Balkan odyssey: Taking a sojourn in Split

Editor’s note: Joanna Lobo introduces you to a gorgeous old Croatian town—which offers a refreshing change from the usual European destination. Get ready to wander through the cobble-stoned coastal town of Split—tasting Sarajevo-style ćevapi, exploring local markets—and dropping in on a bookish jazz bar.

Written by: Joanna Lobo is a freelance journalist, editor and travel aficionado. Follow her journey on Instagram @thatdoggonelady and @GoawithJo. 

Over to Joanna…

It is the picture-perfect old European town. Cobble-stoned paths, high walls and ruins that hide pockets of history, old cathedrals and buildings, imposing statues of important figures, and traditions that go back centuries. Split is the ideal coastal town and one of the more striking cities in Croatia. It is believed that Split got its name from the orchid-like flower Spalatos, common along this Dalmatian coast. As a city, Split is home to a thriving food and drink scene, centred on its bustling markets. It also is the perfect gateway to the nearby islands (Hvar, Brac, Vis, Korcula) and other coastal cities like Dubrovnik. 

Warning: Expect a crowd—even during the off-season. If you can ignore the chaos, this coastal city has much to offer. 

First, some basic travel deets

How to get there: It is best to take a flight from metros like Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Delhi to Zagreb—Croatia’s capital, and then take a local (Flixbus) bus to Split—the journey is around four hours.

Visas: You will need a Schengen visa to visit Croatia.

Currency: Croatia now uses the euro, and it is preferable to have cash to pay at markets and smaller shops.  

How to get around: Walking is the best way to explore Split, but there are local buses too (purchase tickets in the bus, keep change handy). There are also buses to nearby cities, and ferries to the islands. A visit to the bus, and ferry terminals gives you timetables, routes and prices. 

Where to stay

I stayed at an Airbnb so these recommendations are based on research.

Judita Palace Heritage Hotel: A tiny heritage hotel in the heart of the Old Town, it has 19 rooms filled with modern amenities and offers easy access to major historic landmarks and sites. The interesting history of the property can be traced back to the 13-16th century—you can read about it here. They offer boat rentals so you can take full advantage of the Adriatic sea coast. The hotel is not accessible by car as it is located in the heritage city centre—and is marked as a pedestrian zone under the protection of UNESCO. Many rooms look out onto the main square, including the one at the top of the villa. (Price range: Rs 23,000 to Rs 80,000)

Heritage Hotel Antique: This family-run hotel in Diocletian’s Palace has eight spacious, carpeted rooms, and offers a free breakfast—with a great selection of vegetarian and vegan options. The walls boast of being part of the original structure of the palace and is one of the best preserved sites of the Roman Empire present today. Almost all the heritage sites to explore in Split are a one-minute-walk away. This hotel offers some of the best views and rave reviews for the congeniality of the management and staff over at TripAdvisor. (Price range: Rs 17,000 to Rs 65,000)

Hotel Agava Split: This four star boutique hotel sits in a restored Renaissance-era noble house, a few minutes away from the waterfront Riva promenade, in the city’s Varoš neighbourhood. During the restoration process the founders discovered 1,700 year old Roman artefacts—which were preserved with the help of historical experts and conservators. The reception staff will help you book adventures like kayaking or canoeing or lead you to the best winery tours of the region. (Price range: Rs 16,000 to Rs 49,000)

Hotel Luxe: This boutique hotel’s main attribute is that it is located less than a 5-minute walk from the Old Town of Split, Croatia, and the famous Riva promenade—which makes almost all heritage sights of Split within a 10 minute walking distance. It is near the ferry and bus terminal, it has a cosy spa, and their breakfast is well-known. It enjoys proximity to Bacvice beach, and has 30 rooms with views of the harbour. (Price range: Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000)  

Fiesta Siesta | Booze and Snooze: These two hostels founded and run by Australians who fell in love with Split—are located in the Old Town and have shared dorms. The best part: ​They offer free daily & nightly experiences from unique social events to beach days, group dinners and organised nights out—and also run the only backpacker bar—Charlie’s—in the region. Fiesta Siesta is located in a bustling area—while Booze and Snooze is in a quieter street. (Price range: Rs 2,000 to Rs 10,000)

A list of local culinary delights

Gelato: Eating a gelato and walking by the Riva seems to be a favourite pastime in Split. Locals will eat ice cream or gelato throughout the year, even when it's bitterly cold. The gelato and ice cream come in a range of flavours, and there are vegan options too. Check out Luka Icecream and Cakes (map) for flavours like mojito, lavender, orange and carrot; and Verde Gelato (map) for mango, coconut and rosemary, fig, walnut and olive oil.  

Seafood: Befitting its proximity to the Adriatic Sea, there’s fish and seafood to be found everywhere in Split. Popular dishes include black risotto made with cuttlefish (which gets its colour from cuttlefish ink); buzara—an aromatic seafood stew with white wine, garlic, olive oil and herbs—and grilled whole fish. Salted sardines are a popular snack found in the fish market, and usually drizzled with olive oil, mixed with capers and eaten with bread, or chard or a hard-boiled egg.

Prosciutto: This salty, cured ham is a delicious starter, usually served thinly sliced, and alongside cheese, olives, olive oil and bread. The Green Market or Pazar (map) has vendors offering a taste of their prosciutto.

Pasticada: This is a slow-cooked beef dish with a rich sauce made with onions, nutmeg, prunes, and sweet wine, and usually eaten with gnocchi.

Candied fruits: You will find mountains of these sugary treats at the market. They are made with orange peels (arancini) or lemon (limoncini) and are eaten plain, dipped in chocolate or with ice cream. Look for candied almonds too.

Figs: Figs are the queen of fruits here, and are typically stored dried. Figs are eaten as a dessert—with some cheese and honey—or in the form of a fig cake. 

Soparnik: This is a diamond-shaped pancake made of chard, garlic, onions and olive oil. It is eaten on days when meat isn’t consumed, and always cold.

Food joints: Offbeat places to explore

D16 Coffee (map): Tired of walking about the maze in the Old Town? Take a break at the spacious coffee house where they roast their own beans. There’s tea, juices and liqueurs but don’t expect many snacks besides a croissant.

Slastičarnica Tradicija Kirigin (map): The oldest pastry shop here is a nondescript place run by the Kirigin family. Go here—you may have to queue up—in the morning for their handmade pastries like the local cinnamon roll (danac), sirnica (sweet bread loaf eaten during Lent) and rafioli (crescent pastry with ground almonds and dusted with sugar).

Uje Oil Bar (map): Started by local olive oil producers, this restaurant serves Mediterranean fare, with a focus on traditional Dalmatian cuisine like fish soups. Don’t forget to dunk your bread into their different olive oils. 

Konoba Deep Shade (map): Konoba is a Croatian word for taverna, and is typically a place that serves local food. Deep Shade does some stellar seafood dishes including mussels buzara (mussel stew) and cuttlefish risotto.

Nadalina (map): The former lead singer—Marinko Biškić—of Split’s first punk band (Fon Biskich) opened a small chocolate shop in the heart of the Old Town. Here you can sample and buy chocolates with local produce including lavender, dried figs, arancini, honey and even olive oil. Look for a chocolate gramophone record, chocolate pizza, and a chocolate spread called Spread Me.

Ba!Će (map): Ba!Će is an unassuming, cheap place serving up Sarajevo-style ćevapi (grilled minced meat served in a flatbread). There’s just one man behind the counter, cooking on a charcoal grill. The flatbread is a typical Sarajevo ‘somun’ (the local word for flatbread, similar to pita) and the ćevapi is served with diced onion and a fiery sauce.

Get those walking shoes on…

A self-guided walking tour (map) is the best way to explore the Old City. 

Riva Promenade (map): Split’s harbour or promenade—locally called Riva—is where the city meets for coffee and to catch up. It is right next to the Old Town and shows off a glimpse of the palace walls and cobbled paths within. Start your walk at the Split sign. A walk along the palm-lined promenade—especially when the sun is out—is highly recommended. On the way, you will spot cafes and restaurants, shopping centres, alcohol stores, and gelato stalls. For the view, come here at night when it's quiet and only lit up by the lights of the boats and yachts.

Walk down the promenade till you reach Republic Square (map), which is lined with buildings on three sides. Admire the colonnades, arches and neo-Renaissance bas reliefs—a low-relief structural technique in sculpture. This is a popular spot, and you will find people sitting and eating gelato or wandering around clicking photos.

Head into Old Town, walking almost parallel to the promenade till you reach the Square Radic Brothers (map) or Fruit Square (because people once went here to buy fruit) where stands the statue of 15th-century philosopher Marko Marulić, against a backdrop of an octagonal-shaped building that was once part of the city’s fortifications.

At this point, you are in Split’s Old Town (map), which will reveal itself to be a maze of streets and cobblestoned lanes that surround and include Diocletian’s Palace. People’s Square (Narodni Trg) (map) is the heart of the Old Town, crowded with cafés and restaurants and an old clock. This is the most visited part of the city so expect crowds, even in tiny lanes and back alleys.

Diocletian’s Palace (map): An essential Split experience is roaming around the ruins of the palace of Roman emperor Diocletian. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is all cobblestoned paths and seven-foot thick limestone and marble walls hiding the ruins of what was once a majestic structure. The vestibule is a circular, once-domed structure, where you will often find people singing old Croatian songs. In the cellars are shops selling souvenirs. One corner has the Split City Museum (map), a Gothic building with lots of weaponry. The Katedral Sveti Duje (Cathedral of St Domnius) (map) is still guarded by a granite sphinx from ancient Egypt and sits on what was once a mausoleum. Climb the bell tower if you fancy a panoramic view. Outside the cathedral, the square is where you will find photo shoots, weddings, and live music sessions.

End your walk at Pazar / Green Market (map) where you can interact with local farmers and people from surrounding villages and buy the fresh produce and products they create, grow, and farm. Some of them offer free samples too—so you can sip on local wine, and eat the dried fruit peels and candied nuts. Beyond the vendors, shops are selling olive oil, pork products, sauces, condiments, and cheeses. There’s even a section for vintage stuff like cameras and gramophone records. It’s a great place to pick up food souvenirs. 

What else to see and do?

Fish market (map): Located within the Old Town is Ribarnica, the fish market that closes by afternoon, where you can gawk at the fresh catch, and taste and buy salted sardines.

Marjan Hill (map): If the Old Town gets too crowded for you, take a breather at the city’s biggest green pocket, Marjan Hill. It is located on a peninsula and covered with dense pine forests. You will have to climb some stairs and steep inclines but it will be worth it for a view of the sea, boats and Old Town. If you don’t wish to climb much, park yourself at Café Vidilica (map) at the top of the first flight of stairs, for a drink with a view. There are park benches on the way, for a break, and hiking trails for those seeking to burn off some calories. Here is the view from Marjan Hill: 

Bačvice Beach (map): A short walk from Split’s main bus station and ferry terminal is Bačvice Beach. Half-moon in shape, it is lined with bars and nightclubs, and its shallow clear waters are ideal for those who can’t swim but want the sea experience. There are great public facilities, and this is a good place to play the local sport, picgin (like volleyball except the ball has to be kept in the air and cannot touch the water).

Pub hopping: Split has a buzzing nightlife and you can go on your own pub hop, as most places are a short distance away from each other. Start with Charlie's (map), which is an ideal backpacker's pub and gives you a free drink if you post a review. It’s a great place to end the night too, but be prepared for a crowd and no seats. There is Split Circus (map) which serves different types of rakija (fruit spirits of the region), and To Je Tako (map) which makes a mean margarita and sometimes does karaoke and live music. Marvlvs Library Jazz Bar (map) is run by a local writer and has a collection of books—on some days—you may even catch a poetry or literary event.

What to buy?

Local products: There’s a bounty of local produce to be found here. If you want food souvenirs, go to the Pazar and pick up olive oil, candied peels, figs and fig cakes, and honey. A slightly more upscale shop in the Old Town is Spirit, which has a wide variety of local wines and spirits, besides olive oil, and cheese.

Rubber ducks: Perhaps the oddest shop in the Old Town is Duck Boutique (map), which sells yellow rubber ducks. These aren’t just plain ducks but come in costume, uniform, and in the guise of popular figures and characters like Queen Elizabeth. 

Olive Oil: You cannot leave Split without buying a bottle of this precious resource. It can be found everywhere, available in green and golden variants. Some even have truffles added to them for extra flavour.

Local liqueurs: A visit to any local supermarket or liquor store will acquaint you with the region’s favourite spirits. There’s loza, a strong digestif; rakija — a fruit brandy and the national drink of Croatia—which includes medovača (made with honey), šljivovica (plum), kruškovac (pear), orahovac (walnut brandy), lozovača (grape); and maraschino.

Beyond Split

The advantage of keeping your base in Split is that it offers a variety of options for those seeking a short break from the city.

Krka National Park (map): It is known for its series of seven cascading falls. Located in Šibenik city, Krka is an hour away from Split. To get there, you have to take a bus to Skradin, and then a boat. You can spend the day at Krka, walking a wooden walkway, and visiting the renovated water mills, which are now museums of the past. Skradinski Buk is the most popular fall, and most tours from Split will take you to this fall and allow you time to explore the area on your own. 

Trogir (map): This small historic town is a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to a mix of Renaissance, baroque and Romanesque buildings. It is accessible by a short bus ride from Split. This place is known for its picturesque harbourside, which you can see from the Kamerlengo Fortress or via a boat ride. The promenade is dotted with restaurants and cafés—and if lucky—you will chance upon a flea market.

Hvar (map): This Croatian island is best known for being a party spot, enjoying long months of sunshine. Accessible by ferry (the journey takes two hours), this island has much to offer: fields of lavender, pine trees, sandy beaches, historic cathedrals, and the oldest town in Croatia, Stari Grad.

Blue Cave (map): One of the most Instagrammed places in Croatia, this waterlogged cave is located in a small bay near Vis island, and accessible by a boat ride. It is best to go with a tour (the place is open only between April and November), and you will find travel companies across the Old Town advertising trips there.