlic in a thin crust.
Split Restaurants
There are many good restaurants on Riva (a popular Split seafront promenade next do Diocletian’s palace) and in Old Town. Whichever restaurant you choose, it’s hard to go wrong. They’re obliged to offer good service and tasty meals or they’d be out of the business.
However, there are a few restaurants that stand out. Konoba Trattoria Bajamont is a restaurant located in the Old Town, close to the Peristil square, and it’ll serve you fantastic local food. Another very good and popular place is Kadena. The combination of delicious food and a stunning view on the nearby islands is an experience you won’t forget. For a less fancy and more budget-friendly option, I’d recommend “Fife“. Prices are really cheap for a restaurant on the Split waterfront, and yet the food is rather tasty.
For vegetarian and vegan options, you should definitely try Makrovega in the city center. It’s a great place that offers a wide range of delicious vegetarian and vegan specialties at really affordable prices.
Sport and Fitness
Split has a very pleasant climate, with over 2700 sunny hours per year and an average temperature of 16°C. Therefore both locals and tourists are practicing outdoor sports activities all year long. The most popular sport in Split is definitely football (soccer). Around half of the players in the very successful Croatian football team are from the region of Dalmatia.
There are many free outdoor mini-football courts throughout the city. Almost every neighborhood has at least one, and you can always jump in to play with the locals. Just mention that you love Hajduk Split and they’ll treat you like family! Hajduk Split is one of the oldest football clubs in the Balkans (est. 1911) and one of the best Croatian clubs. All around the city you’ll see Hajduk Split crests painted on the walls and locals wearing Hajduk Split jerseys.
(Photo by Ludovic Péron)
Gyms
Due to the great beach-life, everyone in Split wants to look good and stay in shape. Since the city center is mainly reserved for tourism, there aren’t many gyms there. But Split isn’t that large a city. Thus wherever you rented an apartment. there’s surely a gym nearby. Let’s discuss some of the best places for working out in Split:
- Spartan Fitness – Working out here is a great choice if you’re looking for a gym in the city center. It’s less than 10 minutes of walk from the Old Town. The place is neither huge nor tiny; there’s as much space as you need it. It’s equipped with all the machines and weights that you can think off so you won’t lack anything! The prices are rather affordable, especially since it’s a city center gym. One-day training pass is 25KN which is around 3.5 €, a week of training costs 100KN (13.5 €) and a monthly membership is either 150KN (20€) for 3x per week or 200KN (27€) for the unlimited number of training sessions.
Website: http://spartan-gym-split.com/
Address: Kneza Višeslava 30, Gripe fortress, Split (Close to Croatian Maritime Museum)
- Marjan Taekwondo Club Gym – This is another gym in the city center, just a couple of hundred meters away from Spartan Fitness. It’s a bit more expensive than Spartan, but it’s better equipped, bigger and really modern. Monthly membership with 3 training sessions a week is 250KN, and unlimited gym access is 300KN.
Website: https://split-fitness.club/
Address: Osječka 11, Gripe fortress, Split
- Fitness Center Joker – One of the biggest gyms in the Dalmatian region, equipped with literary everything. It’s located on the top floor of Joker shopping mall. Modern looking, with new machines, this gym has without a doubt the best offer in Split. However, it’s also among the most expensive gyms here. Monthly membership with 3 sessions per week costs 300KN; unlimited access is 350KN while the one-day training pass is 50KN. There’s also 15-day membership for 220KN. They also have a rich offer of group training sessions such as Booty Camp, Body Rock Workout and Smart Fit Training.
Website: https://fitnesscentarjoker.hr/
Address: Put Brodarice 6, Joker Shopping Mall, Split
Conclusion: Split, Croatia
Apart from the great cuisine, outdoor and fitness activities mentioned above, take your time strolling through the narrow, cobblestone streets of the Old Town. You’ll see plenty of interesting beauty and health shops with homemade, natural products. This includes locally produced extra-virgin olive oil, as well as donkey milk soap to nourish your skin.
Split is definitively one of the most popular summer destinations in Europe. You can only truly fathom Split’s unique spirit if you spend some time there. When your visit comes to an end, you’ll understand the popular local saying:
“What is great London, compared to the city of Split.”
Have you ever been to Split (Croatia)? Comment below with your suggestions, thoughts and questions for other travelers!