Guide

Split, in order

Split isn’t really a city you explore by ticking things off a list. It’s small enough to walk almost everywhere, and the best way to get to know it is without overplanning: start inside the Palace, wander through the old town, and eventually make your way down to the sea.

If someone asked us how we’d do it, it would go something like this.

City centre

Pretty much everything is close together. Half a day is enough in theory. In reality, you’ll stop for coffee somewhere and the whole thing will take longer. As it should.

Diocletian’s Palace: The Palace was built around 300 AD for the Roman emperor Diocletian, who planned to spend his retirement here.; But don’t expect a palace with gates, tickets and a fixed route through it. This is a living part of the city. People still live here, and behind the same old stone walls you’ll find apartments, restaurants, small bars, shops and hidden courtyards.; That’s what makes it special.
Peristyle: The Peristyle is right in the heart of the Palace, and you can’t really miss it.; Come early in the morning and it can feel almost empty. In the evening, it’s a completely different place. People sit on the stone steps, there’s often music, tourists come and go, and the whole square comes alive.
Cathedral of Saint Domnius: The cathedral used to be Diocletian’s mausoleum, which is a pretty good piece of historical irony.; It’s worth climbing the bell tower as well. The stairs are narrow and fairly steep, but the view from the top makes up for it. You get the rooftops of the old town, the Riva, the harbour and the sea all in one view.
Gregory of Nin: The huge statue by Ivan Meštrović stands just outside the Golden Gate.; The most famous detail is the big toe, polished smooth after years of people touching it for good luck.; Touristy? Definitely. But you’re already there, so you might as well do it too.
Get: Get is one of those parts of the Palace where the best thing you can do is simply wander around.; There isn’t one particular sight you need to find. It’s all about the narrow streets, old stone walls, staircases and tiny passages. Walk twenty metres away from the main crowds and suddenly everything becomes quiet.
Varoš: Walk west from the Riva and you’ll quickly reach Varoš, one of Split’s old fishermen’s neighbourhoods.; Expect small stone houses, steep streets, plenty of steps and laundry hanging between buildings. It doesn’t feel too polished or staged, which is exactly why people like it.; If you’re heading up to Marjan, you’ll probably pass through here anyway.
Riva: The Riva doesn’t need much explaining.; Sea on one side, the Palace on the other, with palm trees and cafés in between.; People come here for coffee, to sit around without any particular reason, or just to walk up and down in the evening. If it looks like some people are doing the same lap for the third time, they probably are.; That counts as a perfectly normal evening in Split.

Marjan

When you’ve had enough of the crowds in the centre, head towards Marjan.

Within ten minutes or so from the Riva, you can already be above the city with pine trees around you and a view of the sea.

Keep walking as far as you feel like.

Vidilica: Most people reach Vidilica by taking the stairs up through Varoš.; At the top there’s a café and one of the classic views over Split. You can see the old town, the harbour, ferries and the sea stretching out in front of you.; Morning and sunset are the best times to go. In the middle of a summer day, those stairs are much less charming.
Botanical Garden: If you keep going further into Marjan, you can stop at the Botanical Garden.; It isn’t huge and you don’t need much time for it. Think of it more as a nice stop along the way, especially when it’s hot and a bit of shade sounds good.
The islands from above: Once you get a little higher up Marjan, you start to understand where Split actually sits.; You can see Čiovo, Šolta and Brač, and on a clear day, Hvar in the distance as well.; From up there, Split doesn’t feel like the end of the mainland. It feels more like the beginning of the islands.

Bačvice

Bačvice is just east of the city centre and easy to reach on foot.

It’s a sandy beach with very shallow water, so you can walk quite far out before it gets properly deep.

Picigin: If you see a group of people standing in the shallows and throwing themselves around after a tiny ball like they’re playing a World Cup final, that’s picigin.; The basic rule is simple: don’t let the ball touch the water.; Everything else is mostly about style.; It looks easy until you try it yourself.; People play picigin at Bačvice all year round, and there’s even a tradition of playing on New Year’s Day. That tells you quite a lot about both Bačvice and Split.

West Coast

If the Riva feels too crowded, just keep walking west.

The West Coast runs along the marina and is usually much calmer. You still get the sea and the city views, just with fewer people around.

Keep going towards Sustipan and you’ll reach pine trees, rocks and a quieter stretch above the sea.

It’s a good place to escape the crowds without really leaving the centre.

Žnjan

Žnjan is east of the centre and a good choice when you simply want a beach day rather than another afternoon walking around the old town.

The beach and the whole surrounding area have recently been redesigned, and the biggest advantage is space.

In Split during summer, that’s not something to take for granted.

If you want to swim, spend a few hours by the sea and avoid squeezing through the old town with a towel over your shoulder, Žnjan is a very good option.

We open in the summer of 2028. Until then, the city is there.

Places we have been