Remember how I just posted a cruise review saying I didn’t love cruises? Hilarious as mere months later, I was on a Sail Croatia cruise down the Dalmatian coast, exploring so much of Croatia and its islands (more on that later, so stay tuned). This was a special wedding anniversary celebration trip, and we started in Split, Croatia. We had just over 24 hours, or one day, to find things to do before we got on a boat for a week.
About Split, Croatia
Split is the second-largest city in Croatia (after Zagreb, not Dubrovnik) and the largest one that sits directly on the coast. It lures over 1 million tourists a year, against its 330,000 residents, because of its historic center and blue Adriatic waters.
Split is old! It was founded sometime in the BCE years and has been the site of Roman emperors’ homes (see below), raids, wars, conquests, and all kinds of activity.
It spent a period of time ruled by the Venetians. That, and given its close proximity to Italy, there are a lot of shared foods and customs between the two countries.
Get Tips from the Trip Delivered
Life with a family is constantly a trip, and we’re here to take it with you. Once a month, we send intimate essays, tips, book recommendations, and travel guides to help you live an intentional family life
To get to Split: We arrived by flying in to Dubrovnik, spending a night in Cavtat near the airport, then driving to Split. The drive was very easy.
Where to stay in Split: Stay somewhere in the historic town center. It will cost more money, but the ease of sightseeing will be worth it. We stayed at the Galeria Valeria, and the location ended up being perfect for us.
Book rooms and restaurants in advance! Split gets busy and is a popular destination, particularly with cruise ships. In high season (the summertime months of June, July and August), things will selll out and book up.
Best Things to do in Split, Croatia
Table of Contents
Visit Diocletian's Palace (with a pro-tip)
If there is one “must-do,” it is visiting Diocletian’s Palace.
The Palace itself is integrated into and part of the town. Unlike other “palaces” in Europe (like Pena Palace or Neuschwanstein), it isn’t controlled access, gated, or even a contiguous building. You can meander and walk through whenever you like at whatever pace – which you will likely go through it just by walking from Point A to Point B in Split.
Diocletian’s Palace was built by the Roman emperor in the 3rd century A.D. It was meant to be a place to vacation and retire, with sea breezes and salty air. (While today the water is a bit far away, back then the sea waves hit the bottom of the palace walls.)
Diocletian himself was a complicated man. He persecuted Christians and came to power through military force and brute strength. That being said, he was also responsible for stabilizing the region, establishing a new format of rule: the tetrarchic system, and bringing about peace (such as it is when all the Roman elite are trying to kill each other).
It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site today (which you know we love!).
It is possible to climb the bell tower in Diocletian’s Palace. The Cathedral of St. Domnius is the tallest bell tower on the Dalmatian coast, and it offers views of Split. You do have to pay to climb. At the time of our visit, it was €7 per person to climb the bell tower. (We ended up going to a spot that had a free view of Split, see below.)
The cathedral is said to be the oldest Catholic cathedral in the world. Each tier of the bell tower has a different architectural style, but it creates a fantastic monument overlooking the city.
PRO-TIP: Get a guide and take a historical tour of Diocletian’s Palace and Split. You can book a walking tour of Diocletian’s Palace in advance, or you can grab one of the tour guides in the palace square when you arrive.
We had not been planning to do this, but when we arrived in Split and saw Diocletian’s Palace, we realized we would get much more out of the experience if we understood the context and history of what we were seeing.
Croatia has gained popularity in recent decades due to being home to many scenes in Game of Thrones (particularly in Dubrovnik, which I will share later). I haven’t seen a minute of the show, although I did read the first book. But thousands of tourists like to see where this fantasy world was created. If that’s what you are in to, you can take a Game of Thrones tour, like this one.
(If you do watch Game of Thrones, you may recognize that spot in Diocletian’s Palace.)
Walk to a Viewpoint
Split, Croatia, like so many European cities, is aesthetically beautiful. It sits on the coast, with crystal blue Adriatic Sea waters. The Old Town is, indeed, old, with stone-paved promenades, terracotta roofs, and white walls all over. Getting up over it all to take it in is a must.
We took the steps out of Old Town to Marjan Park. While you will have to climb quite a lot of stairs to do this, it wasn’t too hard. (Slow and steady wins the race.) There is a cafe at the top, as well.
If you take the steps we took to the view, you will pass a lot of cats (in fact, Google Maps even has a pin that someone has submitted about the cats). Take your time to say “hi.” Since you’ve got a lot of stairs to go up, it is a good opportunity to rest.
Note that if you have accessibility issues, you can get to this viewpoint by means of Uber or car. It is accessible by road.
Split Viewpoint – Prva Vidilica- on Google Maps. The steps are next to the Marjan Park Visitors Center (Trumbićeva obala 16, 21000, Split, Croatia) in Old Town.
Peek in the Fish Market
While not as impressive as the markets in Barcelona, Madrid, and Colombo, this fish market was worth a look. Dining in Croatia, particularly in the coastal regions, is predominantly seafood and crustaceans, so it is a nice moment to see it all in action.
While I understand this post is a “best things to do” list, I also wouldn’t recommend going out of the way to see this. It is small. But since you will likely walk by it at some point, walk through!
- The Split Fish Market is located in Old Town at Hrvatska, Obrov ul. 5, 21000, Split, Croatia.
Learn About Croatian Wines
Travel bloggers Earth Trekkers recommended this spot, and when we found it, we decided to stop in!
Zinfandel is more than a wine bar – it is a wine tasting experience. Located in the heart of the oldest part of Split, it takes a moment to find, but once you do, it is worth it.
If you get the tasting menu (which I recommend), you will be given traditional Croatian morsels to try as well as three different wines to try. With each wine, the staff will come to the table to explain the grape, the origin, and why it is important to Croatia.
Given that Split was at the beginning of our trip, this was a great introduction. As we made our way through Croatia, we learned that nearly every city, town, and region has its own grape varietal, and they are very proud of their wines. Getting our bearings at the wine shop helped us get more out of the wine experience throughout the entire trip.
- Zinfandel is online at www.zinfandelfoodandwinebar.com and located in the historic center at Marulićeva ul. 2, 21000, Split.
Walk By the Water: Riva Promenade
Much of Split, Croatia, is defined by the water. Many large cruising vessels (and so many smaller ones, too) port at Split. In fact, there can be massive cruise ships coming into port here, as well, so be sure, if you can, to use our tip from Grand Cayman to track cruise ships and manage your activities around them.
This means you have to get down by the water, stroll the promenade, and eat at one of the restaurants with a view (even if it costs more). Watch people bring their boats into the harbor and generally enjoy the sea life.
Eat Good Food
This time, at this location, we didn’t have any amazing meals or restaurants booked in advance (and, honestly, hadn’t even done much research). We just ate when we were hungry with whatever was easily available to us.
It turns out – Croatia does a lot of pizza. An upscale pizzeria with a water view (and the price tag to show it) ended up being our dinner for the night.
But we found so many cute cafes and restaurants, including near our hotel.
With More Time:
Klis Fortress. This fortress is located 20 miles north of Split and will require a car or a bus ticket to get to. Learn more about Klis Fortress at www.tvrdavaklis.com.
I wanted to go here, as it looked interesting, but we simply ran out of time.
While I can’t say that Split was our introduction to Croatia as we stayed in the cute, small town of Cavtat before we arrived, I can say that Split was a wonderful way to spend a full day getting familiarized with the country. While there are things to see and places to eat, none of it felt overwhelming or stressful.
Split is about the water, the smooth stone streets, the history, and the salty air. It felt safe and navigable. If I were a mighty Roman emperor, I could see retiring here, too.
Like it?
Save it.
