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" />It was a very special day when we sailed into the port of Split in Croatia. My husband was celebrating his birthday so we all gathered for a champagne breakfast on the ship prior to disembarking for the day in Split. We presented the captain’s hats that the three men had to wear for the day to mark the occasion and set off on our merry way. Splendid Split was a sight to behold from the waterfront and was only a short walking distance away from the cruise port.
Split is located on Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast and is renowned for its beaches, numerous shops, bars and cafes. The centrepiece of this waterfront town consists of the remains of the 4th century Roman Diocletian’s Palace, with more than 200 buildings.
Whilst one couple set off to do a walking tour, the remaining four of us decided that we would like to find a beach and maybe have a swim. We headed to Bacvice beach where there were cafes and bars lining the beachfront and the deck chairs were lined up in rows. Â At 10 euros a pop we quickly decided we would sit on the gravelly sand on the shores of the beach, whilst the boys had a dip.
After the boys had dried off a little in the warm Dalmatian sunshine we strolled back towards the centre of the city. Being a Sunday, the promenade along the waterfront was abuzz with colourful markets, cafes and bars bursting with patrons and visitors enjoying the warm sunshine on the seating along the waterfront.
After a stroll down the promenade we entered the walls of the so-called Diocletian Palace ruins that lie in the heart of the city of Split. This palace is a massive structure built from local limestone and white marble. The complex contained not only the palace itself but also buildings, intended for housing military garrison and occupies around 30,000 square metres.
The ancient fortress has become the old town of Split, with numerous shops, cafes, restaurants and also apartments, located in the old buildings on narrow streets of the palace/fortress. There is a large model outside the palace that shows the original layout of the fortress city.
While the boys were sampling some local ales at a brewery in the old palace grounds, we girls enjoyed the Sunday markets. The markets were in full swing along the paved area outside the palace, along with some more stalls setup within the palace walls. The markets sold local craft such as lace, jewellery, leather goods and wooden toys.
On the west side of the riva (promenade) there is Republic square, church of St. Francis and a lovely fountain. The rest of the old city is covered with white stone buildings of different periods and styles.
After we met up with the boys for a tasty lunch of Cevapcici (Croatian spiced sausages) at one of the restaurants on the riva, we left them to their birthday drinks and set off towards a shopping street where we browsed some of the upmarket stores.
We all agreed that Split was a vibrant and charming city. There are a ton of things to do in this place and if we’d had a few more days we could have explored the many attractions that it has to offer. For more information on what there is to do in Split visit Frankaboutcroatia.
Our day in Split was a rest day for us all after spending our previous seven days jumping on tours and walking countless kilometres at various port stops. Plus it was a special birthday celebratory day for my husband, who enjoyed taking it easy and partaking in a few beers. Rest assured we all relished the opportunity to just chillout in what was a splendid day in Split.
Linking up with Travel Photo Thursday
Kathy was a 50 something year old when she started up this blog 6 years ago, but has since turned over another decade and is now in her early 60s. She is married with two adult children and lives on the Tweed Coast of New South Wales, Australia. Kathy enjoys living life to the fullest and loves to keep fit and active by maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Some of her interests include reading, photography, travelling, cooking and blogging! Kathy works part-time as a freelance writer but her real passion is travelling and photographing brilliant destinations both within Australia and overseas and writing about it.
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Julie
July 25, 2017I just loved Split. We caught the ferry across from Italy and when we docked we were greeted by a big beautiful rainbow across the town… and it just got better. The food, the people everything was brilliant. Thanks for taking me back 😊
Kathy
July 25, 2017Croatia is very close to Italy. That’s the advantage of travelling in Europe. The countries are so close together and it’s easy to travel around. Split was a beautiful place. :)
Life Images by Jill
July 26, 2017oh thank you Kathy for taking us to these wonderful places that I can never hope to see. I am enjoying seeing them through your camera and words. Thank you. Happy travels
Kathy
July 27, 2017You’re welcome Jill. I think that this is the wonderful thing about being a travel blogger – you want to bring the beauty of the destination to others. I’m always thinking of how to capture the best of each place I travel to. :)
Ruth | Tanama Tales
July 28, 2017Champagne breakfast? Wow! You guys know how to celebrate with style. Really enjoy your photos of Split. It is a city I want to visit for sure.
Kathy
July 28, 2017We still know how to celebrate in style (despite our advanced ages!) Split is definitely a stunning Croatian city. :)
Esther
July 28, 2017I totally agree! Split is absolutely great, I loved how there was literally something for everyone there. Great food, culture, beaches, nature. What’s not to love.
Kathy
July 29, 2017Split and Croatia in general was a fantastic country to visit. I loved every part of it. :)
Lyn @ A Hole in my Shoe
July 30, 2017We hope to get to Split next time in Europe and this post has given us even more ideas of things to do. We’ve never considered a champagne breakfast on our travels :)
Kathy
July 30, 2017We used to think it was funny that the waiters came around offering alcoholic beverages at breakfast on the ship, until we discovered the ‘Mimosa’ (Champagne and orange juice). I think the addition of orange juice made it seem more acceptable as a breakfast beverage! Split was beautiful and we all had so much fun on that particular day. :)
Pete
July 31, 2017Looks like a lot of fun. Bright, colourful photographs. Just a teensy hint: when taking photographs of the sea or a lake or something, have a look at the horizon to check that it’s level. I use Lightroom CC and it has an “autolevel” button to set things straight.
Mmmm. Those sausages look yummy. I can almost smell them!
Kathy
July 31, 2017Thanks for the tips Pete. I do usually straighten up the horizon on most of my photos. I did slip up a little here. We did have a fun day in Split. The Croatian sausages were very tasty!
Michelle Zammit
July 31, 2017We spent quite a few days in Split and loved it! It’s so very easy to chill out and just enjoy the food and ambience there! We especially enjoyed watching the fishmongers showing off the fresh fish at the market!
Kathy
July 31, 2017Yes there is something about watching the local fishermen unload their catches. Split was a beautiful place to visit.
Abigail Sinsona
July 31, 2017When talking about Croatia, everyone’s talking about Dubrovnik. But Split looks equally beautiful (may be not as historically rich as Dubrovnik, but still). I have always wanted to visit Croatia, so this is another destination to consider, especially for someone like me who wants to avoid the destinations that are too touristy!
Kathy
July 31, 2017Yes the crowds are the downside of visiting touristy places. We encountered them all over Europe and were happy that we actually found a couple of less inhabited areas. Croatia is a definite must see!
Suman Doogar
July 31, 2017You click beautiful pictures, it speaks for itself. Very nicely you have captured the essence of Split. Keep up the good work.
Kathy
July 31, 2017Thank you. It was pretty easy to capture the beauty of Split. It is a lovely Croatian town.
Jen
August 1, 2017This is one of the items on top of my bucket list. It’s crazy beautiful. By the way, i only learned about Crotia because of Game of thrones and now im learning about more beautiful places in this country because of people like you and your blogs. Good job
Kathy
August 1, 2017Thank you Jen. I did visit some of the locations of the TV show Game of Thrones in Dubrovnik which was a big thrill. I really enjoyed visiting all of the places we stopped at in Croatia. It’s a magical country.
Thirty30Courtney
August 1, 2017Ahh, I keep getting closer to Croatia but I have yet to be able to get there. I am praying that the third time’s a charm. It looks insanely gorgeous and I’d love to get out on the water.
Kathy
August 1, 2017Croatia is insanely gorgeous! You must get yourself there one day soon. :)
Ami
August 5, 2017The beachside of Split is amazing. Such lovely waters and those cafes around there make it a perfect place to hang out. Loved your pics.
Kathy
August 5, 2017It was a superb place to visit on such a gorgeous sunny day. I could easily return. :)
Zoya
August 5, 2017What a special way to celebrate a birthday – sunny weather, a gorgeous setting and great food! Split looks amazing, I can totally see myself hanging out at Bacvice Beach (I’ll be skipping the €10 fee for a deck chair of course! Haha), before heading out to explore the Diocletian Palace!
Kathy
August 6, 2017It was a fabulous way to enjoy the birthday celebration. What more could we want? :)
Sandy N Vyjay
August 6, 2017I was not aware about Split before reading your post. Indeed Split is a revelation. The city looks absolutely charming. Your pictures bring alive the city in vivid colours and detail.The eorld has so much to see and today I have added one more name to my list, Split.
Kathy
August 6, 2017Thank you Sandy. I’m extremely happy to oblige. There are too many beautiful places in the world to see!