One of our first nights in Split, an older gentleman dressed in a trench-coat approached us on the cobbled streets of the city’s old town.
“May I help you with something?” he asked in polished English that was subtly embellished with a Croatian accent.
We explained that we were not lost, and that we were simply taking in the details around us – the marvelous hodgepodge of 1,700 years of architecture that makes Split so special.
The gentleman, who introduced himself as Ante, continued.
“May I show you a few things here,” he asked. “I have been writing a book on Diocletian’s Palace. Sadly, too many of the people who live here fly by all this history. They aren’t interested in it. They take it for granted”
Before we could answer, Ante had linked his arm in mine and started telling us the history of a weathered sculpture of St. Anthony overlooking Narodni Trg. Until he’d drawn our attention to it, we’d never noticed the little man at St. Anthony’s feet. Ante explained that this little fellow was the artist’s depiction of himself.
Just meters away, Ante also pointed out the west gate of Diocletian’s Palace, explaining that the winged goddess Nike once adorned it. Such tidbits offered a wonderful introduction to Split, and we were happy that we could be Ante’s audience, if only for a few minutes. After he’d shared his select anecdotes the historian bid us farewell and headed home via a limestone lane polished by centuries of feet passing over it.
Our kind apartment owner, Novica, is as equally passionate about history. When he was restoring the apartment that we’ve been calling home the past two months, he uncovered an old doorway filled in with Roman bricks. Our building is likely ‘only’ from the 17th Century, so it makes us all wonder who scavenged the now 1,700 year-old bricks from Diocletian’s Palace, and when they did so. Whenever we enter our little apartment, we pass this wall so unintentionally beautiful – comprised of irregular limestones and those Roman bricks. Our pledge is to never take such character for granted.
Novica recently allowed us to take a peek at two rare, vintage books featuring images of Split from the early 1900s. During quiet moments, we’ve carefully turned the books’ browning pages, feeling as though we were stepping back in time onto Split’s black & white streets. So much remains the same, yet little details have changed.
It is from Novica and those vintage photography books that I found my inspiration for this piece. May I present Split in Black & White, circa 2014.
Where in the World?
Planning Pointers:
- If you’ll be staying in Split for a few days, you might be interested in the Split Card, which gives you free entry to certain museums and galleries, and reduced rates to others.
- Need more inspiration? This link contains an index of all my posts from Croatia.
Accommodation in the Split Area:
Shawn and I have spent a total of five winters and one summer in and around the city of Split, using it as a base to explore Croatia’s popular Central Dalmatia region. We’ve made it a habit to create new memories by staying in a different property each year. Over the years, we’ve had long-term stays in Split, Trogir, Solin, and Makarska. We would happily revisit all of the following apartments. (Please note that some are affiliate links.)
- Kaleta Apartments (Split) – These lovely apartments are located within Diocletian’s Palace (well, technically just a few meters from the Iron Gate). Our elegant studio apartment, called the “Diocletian’s Suite,” had lots of character — including Roman brickwork embedded into the wall. We had overhead views of life on Split’s Old Town streets, and we enjoyed chatting with the friendly owners, Novica and Negri. We spent about 2.5 months here.
- Guesthouse F (Split) – This cozy studio apartment is located in Split’s Varoš neighborhood, just a few minutes’ walk from Diocletian’s Palace. With its quirky narrow streets and stone homes decorated with hunter-green shutters and flower boxes, Varoš is charming. One of Guesthouse F’s apartments was originally a horseshoe maker’s workshop, owned by Anja’s grandfather. Shawn and I dubbed it the “horseshoe cottage.” Aside from our central location, we loved having a tiny terrace. We also appreciated the kindness of our hosts, Anja and Miro. In total, we spent about 2 months here.
- Viola Apartment (Split) – We spent roughly 3 months in this wonderful 2-bedroom apartment, which is also in the Varoš neighborhood of Split. The apartment also has a lovely sun porch and garden. It is in an old stone home, but the interior has recently been remodeled. We were in a perfect location for accessing Diocletian’s Palace and Marjan Forest Park, too. On foot, it takes about six minutes to reach Split’s most famous lookout point near the Caffe Bar Vidilica. The owner, Ljubica, lives upstairs. She is easygoing and helpful.
- Apartments Mirkec (Trogir) – We spent 7 wonderful weeks in this studio apartment, which is located in the heart of the town of Trogir. The apartment had good Wifi and a kitchen with all the basics. It was also perfectly situated in the heart of Trogir’s gorgeous Old Town, just a minute’s walk from the seaside walkway, the Riva. Trogir’s bus station was about a 5-minute walk from the Apartments Mirkec, making day trips using mass transportation easy. Note: As of 2025, I think this apartment has permanently closed. However, the owner’s popular restaurant (Pizzeria Mirkec), which is located underneath the apartment, is still cooking up delicious pizzas in their wood-fired pizza oven.
- Apartments Vesna (Makarska) – This 1-bedroom apartment was our home for about 12 months. The apartment is on the top floor and features skylights. A small balcony on the back of the apartment overlooks Makarska’s harbor — the views of Makarska’s dramatic mountains are wonderful! It takes about 8 minutes to reach Makarska’s bus station on foot. In a matter of minutes, you can also walk to Makarska’s Riva (seaside promenade), several grocery stores, restaurants, and cafés. The owners, Mise and Anna, are exceptionally friendly and helpful.
Photography & text © Tricia A. Mitchell. All Rights Reserved.
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