With a need to escape the borders of Europe’s Schengen Zone, we packed our bags for the winter and made a ‘Split‘ decision to head to Croatia’s splendid seaside city of the same name. Incredibly, the city has been continuously inhabited for 17 centuries, ever since Roman Emperor Diocletian had his retirement palace built here. Split’s history actually even goes back farther than Diocletian since the Greeks colonized the area in the 6th Century BC. The resulting mix is a series of intriguing labyrinthine streets and Medieval homes wedged into the shell of Diocletian’s Palace structure.
We’ve only just arrived in our latest home away from home, but already we’ve taken to the city’s famed riva promenade which is now lined with blue and white Christmas market huts. For someone who grew up in the American Midwest, it’s odd yet utterly fantastic to see Christmas decorations and palm trees mingling. In between apartment hunting and getting our bearings, we’ve also briefly explored Split’s delightful fresh produce and fish markets, which overflow with goodness every day.
We’ll report more soon from this city that’s replete with Roman grandeur and Dalmatian charm.
Where in the World?
Planning Pointers:
- If you’ll be staying in Split for three days or more, be sure to pick up a free Split Card, which gives you free entry to certain museums and galleries, and reduced rates to others. If you’ll be in Split for less than three days you can purchase the card for 5 Euro.
- During our 2+ months spent in Split, we stayed at the lovely Kaleta Apartments (affiliate link), which are located within Diocletian’s Palace. Our studio apartment (called the Diocletian’s Suite) featured much character, including Roman brickwork, and views of Old Town Split below. Owners Novica and Negri were thoughtful citizen ambassadors too.
- Need more inspiration? This link contains an index of all my posts from Croatia.
Photography & text © Tricia A. Mitchell. All Rights Reserved.
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