Split Guide - Croatia

Images courtesy of
Dalmatia Tourist Board

Split

• the heart of Dalmatia
• Split is the second largest city in Croatia
• many islands off the coastline
• population: 190,000
• Zlatni Rat is a renown beach
• other beaches at Brela, Paleni, Milna and Solta
• Diocletian Palace a UNESCO listed sight
• mild mediterranean, with moderately hot summers and mild winters
• home area of Ivan Mestrovic - Croatia's greatest 20th century sculptor
• walled city of Trogir a highlight
• over 2,000 hours of sunshine per year

The southern Croatian city of Split (population 190,000) is situated on a peninsula in the Central Adriatic. 380 km south-east of the capital Zagreb, it is the principal Adriatic port and a naval base. It is also a major industrial and sports centre.

Split - the heart of Dalmatia

Split is an important tourist centre whether as a destination in itself or as a transit point towards other places on the coast or in the magnificent Dalmatian archipelago. It is a typical Mediterranean city brimming with life and colours. The people are warm, temperamental.

On the bright side, the women of Split (and Dalmatia in general) are said to be the most beautiful in Europe. The dark side of Split is its lively drugs scene; the city lays claim to being the country's narco-capital.

Split

Diocletian's Palace

The city grew around the residence of the Roman emperor Diocletian, who was born in the area in 245 AD. Before he retired in 305 AD, he had a majestic palace erected here in what was then known as Aspálathos in Greek. The emperor had a good eye to pick this particular point on the map of the Adriatic coast, protected from the north by a mountain range and from the south by the Split archipelago.

He ordered the palace built in the prized white stone taken from the nearby island of Brac and in precious marble from Italy. He was buried in 313 AD within its walls and the palace went on to become a factory of Roman military uniforms and a nucleus of the city.

Today the huge palace accommodates shops, cafés, restaurants and the Civic Museum, exhibiting coins, documents, prized pieces of furniture, paintings and weapons dating back to the 18th century.

After the Avars sacked the area in early seventh century, the fugitives built walls around the palace turning it into a fortress, and the emperor's mausoleum into the town's cathedral.

The city prospered under the Byzantines (812-1089) and the Venetians (1420-1797) and extended itself beyond the city walls with beautiful buildings and a high bell tower.

Split boasts various magnificent ancient churches and a gallery dedicated to the Croatian sculptor Ivan Mestrovic (1883-1962), located in the villa that used to be the artist's home.

Mestrovic's monument, the statue of Grgur Ninski, is erected in front of the Golden Gate, the southern entrance to the Diocletian Palace. The legend says that touching Grgur's toe brings good luck and helps one's wishes come true. Grgur is an important figure in Croatian history as he strove to introduce the mass in the Croatian language.

Bacvice, Split's most popular beach, is near the city centre. It's a sandy beach that apart from being a major bathing spot represents a meeting place for citizens of Split. Another well-known sandy beach is Firule, a bit further away from the centre. The Bene beach, located close to the forest park of Marjan, is composed of pebble and rocks.

For tennis try the courts by the Firule beach and in Stobrec, east of Split. The Marjan hill over the city offers ample opportunities for strolling, jogging, roller skating and cycling. The hill features a large pine grove and the belvedere offers a wonderful view of the islands located in front of Split. Marjan also hosts a small zoo which will make the children happy.

Lovers of sailing will find numerous possibilities for hiring sailing boats. Split is a departure point for many sailing trips, notably to the surrounding islands of Central Dalmatia. If you are not a fan of sailing, but you nevertheless like the sea, you'll still be able to chose between tour cruise boats.

The Split Archipelago

The Central Dalmatian Coast is so rich and colourful that its diverse attractions appeals to all kinds of visitors.

Interested in free diving or scuba diving? The Blue Cave on the Bisevo island is there for you to explore. You dream of sunbathing on the most beautiful beach in the Adriatic? In this case, you have to make a trip to Zlatni Rat, on the island of Brac. In case your dream vacation is synonymous with culture, rest assured that the towns of Hvar and Korcula have many marvels in store for you.

Trogir, Solin and Sinj

In the vicinity of Split there are several precious towns, notably Solin and Trogir. Just six km to the north Solin (Salona in Italian) is the greatest complex of Roman monuments in Croatia.

The fascinating town of Trogir (Traú) was founded by the Greeks 2300 years ago. Its historical core is a unique cultural monument and was included in the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1997.

In the interior is the town of Sinj, 30km to the northeast of Split. It is famous for Sinjska Alka, a jousting competition held annually in early August to commemorate the battle in 1815 in which the local defenders defeated the overwhelmingly superior Turks.

The islands that lie in front of the Split coast are extremely popular and frequently visited. Above all is the island of Hvar, be it for its natural beauty and a wonderful climate with the most hours of sunshine (2715 annually) in the Adriatic.

The other attractive destination is the island of Brac, Brazza in Italian, which boasts the most beautiful Adriatic coast in the town of Bol: Zlatni Rat (The Golden Cape) is a promontory composed of pebble rock, equipped by sand beaches on both sides and and surrounded by crystal clear waters.

Brac: A Mediterranean Beauty

One hour away by ferry from Split, Brac (Brach) is the largest Dalmatian island with the length of 40km, and width of 12 km. Its stone-fenced gardens, its cypress forests and its delicious goat cheeses make it the most Mediterranean of the Croatian islands.

The favourite tourist localities are Supetar, the closest town to the mainland, Pucisca, Milna, Lozisca, Bol and Zlatni Rat. The latter is the most spectacular beach on all of the Adriatic, a large triangle covered by white pebble, penetrating the sea by 500 m. Even though Zlatni Rat is the most frequented tourist destination in Croatia, there are many other places to enjoy on this island.

The treasures one must not overlook include Skrip, the most ancient village on the island, which is the home to the Museum of Brac. You will experience the most beautiful sunset at the Sveti Nikola promontory, a gorgeous place to take a walk. If you ever were tempted by the idea of carving a stone, the town of Pucisca hosts the national school which teaches the sculpting skills in the style of various noted artists born on the island.

Brac has been famous from antiquity for its white stone which was used to build the Diocletian palace in Split and more recently grandiose monuments in Vienna, the Reichstag in Berlin, the Milan theatre and the White House in Washington.

Hvar, the fashionable island

Hvar has recently become a Mecca for the international jet-set and their yachts. In July and August, the island's tourist capacities are packed-full, so spring or early autumn could be the best time to discover the island.

The charm of the port villages like Stari Grad (Old Town), Jelsa and Vrboska is undisputable, but the real gem of the island is the homonymous town of Hvar. Located in a bay at the westernmost extreme of the island, the town is protected by a group of islets called Pakleni (Infernal). Founded by the Venetians, Hvar boasts a precious central square with a pavement covered in marble and a 500-year-old well in the centre. The first structure a seafarer comes across upon arrival in the port is the armoury constructed in 1611. At a walking distance south to the port is one of the most intriguing sights of the island, the 14th century Franciscan monastery in the garden of which, facing the sea, is a 300-year-old cypress.

Korcula, the last stop before Dubrovnik

Compared to the brightness and the gracefulness of Hvar, Korcula /KOR-choo-lah/ is more austere, more rural. Separated from the Peljesac peninsula by a narrow channel, the island stretches for 47 km in the west-east direction. The Adriatic jewel, Dubrovnik, is just an hour away by boat and three hours by car.

The principal town, Korcula, is situated on a promontory at the foot of a hill. Its map exhibits a blueprint similar to a fish skeleton, with a long main street with parallel side streets on either side. On the south-western side, the streets are straight to let pass the gentle warm breeze called maestral. On the opposite side, the streets are winding to stop the cold northern wind.

Should one desire to extend the pleasure, one could make a trip from Korcula to nearby Mljet /Mlyet/, an island that was declared a national park in 1960. The park is carefully guarded and the number of visitors is restricted. One of the features of the island is a population of mongooses, introduced half a century ago to reduce the growing snake population. Since then, the serpents have all but disappeared, but the mongooses have multiplied to an extent that concerns the environmentalists.

Split Fact File

Country: Croatia
Situation: Central Dalmatia, northeast Adriatic coast
Population: 190,000 (240,000 with suburbs)
Climate: Mediterranean
Monuments: Diocletian Palace (UNESCO protected)
Archeological Museum
Museum of Croatian Archeological Monuments
Ethnographic Museum
Poljud soccer stadium
Gripe basketball palace
Major tourist centres in the vicinity
* Trogir
* Solin
* Omis
* Makarska
Major islands of the Split archipelago
* Brac (Brazza) – the Deer island
* Hvar – the Golden island
* Vis – the Lost island
* Korcula – the Austere island
* Mljet – the Mongoose island

Accommodation & Major Hotels

Split Hotels

Hotel Meridien

Hotel Sunce

Hotel Park Hvar

Hotel Plaza

Apartmani Trogir

Hotel As

Hotel Dujam
Hotel Globo
Hotel Jadran
Hotel Marjan
Hotel Split

Villa Adriatica
Villa Matejuska, Split
Pansion Krilo, Krilo Jesenice
Domus Maritima, Trogir
Pink Inn, Podstrana
Hotel Tragos, Trogir
Hotel Eden, Podstrana
Hotel Slavija, Split
Hotel Trogir, Trogir

Hotels in Split - Bookings
Hotels in Supetar - Bookings
Hotels in Trogir - Bookings
Hotels in Bol - Bookings
Hotels in Podstrana - Bookings
Hotels in Dalmatia - Bookings
HotelsCroatia.com - Hotels in Croatia
Hostelworld.com - Hostels in Croatia

Foreign visitors usually have a good time in Croatia, because of the low crime rate, decent accommodation and the fact that many locals speak foreign languages and actually like to mingle with foreign tourists.

Currency

The legal currency is kuna (Croatian for marten, a popular local mammal), which is semi-convertible. You can exchange pounds or euros into kunas at hundreds of exchange offices found just about everywhere in the city.

Since anyone can also convert kunas into foreign currency, there is no black market for foreign exchange so all transactions should be carried out at official exchange businesses rather than in the street.

Exchange rates vary from place to place, but remember that a 100 GBP will buy you about 1100 kunas, 100 euros 740 kunas, and 100 dollars 580 kunas (2006 rates).
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Entertainment

Bars + cafés

Split has plenty of bars, discos and upmarket cafés in its Adriatic resorts.

Enjoy a sunset cocktail in a number of good bars in Dalmatia.

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Restaurants

The central place for entertainment in Split is Riva, the long promenade at the waterfront in the southern part of the city.

Take your time, relax and enjoy a slow walk down the Riva, which teems with coffee shops and cocktail bars that always seem to be full of people. After a while, you'll learn the meaning of the term "fiacca", an Italo-slavic coin-word expressing a particular state of total relaxation when the time is irrelevant and life's problems seem distant and easy to solve.

Dalmatian cuisine is an offshoot of Mediterranean cuisine - light, genuine and simple to prepare. It is hard to believe how much magic a bit of olive oil, garlic, pepper and salt can create.

Wherever you go in Split and its surroundings, you will find excellent restaurants offering delicatessen on the basis of fish and other seafood, smoked ham and cheese.

Along the Riva and the adjoining streets you can find any number of pizzerias and places with standard Dalmatian dishes such as brodet (mixed fish stew), black squid risotto (crni rizot) and grilled squid (lignje na zaru). The intimate Sperun restaurant in this part of the city offers a friendly dining experience.

By the Bacvice beach you will find more upmarket restaurants such as Stellon, while further away from the centre, near the Firule beach, the stylish Sumica (Grove) and Boban, situated among residential buildings above the sea, are recommended.

Nightlife is also centered along the Riva and the adjoining streets. Unlike continental Croatia, the nightlife in Dalmatia is more Mediterranean as far as the working hours of the bars are concerned. While in Zagreb visitors often complain about establishments closing at 11pm or midnight, in Split you will find more places to while away the night hours to the sounds of traditional Dalmatian sounds or modern dance music.

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Important telephone numbers

92 - police
93 - fire brigade
94 - ambulance
970 - taxi
987 - road help
0044 - access number for calling UK

Public Internet

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Tourist Information Centers

Dalmatia Tourist Board

Split
Peristil bb
Tel: 021 342 606

Trogir
Trg Ivana Pavla II Br 1
Tel: 021 881 412

Brela
Trg Alojzija Stepinca bb
Tel: 021 618 455

Getting to Split

Air

From Zagreb's Pleso Airport (tel. 01 62 65 222) there are flights to Split with Croatia Airlines.

Air France, British Airways (BA) and KLM all have connections to Croatia. Zagreb is Croatia's airline hub and has domestic flights to Dubrovnik, Pula, Rijeka, Split and Zadar. Easyjet has flights to Split from the UK, germanywings flies to Zagreb from Germany.

Train

Split has rail connections to Zagreb (six hours) by express train and also overnight trains (8 hours, 30 mins).

Bus/Road

There are buses from Split to Zagreb (6-9 hours), Rijeka (8 hours), Dubrovnik (4 hours; 30 mins) and Pula (10 hours).

Boat

There are Jadrolinija (Tel: 338 333) boats including both passenger and car ferries from the ferry terminal to Hvar Island.

Getting Around

There are local buses, taxis and boats to the offshore islands. Car hire can work out economical if you are staying for any length of time. It is possible to hire bicycles in a number of Dalmatian towns.

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Weather

The climate is mild Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and temperate, humid winters.
The weather is wonderful from late April through early October and in mid-summer the sea temperature approaches 30° Celsius.

Sports

Split's soccer club Hajduk used to be a member of the Big Four in the former Yugoslavia and has ever since fought Dinamo Zagreb for the Croatian title. The basketball team, KK Split (formerly Jugoplastika and POP-84) won three consecutive European titles between 1989 and 1991.

Poljud Stadium

Hajduk Split's stadium is a tourist sight in its own right. Officially called Gradski stadion na Poljudu (Municipal Stadium at Poljud), this flying saucer of a sports venue was constructed in 1979 for the Mediterranean games. It is located 500m from the sea and only a 12 minute walk separates it from Hajduk's old ground, now imaginatively referred to as Stari plac (Old Ground).

For all its architectural beauty, this 35,000 seater suffers from poor drainage and its high cost of maintenance for a club whose average home attendance in the domestic championship usually does not exceed 10,000 spectators.

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