Croatia, Europe

2 days in Split, Croatia

Split is the second largest city in Croatia famous for its ancient Diocletian’s Palace, stunning beaches and nearby islands. We like the rich history, beautiful architecture, and relaxing atmosphere of this coastal city.

We travelled by bus for five hours from Zagreb to Split and stayed two nights there. As we visited in March which was a low season, many shops and restaurants were closed as they typically operate only during the high season from April to October.

Therefore, we did not do the popular island hopping activities and focused on exploring the old town.

Exploring the Old Town

La Porta Luxury Room

Night view from the balcony at La Porta Luxury Room

We stayed at La Porta Luxury Room for two nights. The room’s size was very small but it was cozy with a lovely balcony, and we especially liked its convenient location in the heart of the old town. However, there was no lift so we had to climb three floors of stairs.

One good thing about our stay is that it is just right beside the market. The market opens every morning until around 1-2pm. It is a good place to buy fresh fruits and vegetables. We bought strawberries and peanuts from there.

In my opinion, shopping at local markets is always fascinating as it offers insights into the culture, revealing what people typically eat and how they communicate, etc.

Morning market in Split

Meats and cheese store in the market, Split

Peanuts in the morning market in Split

The best way to explore the old town is by wandering its streets aimlessly. However, by 4pm, the streets appeared empty and many shops were closed.

Wandering in the old town

We hardly saw anyone in the old town in the evening

Monument to Gregory of Nin – touching the toes will bring good luck!

Split sign – the meeting point of the free walking tour

We joined a free walking tour in Split. He led us to a few popular tourist attractions, and provided extensive commentary on Diocletian’s palace which was an important historic site.

In Croatia, most people speak English well, so we have not had trouble with language like in some other parts of Europe. Our tour guide in Split told us that many people work from 7am to 3pm, leaving them lots of free time in the evenings. Also, 90% of the population owns a home in Split. It seems like a great place to live here! But despite these good things, Croatia is experiencing a depopulation.

Diocletian’s Palace

Diocletian’s Palace is an ancient Roman palace in Split, Croatia, built by Emperor Diocletian in the 4th century AD. It’s famous for its well-preserved architecture and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular tourist destination.

Our guide mentioned that there are apartments and Airbnb listings available within the palace, which means we could actually stay there ourselves – sounds really cool!

By the way, we highly recommend visiting the “Diocletian’s Dream”, a 15-minute virtual reality that delves into the history of the palace. It is very fun and educational, offering insights into the palace’s glorious past.

Riva Promenade – Waterfront

Strolling along the waterfront was pleasant and relaxing. Taking a seat with a coffee and soaking in the view was pure bliss – I could easily spend hours here.

Marjan Hill

Viewpoint to Marjan – observation deck

Having aperol spritz and coffee at Teraca Vidilica

Another popular attraction in Split is Marjan Hill. It is a scenic park popular for hiking and offering stunning panoramic views of the city and the Adriatic Sea.

It takes about 10 minutes to climb the stairs to reach the observation deck. But we did not do the longer hike that usually takes about 1 to 2 hours, as it was going to rain. Instead, we relaxed in the cafe, sipping on Aperol Spritz and admiring the beautiful view.

Food in Split

Splicanka cake at Bobis

Fritule – our snacks

St Burek

Their burek is absolutely delicious! We arrived when the shop opened, becoming the first customers of the day to enjoy the hot and fresh burek. We tried both the meat and cheese burek, and we prefer the meat burek.

Black risotto, pašticada with gnocchi, Karlovwah beer at Fife Restaurant

Fried squid at Fife Restaurant

We highly recommend Fife Restaurant! I think this is the best one that we have visited in Croatia. They serve traditional Croatian food at at an affordable price. We particularly like the black risotto and pasticada.

Scampi and ham at Konoba Kod Joze

We didn’t do a whole lot in Split – all the attractions we visited were conveniently close by. We wanted to visit Hvar Island but it was challenging during the off-season. Therefore, two days in Split were perfect for us.