Our Split Shift

Red tiled rooftops descend the slopes down towards the sun soaked bay of deep blue waters, restaurants and bars line the well heeled seafront promenade, ancient characterful buildings speak of troubled pasts and fierce pride in equal measure. The labyrinthine old town, nestling between the mostly still standing walls of the ancient palace which form a perfect square around its perimeter, oozes spirit and character from its every stone. 

Tiny cramped streets lead you to inviting piazzas, the crumbling stone gates of the old city open out on to the waterfront esplanade known by locals as the Riva, swifts fill the warm air feeding their young nesting in holes in the city walls.

There is something Italian in flavour about the elegance of Split and its people, immaculately dressed folk of all ages stroll through its lanes and along its promenades. Distinctly Balkan architecture looks down on a palm lined waterfront reminiscent of the French riviera, the multitudinous restaurants and bars buzz with activity. The food bar is raised high: there is quality everywhere, at reasonable prices, and every turning, every alley, every piazza, boasts alluring eateries just calling you in.

The hum of ferries waiting to leave port echoes across the water and vibrates through the flagstones to counterpoint the screeching of the thousands of swifts sweeping overhead. The ancient crumbling walls and shuttered townhouses speak of a history as chequered as the national flag, concealing so many secrets within their silence. 

And through all this, the deep blue Adriatic laps gently at the shore, the sun glints on the tinted glass of billionaire yachts, the sky is cloudless from dusk till dawn. Split is beautiful. Wealthy, proud, well heeled, classy. And beautiful. 

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Meandering around those tiny streets and getting lost in its maze are as much an essential part of the Split experience as the atmosphere of the Riva, as is Becvice, the city beach, and Marjan, the lofty hilltop affording wonderful panoramic views of the amazing setting. In our two full days here we have enjoyed all of those experiences, admired the playboy yachts, inhaled the scent of sun drenched pines, marvelled at each quaint piazza.

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Split is handily compact, its major sites concentrated around the old city, yet you feel it would take a lifetime to get to know every corner of the maze of alleys at its core. It has been enormously enjoyable doing just that.

Each of our three evening meals have been delicious and we could recommend each of those restaurants, but to be frank there are gorgeous, enticing eateries everywhere, so recommendations for any in particular seem superfluous. As ever, prices tend to be lower as you move away from the centre and the seafront, but you wouldn’t want to miss out on the atmospheric ambience of the best locations.

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We feel we have been lucky to be here at this time, less busy than high season would normally be, due of course to COVID. It’s pretty clear that visitor numbers are a little down, and on our last night here, a Friday, you can sense a slight increase in those numbers.

In four weeks time, towards the end of this trip, we will be returning here. The crowds may have returned by then, and the comparison will be interesting.

For now though, it’s on to our next destination, the Plitvicka Jezera, Croatia’s Lake District, where we have some hiking on the agenda. After the slightly hedonistic indulgence of Split, we probably need it!

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