 |
| SPLIT- A lovely city on Adriatic coast |
Once we crossed the long tunnel on highway A1, we had crossed over to the coastal area after crossing the Dinaric Alps and the sun shone bright. Much too bright I thought. It was as if we were now in different world. The Adriatic sea looked breathtakingly beautiful as we got a view from the top as the road meandered towards the sea level. As we didn't stop for a long break on the way, we reached Split in around 3 and a half hours or so.
The Prestige Lux apartments were very comfortable and located in residential area. It was around a 15 minute walk from the waterfront and Diocletians Palace. In a slightly different direction was the Bacvice beach area which was a walk of around 10 minutes. Thankfully all rooms were air conditioned and the apartment had a good kitchen .Immediately on checking in we walked to the waterfront and had our lunch. Beer was very welcome after a long drive and it was pretty warm here.
We were in Split for 2 nights and for the town itself, these 2 days were enough. This is because we had no intention of taking a day trip. Many people just do the coastal trip so they sometimes do things like Plitvice Lakes as a day trip. Another option as mentioned earlier is the Game of thrones trip. We were further going to the island of Hvar and then onto Dubrovnik so didn't feel the need to go to any island for a day trip. The popular day trips from Split are :
The Prestige Lux apartments were very comfortable and located in residential area. It was around a 15 minute walk from the waterfront and Diocletians Palace. In a slightly different direction was the Bacvice beach area which was a walk of around 10 minutes. Thankfully all rooms were air conditioned and the apartment had a good kitchen .Immediately on checking in we walked to the waterfront and had our lunch. Beer was very welcome after a long drive and it was pretty warm here.
We liked the look of the place. The Adriatic sea was gleaming on one side and and we could see the old town on the other side as we had our lunch. In between there were several restaurants. There was something of a festive area which normally happens when tourists are in abundance and the atmosphere is relaxed.
 |
| Our family at the beach |
In the evening we walked to the beach. The water looked tempting and and we sat down as the sun went down. There were many restaurants but most were closing down for the day. Only some places were serving drinks with nice music and a couple of them had dinner up to 9 PM. There were a couple of nightclubs as well which must I assumed be coming into action after 11 PM. This was obviously a place one had to come to spend the day so we walked towards the old town.
I think this Palace became famous as Game of Thrones was shot here and that brings in many tourists here who take guided tour called the 'Games of Thrones tour.' The tour also includes several other spots around Split where the shooting for Games of thrones was done.
This palace was built by Emperor Diocletian of Rome after his retirement in the fourth century. These imposing Roman ruins survive till today and spread over 30000 square meters they are what are known as the Old Town of Split. The palace is around a hundred yards from the waterfront and between the old town and the waterfront are hundreds of restaurants. This place bustles in the evenings when the soothing breeze keeps you cool and energetic. One can sit on one of the several benches and enjoy the sea breeze. My cousin and I bought some scotch from one of the shops and they gave us disposable glass as well. That was a fine way of sitting on the waterfront with the Old Town right in front and hundreds of tourists milling around.
With the world cup football starting and Crotia making a fine winning start, there was a lot of enthusiasm. Many restaurants had put up big screens but not many at that time had expected Croatia to perform the way it finally did.
The old town itself has walkways, church, restaurants, fancy shops like Zara , H&M, Mango and several souvenir shops. The battered walls have a complete city inside with people including tourists living inside.
We had begun to climb up to Marjan Hills but Devicka felt it was a long hike and it was a hot day so we gave up the idea after walking up for a while. One has heard good things about this pine covered hill which is considered to be a symbol of Split. Maybe we will do it during our next trip. I am told that views are spectacular from there and one can spend hours exploring the place.
The Diocletian's Palace
 |
| Inside the Old Town |
I think this Palace became famous as Game of Thrones was shot here and that brings in many tourists here who take guided tour called the 'Games of Thrones tour.' The tour also includes several other spots around Split where the shooting for Games of thrones was done.
This palace was built by Emperor Diocletian of Rome after his retirement in the fourth century. These imposing Roman ruins survive till today and spread over 30000 square meters they are what are known as the Old Town of Split. The palace is around a hundred yards from the waterfront and between the old town and the waterfront are hundreds of restaurants. This place bustles in the evenings when the soothing breeze keeps you cool and energetic. One can sit on one of the several benches and enjoy the sea breeze. My cousin and I bought some scotch from one of the shops and they gave us disposable glass as well. That was a fine way of sitting on the waterfront with the Old Town right in front and hundreds of tourists milling around.
With the world cup football starting and Crotia making a fine winning start, there was a lot of enthusiasm. Many restaurants had put up big screens but not many at that time had expected Croatia to perform the way it finally did.
The old town itself has walkways, church, restaurants, fancy shops like Zara , H&M, Mango and several souvenir shops. The battered walls have a complete city inside with people including tourists living inside.
Bacvice Beach and around
We are used to long sandy beaches in India. Even Thailand has those lovely beaches with soft sand. In Split they were all rocks. So much so that I had to buy those shoes so feet could be protected from the rocks. Yet people would find spots and would lie comfortably on the rocks after spreading the towels. In some places there were sandy beaches as well but they were pretty small.
We had started our second day in Split by walking down to the beach after breakfast in the apartment. It was interesting to see swimming pool ladders going into the see from walkways. The entire Adriatic Sea was our swimming pool. It was clean, deep blue and extremely tempting. There were diving boards as well. It was all very interesting for us.
We did the right thing in choosing a nice restaurant and then spend many hours there. They have some good sea food and good variety of Salads, Pizzas and Steaks. Many a times I jumped into the fresh cool sea and enjoyed swimming in deep blue cold water. The children and my cousin also kept swimming and then they went to try out jumping from the top of rocks.
 |
| You could jump into the Adriatic sea from diving board....... |
 |
| Or you could jump from natural rocks ....... |
Things to do around Split
 |
| You could go up the steps like these to reach Marjan Hills or could take a cab. |
We were in Split for 2 nights and for the town itself, these 2 days were enough. This is because we had no intention of taking a day trip. Many people just do the coastal trip so they sometimes do things like Plitvice Lakes as a day trip. Another option as mentioned earlier is the Game of thrones trip. We were further going to the island of Hvar and then onto Dubrovnik so didn't feel the need to go to any island for a day trip. The popular day trips from Split are :
1) Plitvice Lakes national Park - I have written a full blog on this park. http://rohin-arora.blogspot.com/2018/07/plitvice-lakes-national-park-stunning.html
2) Trogir - A charming city 30 minutes away by bus.
3) Sibenik - It takes about 90 minutes by bus. It is famous for its Cathedral and Fortress.
4) Zadar - This takes around 3 hours. Famous for the organ which plays when the wind blows. This sea organ combines winds and waves to create music.
5) Island of Brac -An hour or so by Ferry. On the southern part of the island is a city called Bol which is thronged by tourists as it has long sandy beaches.
6) KRKA national park - The trip can be combined with Sibenik. People love this place as it has lakes and waterfalls just like Plitvice Lakes. The biggest advantage here is that in several places you can jump into the water and swim near the waterfalls. At Plitvice, entering the water was prohibited. The pictures of Krka that I have seen are stunning. It looks as good as Plitvice. Another advantage is that it is accessible by bus. Will plan a trip on our next visit.
Transportation
 |
| Leaving Split Behind in Catamaran |
The Bus station is right there - near the waterfront and next to where we get the ferries and Catamaran. So, going to the above stated places is very simple and convenient. The train station is also there itself. If you want to hire a car - those car hiring places are also near the bus station. This is where we had left our car. One think to be noted is that if you take car from one city and leave in another, there are extra charges for it. One also has to take special car or permission if you wish to drive to Bosnia, Serbia or Montenegro as they are separate countries. The Company we had hired the car from was called the Enterprise and their offices were conveniently located. The cars we took were in good condition.
Split and Dubrovnik have proper Airports so internationally they are well connected.
Split and Dubrovnik have proper Airports so internationally they are well connected.
The Ferries we took on this trip were of a company called Krilo (Krilo.hr). Another popular company is Jadrolinja. From Ljubljana (Slovenia) to Zagreb(Croatia) we had taken a train ride crossing country borders. From Zagreb we had hired a car and drove to Plitvice and then to Split.
Now our next destination was island of Hvar.
Now our next destination was island of Hvar.
Things were working well and all our accommodation, itinerary and transport arrangements so far were good. Now we looked forward to Hvar which is called a party place and is one of the most popular islands in the world.
E Mail: rohinarora@gmail.com
Instagram: rohinarora
Twitter: arorarohin
E Mail: rohinarora@gmail.com
Instagram: rohinarora
Twitter: arorarohin
Comments