Welcome to the Adriatic Sea!
After days of travel and enjoying the city life of Zagreb these aqua blue waters were a sight for sore eyes. The coastal city of Split is the second largest after Zagreb and is most famously know for being the home to Diocletian’s Palace. The city is filled with history as it has been occupied and conquered by the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Italians, and the Germans. Eventually it settled as a part of Yugoslavia and after the breakup of the country it finally claimed its independance in 1991 as apart of Croatia.
A walk through time!
Diocletian’s Palace is one of the best preserved monuments of the Roman architecture in the world. The Emperor’s Palace was built as a combination of a luxury villa and a Roman military camp.
It now makes up about half of the Old Town and is filled with restaurants and shops on the ground floors and apartments on top.
One of the most raved about aspects is the Riva. It’s the large sea side promenade that is commonly referred to as Split’s “living room” because it’s filled with people meeting for drinks, families walking to watch the sunset, and tourists disembarking from other islands and city ports.
“Voice Map”
For our walking tour of Split we decided to use “Voice Map”, an app that serves as a GPS guided audio tour in over 150 cities. It’s like a podcast that moves with you telling stories about what you’re seeing right in front of you. What we really enjoyed was the freedom to start, pause, and end whenever was convenient for us. When we’d get hot we paused at a cafe for some coffee. And when Niya got hot we paused again and brought her home to nap then continued with the rest of the tour treating ourselves to a cold glass of wine at the end.
You can download Voice Map in the Apple Store or get it on Google Play.
There is no shortage of outdoor activities in this city!
When you’ve had your fill of history inside the city walls hit the water. There’s just about every seaside activity you can imagine to cool you off from the hot summer sun. If speedboats are you thing you can rent one to take you hopping around the islands to snorkel or take you to the Blue Caves. There are catamaran tours for sunset dinner cruises right from the main harbor. Or you can hit one of the five beaches that like we did.
Life’s a Beach
We rented a moped for the day and drove about 15 minutes to Kasjuni Beach, recommended to us by a local for being less of a party spot and more of a place to sunbathe and relax. You can put your towel down for free on the rocks or opt for lounge chairs and umbrellas with restaurant service.
We spent all day swimming, napping, reading, and basking in the hot sun. We enjoyed an avocado salad for lunch with some cold beers that was brought to our loungers. When we were throughly cooked we hopped back on to our moped for a scenic tour of cliffs then back home for a cold shower and relaxing night in.
Marjan Forest Park
Another great outdoor activity is to enjoy is the forested hillside public park. You can bike, walk, and hike through the botanical gardens and more.
We heard that at the top there is a great restaurant called Vidilica with great views. It’s a long walk up, but boy is it worth it. You can sit and watch the boats come into the harbor from the restaurants garden terrace with a cold glass of wine to cool down.
Eating Out
- Favola – Sit outside at this upper scale yet casual restaurant to enjoy an Octopus Salad and glass of wine while watching everyone pass through the square.
- Gelateria Emiliana – Hands down THE BEST pistachio gelato we have EVER had! Still dreaming about it over a week later!
Ćiri Biri Bela
Any time Dave and I have the opportunity to connect with someone new while abroad it always ends up being a favorite memory, and having dinner at Ćiri Biri Bela was no exception. When Chef/Owner Ćiro took one look at Niya he rolled out the red carpet for her – we were treated pretty well too!! A dog lover himself with a big husky at home, he went to work in the kitchen and came out with a huge bowl of steak, chicken, and pork for her. For us, a vegetarian charcuterie board, grilled fresh fish from the market, and the most amazing vegetable risotto I’ve ever had. Almost all of the vegetables are grown on Chef Ćiro’s farm along with cows and pigs.
We enjoyed a beautiful night on the back patio talking with him and watching his team work through the open kitchen surrounded by the lavender, basil, and other herbs planted around the tables that will be used on the menu.
Finally getting to the sea was a welcomed change of pace from the busy city of Zagreb. Although life is slower here, Split was a bit more touristy than we expected, but well worth the visit. Lucky for us we’ll be heading on the ferry for a few days to Hvar Island, well known for honeymooners and anyone looking to get away and relax on the beach.
From Abroad With Love – AG
