The best of Croatia: Split

Split is a coastal city in Southern Croatia that is famous for its tasty seafood, grand architecture, and Roman history. My husband and I traveled to Split in October 2016 to enjoy the slower pace of shoulder season in Croatia. We were almost halfway through our year-long backpacking trip, so we needed some time to unwind for a few weeks. We stayed in the Old Town and we fell in love with the city. Here’s what we discovered about Split during our time there.

Seafood

The people of Split love their seafood. There’s a fish market in the Old Town that sells freshly caught fish and squid, which you can buy for reasonable prices and take home for dinner. If you prefer to dine out, then almost every restaurant in Split serves some type of seafood dish. The most famous dish is black risotto. It is made from cuttlefish and cuttlefish ink, which gives the rice a black color. It’s delicious! Grilled sea bass and fried calamari are also popular seafood options.

Viewfinder Tip: The best time to visit Split is in September. The weather is still nice, and there are less crowds.

Architecture

In addition to the food, Split is a beautiful city. The Old Town is on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, so it has incredible views of the ocean. On sunny days, locals and travelers alike walk along the main promenade, known as ‘The Riva’, to soak up the sunshine and admire the coastal views. Also, many of the streets in this area are paved with white marble and limestone. This makes the Old Town feel like a large outdoor resort rather than an urban city. It’s pretty unique!

Roman History

It’s no coincidence that Old Split feels like an outdoor resort. It was designed that way! In 305 A.D., the Roman Emperor Diocletian built a palace there to serve as his retirement home. Known as Diocletian’s Palace, it was built with apartments, military quarters, and many other facilities to accommodate all of the emperor’s needs. I can’t imagine how grand it must have looked back then, because it’s still impressive to this day.

Split is the perfect vacation spot for seafood lovers, architecture geeks, and history buffs. The city has lots to offer and we continued to discover new things every day. Want to learn more about Split? Watch this video that we filmed during our time there. Cheers!

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