Sun-washed Sidewalks in Split, Croatia

Whether staying for a week, or just a day before boarding your cruise chip, Split has so much to offer on your Croatian itinerary. Top sights, top eats, it’s all here!

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Continuing on our road trip in Croatia, our next stop is Split. A gorgeous coastal city, we spent one day here, but if you have more, here is a good 2 day Split itinerary. At the height of its glory, Diocletian’s palace must have been an amazing sight–built right on the water’s edge. During the fourth century it was all one massive complex of temples, palaces, walls, gates, baths, and everything else you would expect to find in a Roman Emperor’s palace.

Today, however, you will need to explore the old town of Split through its labyrinthine, cobbled passageways, to discover the remains that are sprinkled about as hidden treasures. Most, of course, are easy to find, just follow the constant stream of tourists freshly disembarked from the many cruise ships that call on this worthy port.

Don’t let the throngs dismay you, the underground halls of the palace, the temple of Jupiter, the Peristil, and the cathedral of St. Domnius are all not to be missed. But if you have the time, we recommend getting off that heavily trodden track, just poke and peer around, down the side streets, and away from the tourists to really discover the beauty of this coastal town.

Strolling through the quieter streets we came across the market where the fishmonger wives were peddling the day’s catch. Where were their fishermen husbands? We came across them in drunken revelry down at the port, easily working through the 5th bottle of wine, playing guitars, singing and dancing in the glorious sunshine; it must have been a great catch judging by their celebration. Then again, in such a beautiful locale, maybe everyday is cause for al fresco parties.

Check out these photo worthy spots to visit in Split!

Down another street, and around another corner we discovered a singing group giving a preview for the night’s planned concert. They had picked a picturesque alcove just inside the Golden gate for their a cappella  performance. It was mesmerizing! Too bad we wouldn’t be in town that evening; I’m sure we would have found a way to get the full show.

Our stroll took us into the quieter backstreets of the neighborhoods climbing the hill away from the palace. It was a beautiful day but only a few kids were out playing, laundry was gently drying in the sea breeze, and some early spring arrivals were perfuming the air but there weren’t many people out and about.

Nevertheless, we enjoyed the walk and somehow managed to come out of these quiet streets back down at the water front where we discovered where all of the residents could be found. It seemed the entire city had come out to walk along the promenade, enjoy a cup of coffee in an open air café, or just sit in the sun and enjoy the rays.

We couldn’t resist joining in, so we found a table and sampled some gelato, a few cold refreshments, and of course, a good dose of people watching as the crowds continued to flow around us.

Have you been to Split?  Did you enjoy the gelato and the people watching?

Author Bio: Corinne Vail is a travel photographer, food lover, and a perpetual traveler who has been travel writing for over 14 years. For many years she lived overseas in Germany, Japan, Turkey, South Korea, and the Netherlands teaching the children of the US. military. She’s visited over 90 countries, and she’s not stopping anytime soon.

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